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If you have an ipad I would recommend SightRead4Piano app as it has AMEB, (and others), graded exercises. My sight reading is also really bad but I would not let that hold you back. You are probably not able (or interested) in sitting an AMEB exam in the June/July 2017 cycle, with the next being Oct/Nov. If you gave yourself a year to get up to speed you might be surprised what you could achieve with your previous experience, which I am sure just needs to be awoken

The difference between grades 2 & 3 technical requirements doesn't look huge. Both have about the same amount of scales with grade three introducing some staccato scales and arpeggios (broken chord arpeggios required in grade 2).

If your kids are into exams then you probably already have it, if not the AMEB book of Aural Tests is essential. A bit pricey but it has the tests and CD's for preliminary to grade 8.

Welcome to the forums! I got to level 3 as a kid. I restarted in grade 1 and only ended up spending a month or two on it. Level 2 I spent about 3 months. When I hit level 3 my progress slowed. So for me at least, it was pretty quick getting back to where I left off.

Thanks all I just grabbed the syllabus and had a look at the scale requirements.. I wrote them all down and found a page with all the scales online and started playing them. I was able to quickly get them to both hands to octaves so I think I'll definitely start on grade 3 and will give myself a year to be ready. I think you are right earlofmar and I just need to reawaken the old knowledge. I'm actually quite surprised at how much I remember given a couple of weeks ago I had to look up the rhyme for reading the bass clef.

Simon_b I had the experience of completely forgetting a scale in an exam as a kid I tried so hard to remember it and attempted it about 3 tines before having to admit that I couldn't remember it. It was a super easy scale too my teacher was like how did you forget that (obviously she didn't say that but I'm sure that's what she was thinking). I still passed though but would have done much better if I hadn't forgotten it.

My grade 2 exam as a kid I forgot an entire piece. My teacher always referred to them as "inventions" and the examiner kept asking me if I had another "piece". I kept saying I didn't. After leaving the exam I remembered I did, in fact, have another piece. Oops. Well I still passed with a decent mark. The inventions weren't worth many marks thank goodness.

It's easy for me to get lazy with scales, ear training and sight reading. Not counting the Etudes, this made up 32% of the RCM exam I took. I think they are relatively easy points to be earned. Although I practiced this during the months leading up to the exam, it wasn't until the last 3 weeks that I really buckled down and said I'm going to do this everyday.

That's an adorable story!-- I love the classic kid logic-- It's not a *piece*, it's an *invention*!
And the obviously bewildered examiner... lol

I sat my grade 7 ABRSM today. It was quite an adventure. There was no warm up piano in the waiting area, which meant starting out cold. I did scales first, to get the hands going. He asked for a D major scale first, and I promptly played a d major arpeggios. He said, "that was a lovely arpeggio, but I asked for the scale". I tried to make a joke of it, but he was not having it. After that he asked for one of each type of scale - major, minor harmonic, minor melodic; a third apart major and minor; a scale in thirds; contra scales major & minor; plus two of each type of arpeggios in root and first inversion and dominant and diminished 7th. He asked for well over half of the scales played staccato, including contra chromatic starting on F#. Boy am I glad I spent a lot of time practicing staccato scales! I had to repeat a couple of them, as well as a couple arpeggios, so I do not know how I did.

I made silly mistakes in each piece, but nothing showstopping. The worst was the boogy, where I had two places that I had to ad lib to get back on track. I carried on after each mistakes, which is something they grade on. The Chopin when the best (C# minor nocturne). It went beautifully, but I fluffed the big run!

He asked for the aural next, which kind of threw me off.

Unfortunately I do not think I did well in the Aural. I sang the lower part of a two part phrase, and he said that was not perfect, let's try again"". That surprised me, because I thought I did it well the first time. I am petty sure I missed the first chord in the cadence, and I am not sure that I was correct on my reasoning on the answers on the piece analysis.

Then after the aural he said "that concludes the exam, thank you" and I started to leave. As I was walking out the door he remembered that he had not asked for sight reading and called me back! The sight reading was a gift. It was really easy, and I think I did well. Always before after the exam, the examiner has chatted with me a bit. Not this examiner. It was like he was rushing me out the door!

So, now the long wait. It is usually two weeks before we get results. I am fairly sure I passed, but the examiner sure did not give anything away.

Well done SwissMS, I'm sure you will have passed.

That said, it does sound a lot more difficult than when I took and failed my grade 7.
But that was 25 years ago and my memory is not what it was!

Funnily enough the examiner I had for my grade 7 was a quiet chap, who didn't say very much. Yet on the analysis of my performance he wrote some very encouraging words telling me not to give up etc...

Next up for you the big one!!

Cheers

Congratulations SwissMS on making the best of what sounds like a difficult exam! Your last FOYD entry mentioned the upcoming exam, so I was wondering what it would be like. Thanks for the detailed report. Now, in another few weeks...

Great job SwissMS sounds like you did a good job with a difficult exam. Enjoy the break and the wait for results. Hopefully he gives helpful feedback even though he was rushing you out.

I'm proud of you for doing this level of exam😊Looks daunting !!!!

congratulations SwissMS, I hoped you passed because I know how hard you would have worked to get there.

Great job SwissMS. It sounds like you had a pretty cold fish for an examiner. boo. It's too bad they can't all be full of personality.

Congratulations SwissMS! I know that is not an easy exam. Now you can relax.

Congrats SwissMS. That level of an exam seems tough. I think you've accomplished something that maybe 1% of the world has done. Actually, I don't know what the percentage is, it can't be high. Be proud of yourself!

Congratulations SwissMS, that sounds tough! Fingers crossed now for the results

SwissMs - that sounds brutal!!!! Good for you for not going into a spin over it!

I look forward to hearing your results!

Thanks for the well wishes everyone. I had a "post exam" lesson with my teacher today and we talked about the next steps. She feels, and I agree, that I need to do more grade 7 material, some pischna exercises, and a lot of work on the scales a third and a sixth apart before we move on. She wants to see how long it takes me to learn three more grade 7 pieces. When I can learn them in three weeks or less, she will be ready to start me on grade 8. So, assuming I passed grade 7, I am not going to sit grade eight for at least a year, and probably a year and 1/2. This exam was humbling. They expect a pretty high standard at the upper grades!

Good job SwissMS! The experience is unique each time for sure. I bet you did well!

And my results are in for my RCM Level 6!! I PASSED!!!! Nothing superb or laudatory but I passed and that feels good. I missed points on many things including not memorizing, flubbed the playback, and sight reading was not flawless. However, my pieces were well received. All of the technical exercises are new to me in the last four years so I feel I'm working to catch up. Perhaps I should have started at level 1. LOL!
Don't know if I'll sit another exam but I will work the exercises and learn pieces in each genre. I think having a exam savvy teacher would help and perhaps I'll look to find that.

Congratulations WiseBuff, your hard work has also paid off. Second the idea of finding an exam savvy teacher. My own teacher (now semi-retired) has spent a lifetime taking students through all levels up to grade 8, and even just recently attended a masterclass given by AMEB on what they look for in students. You just can't beat that sort of experience and dedication.