A large part of Music Education for us in Singapore is Music Examinations, which have become a rite of passage for nearly every learner. In 2020, with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, music exam seasons for several boards unfortunately had to be cut short or even cancelled due to closing borders amid concerns on the spread of this new disease.
Following these circumstances, RSL was arguably the first of the UK examination boards to step up and find ways for candidates to continue to earn their qualifications and take their exams despite these challenges via their Digital Examinations: Live Video Exams, and Recorded Video Examinations – Both great options!
Although the weighting of these qualifications is technically the same on paper, are they both really equal?
To start with let’s have a look at what each of these Digital Exam formats are, and how they work.
Traditionally in a Face-to Face Grade Examination, candidates are assessed via a series of Performance Pieces and Supporting Tests that showcase aspects of musicianship skill and knowledge expected of a learner at each respective level. As an alternative, the exams were also offered in the Performance Certificate, which focused solely on performance pieces with no other supporting tests.
In Late March 2020, RSL launched the Recorded Video Exams – This format is made available to all levels in both the Grade Exams and the Performance Certificate, where candidates record their exam performance and
submit it for assessment by RSL’s examiners.
The procedure is straightforward enough. Candidates record themselves playing their exam in a single take, making sure of certain framing, lighting, introducing themselves at the beginning of the exam, introducing each piece & exercise, etc. This does pose certain challenges with balancing audio levels, ensuring the performance is uninterrupted by passing family members, external noises (living in Singapore there is no escaping this unfortunately), and the like. In addition to this, the Unseen Tests (Sight Reading / Improvisation / Quick Study Piece, Ear Tests & General Musicianship Questions) were omitted, however the Technical exercises had to all be performed as written, and with some added variations. The marking structure is also modified here.
In contrast, learners and teachers due to how faithful it remains to the established standard, still largely favor the Live Video Exams. The Grade Exams can be fulfilled to the full criteria and structure without omitting any portions of the examination or altering the marking structure. Additionally, candidates still get to meet their examiners and interact with them live via video conferencing, just like they could before in the Face-to-Face exams.
| Live Video Exams | Recorded Video Exams |
| Report to exam Venue | Recorded at home, or at a preferred location |
| Meet different examiners | No direct interaction with examiners |
| Full suite of assessments for Grade Exams – the examiner chooses a selection of which exercises to perform from each group of technical exercises | Unseen tests are skipped for Grade Exams, more guidelines added for Technical Exercises (mandatory metronome that you have to operate yourself, additional keys for pitched instrument scales, etc.) |
| All backing tracks & supporting audio are operated by the examiner | Candidate operates backing tracks and metronome |
| The Verdict: To be fair, the Recorded Exams open up options for candidates who may not be able to travel to an Exam Centre in today’s climate (immune-compromised, vulnerable population) to earn their qualification despite the limited mobility. In an environment like Singapore however, with strict safety measures and a situation largely under control, the option to take a Live Video Exam is certainly the best and most complete examination experience, however, it’s great to know that RSL is prepared in the worst case scenario (a.k.a. Circuit Breaker 2.0 – touch wood!) to continue to serve the Rockschool Community. Exam Registration for Period D 2021 – Singapore (1 – 31 December) opens September 2021. For more information, visit www.rs-event.sg. |
