Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music - ABRSM

This is RIDICULOUS!! Trying to book an exam. Its 5th of May 2022!! Its been 48 hours in the queue!!! It wouldn't allow me to get into the website, not even to see my previous exam results or IDs...You earning millions of profit and you can't hire proper IT specialists or management? Exam's costs are roof taking! After 13years with ABRSM, am sure this is the last one!!!

The booking process is a nightmare, it took around 2 months to schedule an exam in London! I’m going to ask the tutor for an alternative for the next grade. ABRSM used to be a high standard organisation but now appears to be overpriced and inaccessible to most.

They cancelled a whole school's music exams on 1 day's notice and are currently offering no solution whatsoever to reschedule. They ignored 2 emails asking for an urgent solution and I await a call from their complaints person. Their call centre is only open restricted hours. If you have another board you could use I can't imagine they would be worse.

A recent experience has totally destroyed my faith in the ABRSM. After 40 years of entering candidates, I requested a change to two of them who can't attend their appointments this March (2019) I rang the day the list arrived and was emailed today with an automated message to declare there is nowhere else available to transfer to. I was also informed they'd lose their entry fees and as one is grade 7 that cost £80. I was advised to renter next term instead, despite one using the 2017/18 overlap syllabus and will have to learn completely new pieces. I really believed that they were a helpful and compassionate organisation and I'm seriously considering moving to a different examining board.

This exam board is taking the mickey out of people. Firstly, I had now several times exam marks, which were not consistent. I appreciate that candidates may be nervous, and don't do as well as in the lesson, BUT, I accompany all my students myself, so I hear the pieces, and in the last 2 years I was close to appeal after each exam. Secondly, the booking is a nightmare - ABRSM, next year you will have less than half the amount of candidates....

Having read some of the reviews below, I have to leave one myself. I think it is under estimated the amount of enquiries and rejigging the board has probably had to endure. The fact that they have managed to offer online exams both theory and written should be applauded.Over all organisation, information and response to emails is good enough for this period. You can't expect the same service while they adjust. I have had responses to any emails I've sent. At first wasn't impressed with the new online system. But it is more accessible and allows you to reschedule appoints yourself without calling up. Even allows the parent to do it. Saving us time!One source where thd board could improve is diversity. Not once have I seen an examiner of colour. Sometimes one feels quite aware of this on exam days. The headquarters I believe is top notch however the smaller venues e. g putney not so much. To ensure all students get a fair crack at the whip I would go to headquarters. Never had a problem there.So much respect for both trinity and abrsm... But I personally found abrsm to be more organised and prefer the syllabus.

The staffs was friendly and helpful. The warm-up room was nice and quiet fitted a decent upright piano. During the exam, the piano looked good and the exam was very nice and quick. My examiner was very friendly.

Very disappointed ABRSM. I've been with you for 40 years and have never experienced such disorganisation Even in this pandemic, there should be plenty of staff to speak to and issues resolved. Everything and everyone seems to have gone silent there. All of today's Performance Grade bookings appear to have been taken. Are there new dates to be released on a daily basis? We all have the time to organise and run the exams. Please don't disappoint 1000s of students and teachers.

My daughter had her exam there and I had to take my 3 year old autistic son along because no one else could take care him. My son run a bit and was told off by the staff named Debbie. She told me with annoying tone that I had to stop him right now and put him on pushchair. As my son got the condition, he can’t be told or accept any restraining; he would make more fuss with loud scream and cry. I couldn’t accept the staff there treat my son like a pest. She could advice nicely! Or may be put a notice that a disable child not allow there!

Really good place to do a music exam. Good installations to warm up before the exam. The staff is really helpful and they are very involved with the students.