Things You Need to Know about Preparing for a Rockschool Exam

The Period D 2021 Rockschool Exams in Singapore are approaching, and for candidates already signed up, preparations are in full swing!

With preparations sometimes comes some apprehension or second-guessing – Am I ready to take my Rockschool Exam? Here are our Tips for preparing.

Before your Exam Day:

1. Set your practice routine and stick with itBe sure to set aside time to practice all the different aspects of the exam
   • Practice your pieces, focusing on smoothing out the performances, working out your solos and fine tuning your techniquesMake sure to work on your technical exercises ensuring that you are able to perform all the possible scales, or rudiments in each group in time with the metronome clickTake time to work on the Unseen Tests too! Practice improvising over random backing tracks on the internet, or pick a random score to sight read. Maybe try to reproduce your favorite beats or melodies by ear to sharpen your aural skills, and don’t forget to brush up on a little music theory, and the fact files about your pieces in preparation for the General Musicianship Questions.
   Check out the Top 6 Tips section in the Rockschool Singapore Exam Info Pack and The Practice with Purpose Dairy to help you organize and plan your practice sessions!
2. Rehearse the Exam with your TeacherThis will help you get a feel for the exam and help you prepare for possible challenges you may encounter, such as General Musicianship questions using different terms (e.g. crotchet = quarter note, makes = brands, etc.), or things like making adjustments to your drum kit, you can even practice how to greet your examiner and ask questions.
3. Make a List of things you will need to bringYou can find a full list of the things you need to bring on your exam day in the Rockschool Exam Day Checklist.  (You can also find this in the exam info pack)
4. Do your research and plan your route to the exam venueRS Event Center’s Public Exam Venue is located on Level 2 at Block 51 Old Airport Road. Sound familiar? We happen to share a building with one of Singapore’s oldest and most famous Hawker Centres!First opened in 1972 to resettle street hawkers around Kallang Estate, the Old Airport Road Food Centre remains one of Singapore’s favourite hawker stops for affordable local food. Named after the nearby Kallang Airport, Singapore’s first civilian airport, built by the British in 1937. Today, its three rows of back-to-back stalls are home to more than 160 cooked food stalls that prove handy to grab a snack or a cooling drink while waiting for your exam, or right after for some post-exam goodies.Rockschool Singapore @ RS Event Center is located between Dakota (CC8) and Mountbatten (CC7) MRT Stations, and bus services that pass by include 10, 16, 30, 31, 32, and 33.Open air and multi-storey carparks are available.Still unsure? Contact us for directions!

On the day of the Exam:

1.  Aim to arrive at least 15 minutes before your appointed time.This gives you time to check in to the exam venue and prepare your instrument and other gear while waiting for your turn.
2. Have the necessary items ready for check-inOnce you arrive at the Exam Centre, have your Exam Book, ID and Appointment Slip ready for verification by our friendly Exam Stewards who will guide you to your designated waiting area.
3. Be aware of your Exam EnvironmentThe Public Exam Venue @ RS Event Center is fully equipped to give you the best streaming connection to your examiner for your Live Video Exam. Candidates can also request for extra music stands if you need them, and a marshal is available to assist if you have trouble making adjustments to your drum kit or piano seat, as well as the backing track volume, so do not hesitate to ask for help if you need it.
4. Make sure you bring only what you need into the Exam RoomDrummers, just bring in your Exam Book, drum sticks and any other gear that you have informed the centre ahead of your exam day that you will be bringing. Guitar, Bass, and Ukulele players, make sure your instrument is out of the case, tuned and ready to go with any cables & adapters you may need. The idea is to take less time to set up and give you more time to focus on our exam.
5.  Enjoy the Process!
6. Remember that RSL’s examiners want to see you do well on your exam. If you are unsure of any instructions, just ask your examiner.

After your Exam:

1. Relax and wait for your results!Results for Singapore usually take around 3-4 weeks after the end of an exam period for results to release to, so sit tight and keep the music journey going. 

Click here for more information on the RSL Exams in Singapore – Creating benchmarks, not boundaries!