ABRSM results

[Glovesick]

My DD did her Grade 1 this week. How quickly do the results come out? I have heard anywhere between 2 days and 4 weeks!

We haven't got any results from last week yet, ABRSM always let whoever entered them for the exam know first so I'm expecting to hear from the tutor (as the tutor was the applicant in our case). Good luck!

The certificates take a few weeks longer than the results IME.

Thank you! I was the applicant for my DD.

Check your portal by logging in - ABRSM quite often put the results online without letting you know they've done so. I've had the email telling me the results are ready weeks after the results have been posted!

Thanks, good tip, I have just checked. Not there yet. Trying to be patient!

Fingers crossed for you ChicChaos

Results came through at 3am this morning. Pleased with the outcome but the comments are very harsh, specially at grade 1. 90% criticism, 10% mild praise. She got a distinction, so there must be some really good stuff the examiner could have said! He left the overall section blank. He deducted marks for tiny detail such as tone - her tone was fantastic for a gr 1 violin, his standard was way too high. One very slight tuning was off on one note which he also thought worth mentioning and taking marks off for. I can't show her the comments they are too depressing for an already highly self critical child. What is the point of being so negative?

To be honest he’s probably trying to give her something constructive to improve on for next time, a distinction is fantastic well done so he was struggling to find things to say to be helpful.I once had the opposite, glowing comments, crap scores that don’t match up (still passed thank god)

I don't mind the criticism (albeit was a little too harshly expressed) but virtually nothing on what had gone well isn't very encouraging, specially at Grade 1.

To be fair, as O understand it from an examiner friend, the general comments box is generally used when candidates are on the borderline between fail/pass, merit/distinction etc.
It’s better to have critical comments with good marks, than positive comments with harsh marking.

A distinction is fantastic and hopefully, the comments are there to help with the next stage of progression, not to belittle your daughter’s achievement.

The marking for ABRSM is a bit odd in that they start with the pass mark and add or deduct points, so the written mark sheet is probably justifying what they have deducted for and the things you have mentioned (tone, pitch) are the things they deduct for. Distinction is really good so well done!

Nothing here yet, hopefully soon.

What’s the point of her getting a distinction - which is excellent - and then hearing all praise in the comments as well. The marks are the praise. She got a distinction. That will go on her certificate. The comments are much more useful if they pick up how to get better now moving to Grade 2. But that is my personal opinion. Congrats to your daughter !!!!!

I remember from my grade exams that the examiners provided balanced comments- what was good and what needed work on.

I agree it's helpful to have the criticisms, I just think it should be balanced. But that's just my view and clearly not that of the examiner!

@Glovesick

I remember from my grade exams that the examiners provided balanced comments- what was good and what needed work on.

I agree it's helpful to have the criticisms, I just think it should be balanced. But that's just my view and clearly not that of the examiner!

Completely agree, and I’ve had some very odd ones over the years. I usually end up reading them to the student and if necessary putting my own spin on things, so for example in your case if she maybe got 28/30 for a piece and all he could say was ‘c# wrong in bar 57 I’d maybe have a laugh with the student about whether the examiner had been drinking some grumpy juice and they were so good as proved by the score but he had to find something to grump about.

Usually the comments read along the lines of ‘you caught the character of the piece well with some good attention to dynamics and articulation. Watch out for the c# in bar 57’.

In your case it does sound like he was being a jobsworth that had been on the grumpy juice. If this wasn’t a public forum I’d ask the examiners name. Maybe double barrelled, initials RE?

billy not double barrelled, surname starts with a C

Good thing is that I read he won't be back here for the next 3 years at least, so that's a small mercy. I have now heard from other parents that his comments were super negative across the board.

I wonder if it's worth writing in about him?

@Glovesick

billy not double barrelled, surname starts with a C

Good thing is that I read he won't be back here for the next 3 years at least, so that's a small mercy. I have now heard from other parents that his comments were super negative across the board.

I wonder if it's worth writing in about him?

Honestly probably not. You got a fantastic result so realistic there is nothing they can do, previous experience you are unlikely to get anything satisfactory in response.