Music Teacher

Magazine Article

As anyone who has ever gone into an exam having not practised as much as they should have done will know, preparation is crucial to exam success. However talented the player, and however well they play one, two or even all three of their pieces, the only way to get solid marks across the various sections of the exam is to have a well-planned approach.

Of course, some pupils may react better than others to your prompts to choose scales or study passagework over the soaring melodies of their favourite piece – and at the end of the day, it is up to them – but as teacher, it is up to you to give them as good a chance of success as possible.

Planning

Obviously, working out a plan of action depends most of all on day zero: the date of the exam. In its advice on preparing for exams, ABRSM says: ‘The teacher usually makes the first move in suggesting an exam, and once the pupil has been encouraged to practise hard, and really wants to succeed, the stage is set for the work ahead!’

The ‘usually’, one might feel, is probably used advisedly, because of course this ideal scenario is not always what teachers are faced with. Parents are often particularly keen to see that their children are progressing, to benchmark their own children against those of other parents, and can even feel that the taking of grades is one way to make sure they are getting value for money. If teachers do ‘usually make the first move’, it may nevertheless be because they know that their pupil, or their pupil’s parents, are keen for progression to be led and demonstrated through the taking of exams.

Knowing that taking exams is expected is important, as it can enable early planning and adopting the correct approach from as early in the process as possible. ‘If I’ve got the luxury of knowing that the exam is going to be in the summer,’ says teacher and ABRSM examiner Jessica O’Leary, ‘I’ll know what work they’ll need to do in order to do well – and play repertoire they’ll really love – in the exam.

‘For example, I’ve got several students at the moment [towards the end of the winter term] who are doing one particular sort of very quick movement, with lots of shifting, lots of high positions – a lot of technical work – so that by the time we choose the pieces in January, they’ll have a much broader range of possible options in front of them.’

A long lead-time also allows you to integrate work on all sections of the exam across the year’s lessons.  ‘I know some teachers won’t even enter their students for an exam until they know all their scales. I don’t do it so obviously, but I do smuggle in the scales with their pieces all the time – then there are no surprises’ says O’Leary.

‘I try to do at least two or three minutes of sight-reading, improvisation and aural training in every lesson – I don’t always succeed but that’s my aim, especially with the very little ones. If they can be confident at sightreading, that means they are developing a strong sense of rhythm, and the ability to make something up in the key if they go wrong, which then means that they have extra confidence when playing their pieces – it’s also building in some resilience. Singing and clapping games can come into a lesson at any moment and even my senior boys are comfortable with humming or whistling. They see an immediate improvement in their playing and they understand why it’s relevant in the actual exam.

As ABRSM’s advice to teachers states: ‘Try to incorporate at least a few minutes’ aural training and sight-reading into every lesson. Leaving them to the last minute will not help the pupil’s confidence or the marks achieved.’

Choice of pieces

The process of deciding which pieces a student is going to play will probably be led by the teacher, but it will almost always make sense to give the student choices from which to make a positive selection. The teacher’s role is important, says Helena Ruinard, in presenting that initial lineup: ‘I take a strategic approach with trying to work out, particularly at the elementary level, which pieces are going to sound most flattering and work best on my pupils’ instruments. Sometimes you might have a piece which sounds nice and looks like an attractive option, but is not that idiomatic, in fact, for the violin.

‘If a pupil really wants to do something that they know and love, that can work in our favour, but generally I suggest options that I think will most work for them at their stage of development and at their own level of technique.

‘I often play through at least three pieces with them and then come through with at least one strong suggestion.’

INSTEAD: Often, there is a balance to be struck between overall development and success in an individual exam, as O’Leary says: ‘If I’ve got a student who is very expressive on their instrument, who can play musically, in tune and with a bit of vibrato, then I might choose two pieces that are heavily weighted towards that sort of playing. In the previous terms I then really focus, in the third piece, on something they need to work on. That could be a technical thing like shifting or projecting, or if they’re very timid I might give them a concerto.’

The extent to which exams lead the direction of a pupil’s overall development will always come down to the teacher’s own style and that of the pupil, but if there is plenty of notice, a challenging exam piece can provide extra motivation and boost technical progress.

Leading up

In the lead-in to the exam, it is important to make sure that nothing is overlooked and that any areas of underconfidence are identified and worked on. Even as the date looms – and perhaps particularly – some students will deliberately avoid their areas of weakness, so it is up to the teacher to ensure a comprehensive programme is in place. ‘In the few weeks beforehand I’ll make sure that they have a practice plan,’ says Ruinard, ‘including that they have all the scale requirements on a chart which they can tick off. Particularly as the grades get higher it’s quite easy to overlook one or two scales.’

ABRSM recommends holding a mock exam ‘well before the actual event, and don’t forget to include walking into the room and setting up to perform, as these are often the most unsettling moments’ – and Ruinard agrees that this is beneficial: ‘We change the atmosphere a bit and go through the format of the exam, and I pretend to be the examiner – although I will be playing the piano as well. It’s giving them a different feeling, and the feeling of playing everything through.’ An informal performance to friends and family or an exam candidates’ concert can also function as good preparation.

In or out

Despite your best efforts (but possibly not theirs), some students may present you with the dilemma of whether to pull out of an exam. It may be obvious to all concerned that a pupil is not going to leave the exam room having had a positive experience, or it may not, particularly to parents. Each case will be individual, and hopefully rare, but it is undeniable that the examination can be a stressful moment for pupils.

Sometimes withdrawal can be the right option, says Ruinard – ‘I would normally think it was better for them not to do the exam if it was a clear case’ – although one teacher recalls a situation where, despite pupil, teacher and parent knowing that success was highly unlikely, the parent insisted on the experience as a ‘useful life lesson’. ‘It was really against my wishes,’ says this teacher, ‘and she didn’t pass. But she carried on learning, passed the next time and carried on after that.’

INSTEAD: O’Leary puts her record of never having withdrawn a pupil from an exam down to meticulous parent management: ‘I work very hard on my parents. Rather than having them at arm’s length I bring them in: I explain to them what is required, I have the criteria on my wall, I email them the criteria a month beforehand so that they can see what needs to be done. Can they play through all their pieces? Can they play their scales musically, with a nice sound and in tune? Are they using their aural training and accompaniment apps? Even parents who aren’t particularly musical will know the difference between that and something that isn’t quite ready.

‘I work incredibly hard to get to a situation where there are not any surprises a month beforehand. So, no, I haven’t ever put in a student who I’ve then needed to pull out.’

On the day

This actually begins the evening before: as ABRSM’s advice usefully states, a tired, run-down performer will be low on confidence and increasingly nervous – so make sure that both pupil and parents know the importance of a good night’s sleep. After this, for an extrovert, experienced performer, there is every chance that exam day will be just another day. For those with more sensitive dispositions, the age-old ‘deep breaths’ and an injection of sensible perspective will help calm any nerves.

‘I say that that it’s very good performing experience, that everybody gets nervous, that it’s really not the most important musical performance that you’ll do,’ says Ruinard, ‘and that there are lots of other opportunities to show everybody what you can do.

‘Obviously you want pupils to do their best, but for some it might be easier for them to do their best in a different situation – they shouldn’t be too hard on themselves.’

‘The most important thing is that the exam is only one part of the whole process,’ says O’Leary. ‘It’s only 12 minutes if it’s a Grade 1 or half an hour if it’s a Grade 8, so only a very small snapshot of the whole year’s progress.

‘They have to want to do the exam, and see the benefit of it. And then a week before I always say to them, for example: “You’re at a really high Grade 2 level. On the day I hope it goes your way, but the important thing is that we’re ready to move on to Grade 3 now.” That takes the pressure off them. Of course it’s always nice to get a certificate with a distinction on it as well!’