How do you prepare for exams?

[fuel925]

How do you personally prepare for exams in the final:

1) Months
2) Weeks
3) Days
4) Minutes

Before the exam takes place?

Would like some input as I have an exam coming up in a couple of months. Its by no means my first, but extra tips would be good

[kaff]

1. Months - make absolutely sure you know exactly what the current syllabus exam requirements are - I'm sure by now you have your pieces selected and are working on them, but make sure you also know any other bits - scales, aural, sight reading, history, whatever - and are also working on those bits.  And then, practise them.  In particular, don't plan on leaving all the scales, sight-reading, aural, history bits until nearer the exam - practise now.

2. Weeks.  Same.  Pieces should be having final polish put on them by now.  Useful to play in front of an audience, just to get used to how it feels.  Family and friends are fine if you have not got a concert planned.  If possible, play on as many different pianos as you can, not just yours and your teacher's, so you won't be thrown if the exam piano feels completely different to what you're used to.

3. Days.  Let's face it, if you haven't got everything as perfect as it's going to be by now, you're going to have problems. You should by this stage (I think) not be trying to work on technical things,  but should be playing pieces throughfrom start to finish, making a musical whole. Keep fingers supple.  Mental preparation - you should be loking forward to the exam.  You've been working towards it for ages, and this is your chance to make it all come together, and play it for someone who will sit and give you their whole attention without making you stop and do bits over because they're not right.

4. Minutes.  Keep calm.  Look forward to it (if you tell yourself often enough it'll work!)

Good luck! Let us know what you did, and how it worked, or not.

Kathryn

[fuel925]

1. Months - make absolutely sure you know exactly what the current syllabus exam requirements are - I'm sure by now you have your pieces selected and are working on them, but make sure you also know any other bits - scales, aural, sight reading, history, whatever - and are also working on those bits.  And then, practise them.  In particular, don't plan on leaving all the scales, sight-reading, aural, history bits until nearer the exam - practise now.

2. Weeks.  Same.  Pieces should be having final polish put on them by now.  Useful to play in front of an audience, just to get used to how it feels.  Family and friends are fine if you have not got a concert planned.  If possible, play on as many different pianos as you can, not just yours and your teacher's, so you won't be thrown if the exam piano feels completely different to what you're used to.

3. Days.  Let's face it, if you haven't got everything as perfect as it's going to be by now, you're going to have problems. You should by this stage (I think) not be trying to work on technical things,  but should be playing pieces throughfrom start to finish, making a musical whole. Keep fingers supple.  Mental preparation - you should be loking forward to the exam.  You've been working towards it for ages, and this is your chance to make it all come together, and play it for someone who will sit and give you their whole attention without making you stop and do bits over because they're not right.

4. Minutes.  Keep calm.  Look forward to it (if you tell yourself often enough it'll work!)

Good luck! Let us know what you did, and how it worked, or not.

Kathryn

1) All the scales are in place and pretty much up to the standard required in the exam. I have also started working on the theory of the pieces, and will soon start sight reading and aural.

2) Playing in front of an audience is suprisingly something that didnt occur to me, its something I will definitely do. Unfortunately I don't know anyone/where that has another piano apart from myself and my teacher. However, these 2 piano's are very different to play so this should be helpful.

3) Good advice about looking forward to the exam! I hadn't looked at it from that angle before.

4) Calm is always good

[jas]

1) Months: Sadly, I'm not that organised.
2) Weeks: I'm not even that organised. (Well, unless it's an essay. Then I might give myself a couple of weeks of studying.)
3) Days: Think, "It'll be fine, I won't need more than a few days..."
4) Minutes: Ohmygod, why didn't I start earlier? Panicpanicpanic!

Every. Single. Time.

I'm a hopeless case. 

Jas

ETA: Oh, a piano exam? Well, in that case ... actually, it's much the same. *Sigh*