Which exam and why?

[EarthNot]

ABRSM practical or digital/performance?

Or Trinity?

Which do you prefer for which instrument or do you mix and match?

My dcs have so far only done ABRSM practical exams flute and violin.

I like them as they're in person but the idea of recording a video and not having to do scales etc sounds quite nice. Is it worth trying?

How do Trinity exams differ?

Lots of students think the performance grades are an easier option than the practical exams…they aren’t!
Dont underestimate how difficult recording 4 pieces in one take is, and there are 30 marks for the performance aspect, which is an art in itself; it’s not just a case of playing without a break, but performing to an imaginary audience, transitioning between pieces in the right way, at the right speed etc.
Any teacher worth their salt will still want to teach the relevant scales and sight reading, whether or not the student intends to take the performance exam (I’m a teacher!!).

It sounds like it's easier not having to do scales etc but just try recording four pieces in a row and you'll see it's not an easy option! Chat with your child's teacher to see what suits, might be different at different stages. My DD will do a higher grade trinity face to face on one instrument as she hasn't done the grade 5 theory to do Abrsm. She might do the performance grade 5 on another instrument as she's quietly nervous on this one so recording might be better.

Like others, we found the recording thing a bit stressful - actually the single take in a temper threatening to quit instrument entirely recording was the highest mark of our various pandemic era recorded exams. There's something to be said for having a deadline and just doing what you can on the day.

It probably also depends what you want the exam for. If it's about giving yourself an incentive to polish up a set of repertoire, performance exam is ideal. If it's about consolidating musicianship at a particular level, sight reading and scales are part of that. If it's about a certificate to boost child's confidence, any exam will do.

I quite liked the different options available for Trinity when DC did those. At lower grades, they could avoid sight reading if they wanted to. Plus the exercises were actually useful from a technique perspective. But really we've always left it up to teacher and they've just told kids which to do.

Trinity does Jazz grades as well as standard ones. If jazz is your thing, they’re brilliant. Obviously if you’re classically inclined, less so.

It really depends on the person. What you need to ask is which exam will allow them to ‘shine’ and give them as little stress as possible.

My dc has only done one exam, Grade 7 performance exam on the flute. We limited it to three attempts. If on the third attempt, we were not happy, we would have left it. One recording was okay, resulted in a merit. Job done - learnt more about the technical recording side (Needs a lot more practice on my part.) and performing in general. Dc is dyslexic and both sight reading/ scales would have been problematic. A face to face exam is good for someone who doesn’t get overly stressed at playing in front of someone, an all rounder (confident with all the different skills that are asked of them), someone who likes to work to a deadline. Neither dc or me.

Scales and technical exercises are crucial to every musical instrument, to be able to perform a piece to a decent standard. Sight reading is a little more arguable, good to do, but learning lots of different pieces, other than the ones to be examined, can also tick that skill box.

My dd has only ever done trinity exams both in person live exams and recorded. From a parental point of view, I prefer live. You go to the centre, they warm up with the teacher, go in and you're done. The recordings require a lot more from you as a parent unless of course the teacher takes it all on. I think my dd loses the edge a little bit because it feels more like a practice than a performance. But she gets very very nervous before the live ones to the point that it feels too much of an ordeal to put her through it. Results have been similar on both instruments in both scenarios, but slightly higher in live exams.

BTW Trinity recorded exams still include scales or technical exercises. I don't think you can tell from her certificates which are which.