A2 Key (KET) Practice Paper 26

alice: Hello, I'd like to register my daughter for the piano exam next month. george: Certainly. Which grade is she taking, and how old is she? alice: She is taking Grade five, and she's fourteen years old. george: Great, the exam fee for Grade five is forty-five pounds. Would you like to pay now? alice: Yes, please. What should she bring on the day of the exam? george: She should bring her music book and arrive fifteen minutes early to warm up. alice: Is the exam only playing pieces, or are there other parts? george: There are three parts: playing three pieces, scales, and some sight-reading. alice: I see. How long does the whole exam usually take? george: The whole exam takes about twenty minutes. Results are usually sent by post within six weeks.

Laura has been learning to play the piano since she was seven years old, and now, at sixteen, she is preparing for an important music exam. Her piano teacher, Mrs Okafor, has helped her choose three pieces of music: one classical, one modern, and one that Laura composed herself. Practising for the exam has not been easy, as Laura needs to play each piece perfectly from memory, without looking at the sheet music. She practises for one hour every day after school, even when she feels tired. Her family has been very supportive, and her younger brother often sits and listens quietly while she plays. The exam is next month, and although Laura feels nervous, she also feels proud of how much progress she has made over the years.

My cousin Fatima ___1___ the violin for almost ten years, and she is now considering a career in music. She ___2___ practising every day when she was only six years old, taught by her grandmother, who used to play in an orchestra. Fatima ___3___ many competitions over the years, and last year she ___4___ first prize at a regional festival. She says that playing music ___5___ her feel calm, even before a stressful performance. Her teacher believes she ___6___ enough talent to study at a top music college. Fatima is currently ___7___ for auditions, which will take place next spring. If she is accepted, she ___8___ move to a bigger city to study.