UNFAIR results from exam!!!!

[faye79]

Hi, I just got result from Abrsm exam grade 5. I failed. I played 3 pieces and got 18 points from Dreaming on C6 , which I didnt have any mistake in and my dynamics were good as well. I dont get it!! I got 20 and 20 points from other pieces as well, while I am sure it should be at least 23 points from each piece, if not more. I am honestly shocked!!!!
I find it very unfair. I was not good from scales, I got 10 points, as there were some scales I didnt know at all, I will admit! But that should not be reason to give me bad points from pieces just to make me fail!! I checked abrsm website for points and there is written:

pieces: 17-19 points: -poor recovery from slips (didnt have any)
                              -inadequate sense of continuity (I found that piece very easy and listened to it 1000 times on youtube and abrsm recording so i am sure i played it like that
                               
           20-23 points: -evidence of careful preparation
                              -security of notes and rhytm

I feel its very unfair results I got and I feel he gave me bad points from pieces only because he was so shocked I didnt learn all scales. Their piano in Croydon was really out of tune and sound was horrible but that is not my problem, they should use proper piano.
I was also listening to about 4 people before me who were doing exams and those kids played pieces so horribly I was shocked they tried to do exam without preparation. So I guess everybody failed. But I didnt deserve stupid 18 points, I even had all dynamics well, what is this?
Maybe he just didnt want that 32 years old person will pass, maybe thats the problem I dont get it.

[faulty_damper]

Preparation + Opportunity = Success


The above equation is simple.  Your lack of success is directly a result of your lack of preparation.  You knew ahead of time when your opportunity was.  This was set.  The only thing that you failed to do was prepare enough.  Here's your equation:

Poor preparation + Opportunity = Poor score


The examiners have sat through thousands of examinees and aren't likely to discriminate against you based on your age.  It was your lack of preparation that led to your score.

[faulty_damper]

What's important is that you learned from this experience.  Instead, you are blaming someone else for your shortcomings and failures.  This is not a recipe for success.  Learn from it.  Prepare beyond your requirements.  Music is never about passing an exam.

[pianoman53]

I don't know how he was poorly preperated. I mean, to lower the score on pieces because of your scales... I don't see why.

Ask your teacher what you did wrong. I mean, to learn from your mistake when you don't know what you did wrong is just bull. But it's a very easy answer, so...


But ya, ask your teacher, and try to ask the jury, if you have the possibility.

[perfect_pitch]

Faye... This might sound a bit harsh, but I'd ask your piano teacher. If they're shocked that you failed, then it may show that your teacher doesn't have a clear sense of what a pass is or a fail...

Also - if you're going to ask your teacher, see if you can ask them what they thought was wrong, and then compare it to what the examiners wrote. If she says nothing similar to what the examiners mention, then she may not know clearly what needs to be corrected.

If they are really surprised, then think very carefully about whether you should continue with your current teacher. I've only ever had 1 student fail when sitting AMEB exams, however I told him in the couple weeks beforehand that he needs to be prepared that he may fail. I'd also like to point out, that I told the mother that he wasn't ready to sit the exam, but he had to give it a try on the off chance that he might pass so it would count towards his graduation.

[faye79]

Sorry I am able to admit if I woud not prepare enough but I played those pieces nonstop for few months and my teacher was happy with them. I only said I didnt know scales perfectly. Not pieces!
So you want to tell me my teacher would give me 27 points for piece and someone else will give 18 and its fine and lack of preparation? I dont understand what are you talking about? I was perfectly prepared with pieces, how can you say I was not?There are certain rules why to give bad results and I dont think someone should give 18 points for piece I played exactly as it is written , without mistakes, with dynamics etc. I did ask my teacher and he is shocked as well, as he heard me to play them many times and I dont think I played them differently on exam.
All I know that examinator was rolling his eyes when I said I cant play certain scales, thats all.
And I dont think some examinator should do it.

[counterpoint]

As you write, it sounds really unfair. But I don't know how you play.

Perhaps you can upload something (mp3 or a video on youtube), so we could possibly see,
what's "wrong" with your playing...?

[pianoman53]

I wouldn't go as far as changing teacher because of the result, as PP suggested. Though, I would advice you to ask the rest of the jury. Sometimes (I've experienced it quite a few times actually) the jury member is just a bitter old man, who just wants to retire. Sometimes they're just from a different sort of school (russian vs french etc.) and has got such strong believes in his own way of playing, that he can't accept anything that is different.
And you said grade 5? It seems like they shouldn't expect too much genius from that grade. Maybe it actually is that you are quite a bit older than the rest, and they felt that, because of your age, should have nailed it perfectly, with all the scales and everything.

But don't go berzerk and come excuses for us. I mean, what does it matter what we think? If you say you were prepared, and nailed it, we either believe you, or we don't. No matter what we think, our opinion isn't really important right now. And none of us can answer what the jury was thinking, or why they gave you a bad score.

So instead of asking us, go to the people who heard you. In any case, we can't change the result. They can.

[johnmar78]

Fay, these days, AMEB  standard is much tougher than befroe. To required a good pass, you need to pass your technical work and aural  too NOT JUST the repetories. In old days, peopel get away with good marks on ABCD but poor in technical section....

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Sorry I am able to admit if I woud not prepare enough but I played those pieces nonstop for few months and my teacher was happy with them. I only said I didnt know scales perfectly. Not pieces!
So you want to tell me my teacher would give me 27 points for piece and someone else will give 18 and its fine and lack of preparation? I dont understand what are you talking about? I was perfectly prepared with pieces, how can you say I was not?There are certain rules why to give bad results and I dont think someone should give 18 points for piece I played exactly as it is written , without mistakes, with dynamics etc. I did ask my teacher and he is shocked as well, as he heard me to play them many times and I dont think I played them differently on exam.
All I know that examinator was rolling his eyes when I said I cant play certain scales, thats all.
And I dont think some examinator should do it.

We can't really say whether or not the judges decision were justified because we haven't hard you play.  You could post a video for us to get an idea of your playing, but we still can't tell because we don't know how you played in front of the judges.

[perfect_pitch]

Fay, these days, AMEB  standard is much tougher than befroe. To required a good pass, you need to pass your technical work and aural  too NOT JUST the repetories. In old days, peopel get away with good marks on ABCD but poor in technical section....

Erm... he did the ABRSM, not the AMEB grades.

[asiantraveller101]

Preparation + Opportunity = Success


The above equation is simple.  Your lack of success is directly a result of your lack of preparation.  You knew ahead of time when your opportunity was.  This was set.  The only thing that you failed to do was prepare enough.  Here's your equation:

Poor preparation + Opportunity = Poor score


The examiners have sat through thousands of examinees and aren't likely to discriminate against you based on your age.  It was your lack of preparation that led to your score.

I like your idea of the equation. Simple yet holds much truth. In the unlikely event that the examiner was actually "biased", one should have been prepared to do ALL elements of the test and leave nothing for criticism. An analogy: Imagine this: one apprentice chef goes to take his/her exam, and he/her says to the examiner "I don't cook rice or risotto, but I can cook everything else well". How do you think it will fare with the examiner?

[faa2010]

Like some people in this post remarked, playing "correctly" the pieces is not everything in the exam.  Ear training, sight-reading, piano techinique (which I prefer to consider as "how you play the basic exercises for warmimg up") are also part of the exam.

As I see it , this exam almost covers the skills a pianist needs to have in practise.  What it would be missing, is that you need to explain theory and history.

I think also that you had a great chance of presenting this exam despite the results you had.  In my case it's very difficult to present it.  The only exam I could do was the Theory one of Grade 5 almost 3 years ago.  I asked in the same school I did the exam if there was a possibility to do the Piano Exam, they told me that I need to go to the embassy and I need to do more stuff because the institution only promotes the Theory exams of ABRSM.

I don't diminish the Theory exams, because thanks to them I have a stronger background in theory of music, but if I had the same chance as you of being allowed to do the Piano grade exam, I wouldn't think it twice, I would present it and I wouldn't care of the results in the end as long as it helps me to become a better pianist.

I might understand your dissapointment.  When I wanted to play to people who knows more about the topic, I get more critics than the praise and acceptance I am looking for, either it is consciously or not.  

It's frustrating, very frustrating that you may go to the limit to reject and underestimate what you have achieved so far, I know, but it's better to express it as you do than denying and hiding it.

However, later on is better to think it is better because that should make you want to work on the issues you need to.

In short:

We can accept and "deal" with the Success, but when it is about Failure of course we have difficulties in accepting it.  If we know how to deal with Failure in the end, we can grow up more than with Success.