Preparing for your Rockschool exam

Tips for Exam Preparation from an Examiner's Perspective

If you are thinking of doing the exams, I've just got a few tips for you from an examiner's perspective.

Be Prepared

The first tip is: be as prepared as you can possibly be.

• It can feel a little bit stressful walking into a room and playing pieces that you've only performed in your bedroom or to your friends, especially in front of a complete stranger.
• Just remember that the examiner wants you to do as well as you can possibly do. They're not there to catch you out.

What you can do to help alleviate some of that pressure is to ensure you are extra prepared for the exam day.

Warm-Up Performances

Here are a couple of suggestions:

• Perform in front of your parents or friends at home as a little warm-up exam.
• Consider running a mock exam with your teacher under exam-style conditions. This will help you mentally prepare for how that situation will differ from playing alone at home in your bedroom.

Technical Exercises

Another way to get ready is by focusing on your technical exercises:

• Rather than just learning them up to the required exam tempo, push yourself a little bit further.
• For example, if the required tempo is 100 bpm, try to play those exercises at 120 bpm. This gives you that extra boost of confidence knowing that you can play under pressure.

Conclusion

These two simple strategies can make your exam experience go a little bit smoother on the day. Remember, preparation is key to feeling confident and performing your best!