Has any got their exam date yet for practical exams for the upcoming session? How much notice do you usually get from ABRSM? I'll need to book time off work!!

I have booked for my son to do his grade 1 violin and he hasn't got a date yet. When I booked for my violin exam back for the june slot, I heard about 2 to 3 weeks before it was due!

I've entered for this season and I haven't heard either. The fact that it could be 5 November scares me!!!

I am hoping for a december date!! Could do with the extra practice time!! I hope we hear before the exam session starts - at least that would be lots of notice!

I am also in the same dilemma waiting for a date. I need to shift my hours around at work and need some notice. It frightens me too that it might be at the beginning end of November. My teacher hasn't spent enough time with me on the exam pieces. I am getting more tuition from my accompanist at the moment!!

I've got ours - 2nd November (Special Visit).

I've entered to do Grade 1 Flute and Grade 2 Violin in December but I've been told it usually takes 5-6 weeks to receive an exam date. I'm just hoping that they're both not on the same day and preferably at the end of the exam session in December. Knowing my luck, I'll probably be early November

This is my first violin exam..........I'd better ring the accompanist...thanks for reminding me!!!

According to ABRSM in an email I received from them today, 'We are still working on the timetables at the moment, and the first date notifications will be due to go towards the end of next week.'

I queried them about the impact of the postal strike on exam date notification and they say that if there's no improvement by the end of next week, they'll start contacting teachers or whoever entered the candidate by telephone.

I entered a few and havn't heard back anything at all. Asked for last week of the session for the last minute scale learners, and also as its the tattie holidays as of next week I wont see them for a fortnight.

I GOT MY EXAM DATE IN THE POST TODAY!!!!

It's the very last day of the exam session - Friday 7th December. How brilliant is that?!! And it's cool to have so much notice :-) Am delighted!

It's about 10 years since I did a music exam - and the last one was Royal Irish Academy Piano grade 8 where I scraped a pass with 2 marks to spare. Hope the violin grade 3 goes a bit better!

Good luck to everyone else awaiting exam appointments

A very happy Orla :-)

Best of luck! Go knock 'em out!

xxx

PS love 'Romance'.....

Ah I love Romance too......shame about the lack of vibrato, the current bane of my existance along with arpeggios three notes to a bow.......but it's all good I have about 6 weeks to sort out the niggly bits and find me an accompanist ...i have two names recommended and my brother in law as a back up plan - only he doesn't know that yet :-) Should be grand!!

It would sound better with vibrato but you don't need vibrato for grade 3 - if anything, I read somewhere that you could be marked down for using it. Good luck with finding an accompanist

I've actually found an accompanist! My teacher has G8 piano and will accompany in lessons, but not in exams, but the new secretary at work is a music graduate in panio and said that, yes, she would do it! Huzzah! All I need now is to get ready for an exam!!!!!!!

This almost had me in tears - how sad to have graduated in piano and have to work as a secretary. Do recommend her to your teacher if she's good, so that she can build up some piano work.

Good luck with your exam!

Aww you'll be fine and you still have lots of time for polish. We'll all be rooting for you - I actually quite enjoyed my exam really because once you enter the room all the pressure is off and you can 'enjoy' your performance of your pieces etc.

7th of December gives us plenty time to nag you about your three-note arpeggios (which I'm finding quite hard to maintain a decent tone in )

GOOD LUCK!!!!

Good luck, Orla