What is a mock exam?

If you have ever been wondering what a mock exam is and why we have them then I am here to help. A mock exam is exactly what it sounds like. It's a practice of the exam.

On the day of your mock exam you will arrive in your exam uniform with your hair in a performance bun. We will then explain to the dancers how they are supposed to line up outside the door to exam room (in what order they should be in, if they have other things to bring in how they should be holding them etc.). We will practice running into the room and saying hello to the examiner and introducing ourselves. Then we run all the exercises just like how they would be run in the exam. However, in the mock exam since it will be the teachers watching the exam, they might take some time in between exercises to give dancers small corrections. We will then have the dancers practice saying thank to the examiner and to the person playing the music. The mock exam usually ends with teachers giving some general corrections like remembering to smile, making sure we are always pointing our feet and holding our posture.

Are there differences between the mock exam and real exam?

Yes, unlike the mock exam the teachers are not allowed in the room and parents are not allowed to watch. The examiner won’t give students corrections after exercises or at the end of the exam but there will be a short period in between most exercises where they will be writing notes down.

Why do we have mock exams?

Mock exams are to help dancers feel more comfortable on the day of the exam as it gives them a chance to practice all the exercises one after the other in exam room just how they would in the exam and it shows them what they need to focus on to be performance ready as practicing exercises at home and in class might feel a little different to performing them in an exam.