Reelpass
Guide

How to record a continuous take for a music exam

Start the camera before the introduction and keep it running until the last note has died away: one recording, with nothing cut, joined, paused or reordered, and no processing on the sound.

What continuous means for each board

All three boards ask for the same thing in different words. In paraphrase:

In practice: one file, recorded from the first word to the last note without the camera stopping. Each board's own page is the authority on the detail; check it before you record and again before you upload.

Setup

  1. Set up the room. Put the camera on a stand where it can see the player, the instrument and the hands, and pedal feet for piano. Turn off notifications and put the phone in airplane mode.
  2. Choose the settings. Choose 720p at 30 frames per second, turn off HDR, and make sure there is enough free storage for the whole programme.
  3. Make a short test. Record a short test with the loudest passage, play it back with sound, and adjust the position or the level before the real take.
  4. Start the camera. Start recording before anything is said or shown, and do not touch the camera again until the end.
  5. Do the opening. Give the introduction and ID holds your board asks for, or show the music without speaking if your board asks for no introduction.
  6. Play the programme. Play everything in order. Retuning, page turns and the gaps between pieces stay in the recording.
  7. Stop after the last note. Let the last note die away, then stop the camera. Keep the file as it is and check it before you upload.

The opening of the take

ABRSM. Before the performance: announce your name, the subject and grade, and each piece's title, composer and list number in performance order; show the opening of your own-choice piece to the camera. Grades 6, 7 and 8: at the start, hold photo ID close to the camera for at least 10 seconds, with the photo in focus, then show your face for 10 seconds.

Trinity. No spoken introduction. Show your music to the camera, then begin the performance.

LCME. The guide does not describe a spoken introduction. Have your scores organised in performance order. The quick guide lists an ID document to upload with the submission, not to show on camera.

Worked example

The holds at the start of a take, as the rehearsal clock times them

A Grade 7 performance grade candidate:

  1. Hold the photo ID close to the camera, in focus: 10 seconds (ABRSM's page).
  2. Show the candidate's face to the camera: 10 seconds (ABRSM's page).
  3. Show the opening of the music to the camera: 10 seconds (a Reelpass suggestion; the board sets no time).

That is 30 seconds of holds, plus the spoken introduction, before the first note.

A Grade 5 candidate on the same board shows no photo ID, so the clock has one hold:

  1. Show the opening of the music to the camera: 10 seconds (a Reelpass suggestion; the board sets no time).

That is 10 seconds.

After recording, the check page asks you to tick the rules a machine cannot see: 7 items for that Grade 7 candidate, 6 for the Grade 5 one, 6 for the digital grade board and 7 for the recorded exam board.

If something goes wrong mid take

Small slips happen in any performance. Keep going as you would in the exam room. If something stops the take altogether (a phone call, a dropped camera, a string breaking), stop, set up again and record the whole programme from the start. Never join the good half of one take to the good half of another, and never cut out the stumble. Keep the new take and delete nothing until you have chosen which one to send.

Common mistakes

Before you upload, check the finished take against your board's rules, including size, format and file name. The check runs in your browser and uploads nothing.

Sources

Checked on 27 September 2026. Every rule here is paraphrased from the page named, read on the date shown. Boards change their guidance; the board's own page is the authority, so check it before you upload.

Check your exam videoAll exam video guides

Frequently asked questions

Can I stop between pieces?

You may pause to retune or turn pages, but the camera keeps running. Stopping the recording and starting a new clip breaks the take.

What if I make a mistake in the middle?

Carry on as you would in an exam room. If you want a better take, record the whole programme again from the start; never cut in a better section.

May I trim the silence at the start?

Treat any trim as an edit. One board allows only a small edit to the introduction to add missing information; the others allow no edits at all.

Does compressing the file afterwards break the take?

No. Compression lowers the picture bitrate and keeps every moment in order, with the sound copied untouched. Nothing is cut or joined.