One of the many benefits of being a private Trinity exam centre is that you have a degree of autonomy as to how your centre is managed. One such model for digital exams is for the centre to enter and record the candidates' exams, but to hand the submission of the video over to those at home - making them the Submitter. This can be a great way of managing the administration, particularly if entering a large number of candidates. However, it is important that parents feel confident in doing this, especially if the centre isn't always going to be on hand to support them, as might be the case during school holidays. Read on for some tips on how you can make sure those uploading exams have the information they need and where to point them to if they need help.
Brief them on what to expect
If a parent or carer is going to be uploading an exam recording on behalf of a student, they need to know what to expect. This should include:
What to look out for and when
Submitters need to know that they will receive an email notification inviting them to upload the exam video once the exam has been booked. You might want to advise them to keep an eye on their junk mail and provide an indication of when you will be making the booking.
Setting up a MyTrinity account
The first time a Submitter clicks on a link to upload an exam, they will be invited to create an account on MyTrinity. All digital exams are submitted via MyTrinity now, and creating an account is a really useful way of being able to manage these submissions. Accounts are linked to the email address provided for the Submitter at the time of booking so, provided the same email address is entered each time, the same account can be used to book, submit and monitor multiple exams and candidates.
Once the account is set up, they will be asked to create a profile, selecting from candidate, parent or teacher. Selecting the one relevant to them will provide a dashboard that is designed to provide the information and functionality most relevant to them.
Submission deadline
Submitters have 28 days from receipt of their notification email to upload an exam. Reminders will be sent before the submission window closes but, once this is has elapsed, we are unable to reopen it again. If something happens ahead of the deadline which means they need to request an extension, please ask them to contact support@trinitycollege.com and we'd be happy to support them.
Additional communications
Sometimes it is necessary for an examiner to come back to a Submitter and request additional information. It might be that something is wrong with the video or there is a score missing which means they are not able to proceed with making their assessment. These are rectifiable issues but they will come through to the Submitter so it is advisable to keep looking out for any emails, or logging into their account every so often for updates.
Exam info
If you're planning to delegate the submission of digital exams videos to the candidates' parents or carers, it is vital to make sure they have all the necessary information. This might seem obvious, or even unnecessary if assumed that the candidate can relay this information to them, but a piece of paper or a short email with the following information can provide all the clarity a Submitter needs. You might want to include:
- What exam is being taken - exam suite (Classical & Jazz or Rock & Pop), grade or diploma level (e.g. Grade 3, Grade 7, ATCL) and instrument (e.g. Classical or Acoustic Guitar, Saxophone or Jazz Saxophone)
- Whether the candidate is taking the Technical or Repertoire-only pathway (Classical & Jazz only)
- The names and composers of the pieces/songs being performed and in what order
- Whether the pieces/songs are from a Trinity publication, a non-Trinity publication or an own composition
- What technical work they have performed (Classical & Jazz Technical pathway only)
- Which Technical Focus song they have performed (Rock & Pop only)
Preparing the video for submission
In many cases, it will make sense for the task of preparing videos for submission to be assigned to the person who has recorded the exam, as making sure the file is of a manageable size and naming it correctly will aid distributing the videos out to the necessary parties easier. However, if this is something the Submitter is going to be doing, you may want to provide some additional guidance on the following:
File size limit: particularly for higher grade and diploma exams, it may be necessary to compress the video file before upload to make sure it complies with our 3GB limit. There are many file compression websites available but any recommendations you can make may help to reassure the Submitter. Please also remember to remind them to play the video through after compressing to make sure nothing is missing from the start or finish, and that the sound quality hasn't been impeded.
Hopefully, if the filming guidelines have been followed correctly, the video file is already in .mp4 or .mov format, but it is important to make sure that the file type is included at the end of the file name. An example of this might be:
BillyJoel_RockandPopPiano_Grade6.mov
Following these guidelines will not only make sure that the video is uploaded ok, but that it can be viewed successfully by the examiner too.
Collating documentation
For many of our exams, it is also necessary for the Submitter to upload copies of the music or a programme. If you have agreed that the Submitter will collate all of the paperwork on behalf of the candidate, you may also want to ensure they are aware of the following:
- Which pieces need scores uploading
- Which file types are accepted: .doc, docx, jpeg and pdf are the preferred options
- That only one file per piece can be accepted. This means that photos or scans of scores need to be collated into one document file.
Help and support
There is lots of help and support available to people submitting digital exams which we would encourage you to signpost to Submitters. These include:
But, of course, more personalised support is always available through the following methods:
We hope you have found these tips and suggestions useful and it helps to create a seamless experience for entering our digital exams!
Comments & Replies