The Visit

Our first Associated Board special visit took place yesterday afternoon. Having become increasingly fed up with the local centre, where there is nowhere to warm up and the exam room is tiny, I decided that our set up could hardly be any worse… The required amount of examining time was found, the date was chosen and the entry was made. Three weeks later I had a phone call from the examiner himself(!) and the details were confirmed.

Yesterday morning was spent moving furniture, in order to transform the lounge into a relatively spacious exam room – while the kitchen became a waiting/warm up room. At times, the waiting area became quite ‘cosy’ but this made it seem a bit more ‘homely’ and relieved the tension. It also gave parents an opportunity to chat – and for everyone to keep watch on the bird feeder.

The examiner, Mr Wardle, was quite charming and put the candidates at their ease. There were a few nerves, in both the young and the not-quite-so young, but that is perfectly normal. Everyone played their part – especially the steward who made the tea so soon after his Grade 7 exam, and helped with the furniture removals.

Now we wait for the results – fingers crossed that everyone is satisfied…