What Happens in a RSL Face-to-Face Exam?

It’s been a while since we were last able to see our RSL examiners in person! Since our last in-person  encounter with the examiners was way back in March 2020, we need a refresher on how the exams are going to be with our examiners in Singapore, so read on to see what it will be like to be face to face with your examiner again.

Before Your Exam Day

• Set your practice routine and stick with it – Be sure to set aside time to practice all the different sections of the exam. Your Teacher will be able to help advise you on areas you need to focus on to improve your overall performance.
  • Practice your pieces, focusing on smoothing out the performances, working out your solos and fine tuning your techniques.
  • Make 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 click
  • Take 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.

• Rehearse the Exam with your Teacher – This 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.

• Make a List of things you will need to bring. You can find a full list of the things you need to bring on your exam day in the Rockschool Exam Day Checklist.

• Do your research and plan your route to the exam venue – RS Event Center’s Public Exam Venue is located on Level 2 at Block 51 Old Airport Road. Sound familiar?

If you’ve been assigned to our Public Exam Venue, 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! What if I’m not assigned to the RS Event Center Venue? Remember to take a good look at your Exam Appointment Slip! Your exam date, time and location will be clearly stated.

Important reminder on Exam Venues!

Make sure you read your Exam Appointment Slip carefully to ensure you are reporting to the correct venue:

Arriving at the Venue

• Always aim to arrive at least 15 minutes before your assigned exam slot. This gives you time to check in to the exam venue and prepare your instrument and other gear while waiting for your turn.

• Once at the Venue, a Steward will greet you and sign you in. You will need to present your Photo ID, Appointment Slip (pdf soft copy is accepted!), and Original Copy of your Exam Book for verification. Physical copy or digital version of the exam book is accepted. For digital versions, RSL will make note of the authorisation code found at the edge of the page, so make sure that it is visible.

• Once you’re signed in, the Steward will direct you to your designated waiting area.

Wait! Do I get to warm up before my exam? Depending on the Exam Venue, a warm up room may not always be available, so do prepare accordingly and warm up before heading to your exam. Practicing your scales or rudiments to quietly warm up while waiting your turn is always a good idea! Starting the Exam When your turn comes, the Examiner, or other staff member will call you into the exam room. Make sure you bring only what you need into the Exam Room.

• Drummers, 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 your exam.

Remember to greet your examiner as you walk into the room. The Examiner will usually ask you to check that your name is spelled correctly before starting the exam. Lastly, Enjoy the Process! – 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 Relax and wait for your results! Results for Singapore usually take around 3-4 weeks after the end of an exam period to release, so sit tight and keep the music journey going. Want to see what else we’re up to? Check out our Blog Page, or follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @rockschoolsingapore and @rs_event_center