How to prepare for piano exams

Piano exams can be quite daunting. Whether it’s your first time having an examiner assess your playing or you’ve done this before but still feel anxious about the experience, here are some tips on how you can best prepare for your upcoming piano exam:

Set a plan in action

Once you know the date of your exam, it’s time to create an effective plan to prepare for it. This is a time to not only strengthen your playing and technique but also to spot any weaknesses in your practice and focus on improving those.

Give yourself enough time to do mock exams with your piano teacher or family/friends. Getting over your exam nerves is just as important as knowing how to do your scales and play your pieces so challenge yourself to go through each step of the exam in front of other people!

Don’t linger on your mistakes

If you’ve ever watched videos of professional pianists encountering hurdles while playing, and maybe even making mistakes, you’ll have noticed that one thing they all do is never stop playing. Got a passage wrong? As they say, ‘the show must go on’.

So when you perform your exam pieces and notice you’ve made a mistake, instead of stopping or starting all over, it’s important to keep going and reach the end. Remember that the examiners aren’t looking for perfection!

Don’t forget your scales & arpeggios

Of course, learning your pieces is likely to sound more fun than repeatedly practicing your scales. But as you’re preparing for your piano exam, you should dedicate just as much time to practicing scales & arpeggios as you do practicing your pieces. The same goes for your aural and sight-reading test.

After all, the more you neglect any part of your test, the less you’ll feel prepared on the day!

Stick to a routine

Now more than ever, you should create a routine around your piano practice and make sure you stick to it. As we mentioned above, there are different areas to your exam, and they all require some time dedicated to them. So create a schedule where you take time to practice your pieces, run through your scales & arpeggios, and also find time to test your aural and sight-reading skills at whichever grade you’re going to be examined for.

Here’s a tip for improving your sight-reading: make it a habit to sight-read at least a few lines at the beginning or end of your practice session or lesson.

Keep the nerves at bay

This is easier said than done but there are a few things you can try to prevent a panic in the days leading up to the exam, and even on the day of the exam itself. The biggest thing you could do for yourself is to work hard to prepare yourself, taking enough time to go through everything you need to learn to be ready. Nothing gives you confidence more than being aware that you know your stuff!

Then, make sure to play your pieces in front of an audience of family and friends. This way, you’ll get more comfortable with performing, even if it’s not in front of complete strangers! Finally, avoid panic practicing before your exam, or waiting until the last minute to cram all of your practice across just a few days. You need time to prepare properly, and when the day of the exam is approaching, it’s best that you keep relaxed and just keep performing.

We hope that these suggestions make your piano exam prep easier and less nerve-wracking. Just keep practicing, stick to your routine, and you’re sure to get a great mark at your exam!