Entering for an ABRSM Music Exam

If you feel that you or your child is ready to take a music exam, firstly discuss it with the music teacher and ask for their advice. Each music teacher will receive an email in the second week of term from Bromley Conservatoire, asking for their list of exam candidates. We will then email each student/ parents of each student, inviting them to sign up for the exam. At this point, we are able to confirm the date of the exam but not the time. If you wish to proceed with the exam, you will be asked to confirm by email and send your full name for the certificate and date of birth. Payment will also be requested at this time, by bank transfer, to the Bromley Conservatoire account.

Around 2 -3 weeks before the exam date, you will receive another email from Bromley Conservatoire, confirming the time of the exam and the suggested arrival time. 

On the day

We ask that exam candidates arrive at Bromley Conservatoire at around 15-20 minutes before the start time, in order to have time for a quick warm up on the instrument. This is particularly important for exams requiring an accompanist, as this is your opportunity to play together. The warm up room is usually Music Room 2 but we sometimes use Music Room 1 in addition. 

It is important to remember to bring all exam music. If taking an exam which requires accompaniment, you must bring the piano accompaniment music for the accompanist to play. The accompanist does not have all the music for all the grades for all the instruments!

You will be given a programme sheet to fill in. This is given to the examiner and gives him or her the information about the pieces you will be playing and the order in which you intend to play them.

After your warm up, you will be taken down to the Studio for the exam. You will wait at the door for the examiner to invite you into the exam room.

If you are taking an exam requiring an accompanist, you will perform those pieces first. The accompanist is then required to leave the room, while you move onto scales/arpeggios, then a sight reading exercise and finally some aural tests.

Results

The results are usually emailed to Bromley Conservatoire around 3-4 working days following the exam. We then email the mark sheets to parents or students. Occasionally, the results for one or two candidates may be withheld for ABRSM moderation. This does NOT mean that you or your child has failed. ABRSM moderate both top and bottom results and all the results in between.

Certificates are usually sent around four weeks after the results but can take longer. They are placed in the teachers' pigeon holes and given to you or your child during their lesson.

The highest scoring candidates will receive an engraved medal from Bromley Conservatoire to recognise their achievements. These are presented at the Christmas or Summer concerts. If you are unable to attend the concert, you will receive the medal in your lesson.

Most importantly, try to enjoy the experience!