JC Music exam-day guide
JC Music · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo ID matching your registration name
Bring the original government-issued photo ID you registered with. A name mismatch or a photocopy can block entry, so check the spelling on your registration confirmation and confirm the accepted ID types with the provider before test day.
Admission ticket or appointment confirmation
Print or download the confirmation showing your candidate number, test centre, and start time. Some centres require a printed copy, so confirm with the provider whether a digital version is accepted.
Your instrument and personal accessories
Bring your primary instrument plus the accessories you normally perform with (reeds, strings, sticks, mallets, cables, capo, tuner, metronome if permitted). Pack spares of anything consumable; a broken reed or string should not end your exam.
Printed repertoire list and scores
Carry a clean copy of your programme list with keys, opus numbers, and timings, plus scores or lead sheets if the format allows you to present them. Confirm with the provider whether scores are required for the assessors and whether photocopies are permitted.
Backing tracks or accompaniment files, if your format uses them
If your exam includes play-along or recorded accompaniment, bring the files on the specified medium (USB drive, phone with cable, or as the provider instructs) and a backup copy. Test playback on a device you control and confirm the required file format and whether you must supply your own playback device.
Confirm whether an accompanist is provided or you must bring one
Accompanist policy varies by exam and centre. Ask the provider in advance who supplies the pianist, whether a rehearsal is included, and whether page-turners or extra players are allowed. If you bring your own, give them the programme, keys, and timings in advance.
Know the sight-reading and aural requirements
Review the published syllabus for what is tested at your level (prepared vs. unseen sight-reading, clapping back, singing, identifying intervals or cadences). Confirm with the provider which elements apply to your specific exam and whether any are optional.
Warm-up plan and clothing that lets you play
Wear something you can move and breathe in, and plan a short physical warm-up you can do quietly in the waiting area. Cold hands, a tight jacket, or a rushed start costs more marks than most candidates expect.
Water and a light snack
Bring water in a sealed bottle and something small to eat if your slot is long or delayed. Confirm with the provider whether food and drink are allowed in the waiting area and exam room.
Arrival time and route confirmed
Check the venue address, transport disruptions, and parking, and arrive at the time the provider specifies (often well before your slot). Confirm the required arrival time with the provider rather than guessing.
Read the current syllabus and marking criteria
Download the syllabus version that applies to your exam year and read the assessment criteria for each component. Knowing how marks are split between programme, technique, musicality, sight-reading, and aural work tells you where to spend your final practice time.
Medical or access arrangements pre-agreed
If you need extra time, a larger-print score, a different instrument, or other adjustments, these are usually arranged in advance and not on the day. Confirm with the provider what has been approved for you.
Plan the day
Run a full mock exam under real conditions: same programme order, same pauses, no stopping to fix mistakes. Record it and listen back once with the marking criteria in front of you. Note the two or three specific problems to fix, not a long list. Confirm your venue, arrival time, and what the provider requires you to bring, and check that your accompanist or backing tracks are confirmed.
Do targeted slow practice on the passages the mock exposed, then stop drilling full run-throughs at performance tempo. Finalise your programme order and timings, write out your repertoire list, and prepare scores, spares, and files. If you use backing tracks, test them on the exact device and cable you will bring.
Do a light technical warm-up and one slow run of the trickiest transitions, then stop. Pack your bag from the checklist, lay out clothes, charge devices, and print confirmations. Eat normally, avoid a late heavy practice session, and get a full night's sleep. Do not learn new repertoire or change fingerings, bowings, or stickings at this point.
Eat a normal meal, do a gentle physical and instrumental warm-up, and sing or hum through your programme mentally. Leave with more margin than the journey needs. Bring your ID, confirmation, instrument, spares, and scores. Avoid intense last-minute playing that tires you out; short, easy warm-ups are enough.
Check in, confirm your candidate number and the order of your programme with any steward, and find out where you can warm up quietly. Keep hands and instrument warm, stay hydrated, and avoid comparing notes with other candidates. If an accompanist is involved, confirm tempo choices and starts briefly and calmly.
Set up calmly and take a breath before your first note. If you make a mistake, keep going; recovery and musical continuity are usually marked, and stopping to restart is rarely to your advantage unless the syllabus says otherwise. Follow the assessors' instructions on what to play next, keep to your announced order, and treat sight-reading and aural tasks as their own components: read the key and time signature, scan the rhythm, and set a steady pulse before starting. Answer aural questions clearly and without apologising.
Thank the assessors and accompanist, collect your belongings, and note what went well and what you would change while it is fresh. Do not try to negotiate marks or ask for a score on the day; results and any appeal or re-mark process follow the provider's published timeline, which you should confirm with them.
Rules to check
Bring the original ID you registered with, and make sure the name matches your registration exactly. If your ID has changed or the name differs, contact the provider before test day; entry rules and accepted documents vary, so confirm with the provider.
Arrive by the time the provider specifies. Late arrival may mean you are not admitted or that your time is shortened, and the exact cut-off is set by the provider, so confirm it in advance rather than assuming a grace period.
Follow the assessors' instructions throughout. They decide the order in which components are heard and may stop you partway through a piece for time; being stopped is normal and is not itself a penalty.
Keep the exam room to the required people only. Whether a page-turner, accompanist, or teacher may be present depends on the format and level, so confirm with the provider who is permitted in the room.
Do not use unauthorised aids during sight-reading or aural components, and do not record the exam unless the provider has explicitly permitted it. Ask before the exam if you are unsure what counts as an aid.
Breaks: if you need water, medication, or a moment between components, ask the assessors. Whether breaks are allowed and whether they count against your time is a provider matter, so confirm any access needs in advance.
Scoring is done against the published marking criteria for each component, and the weighting between performance, technique, sight-reading, and aural work depends on your syllabus and level. Read the current criteria and confirm the weighting with the provider rather than relying on secondhand accounts.
Results, re-mark, and appeal procedures follow the provider's published process and deadlines. Ask the provider for these in writing before you leave the exam cycle so you know your options if the outcome is unexpected.