There must be some English Oboe players around here! If you are English tell me the town you live in and the exam grade that you're at. If you're American and know what I'm talking about just post anyway.
For a minute I thought you were talking about the english horn! Er, any way, I'm American, and I have no idea what an "exam grade" is.....could someone translate?
In England (and Wales apparently) and a few other countries we take exams that are graded 1-8. You can pass the grade, get a merit or a distinction (or fail). There's always an examiner who asseses you for pieces, sight-reading, oral examinations and that kind of stuff.
Exams are good. But it's just horrible getting the envelope with your results in.