Online mock drum exams with Dan Gay
See your exam through the examiner’s eyes.
Film your pieces and send a link, or book a live session. A former international RSL Awards examiner scores every area and writes you a highly detailed report to work from.
- 25 years of examining experience
- £35 launch price, video or live
- No scheduling needed for video
- See a sample report
Every area scored
Marked across the full exam structure, not a general impression.
Detailed written report
Scores, strengths and what to work on, in writing to keep.
Personal guidance
Clear next steps, tailored to the student and the grade.
The gap between practising and performing
Most students only find out what an examiner is looking for on exam day.
The Examiners Edge lets a student experience an exam-style assessment beforehand, with someone who spent 25 years on the other side of the desk, so nothing on the day comes as a surprise.
25 years’ experience
International RSL examining experience, now working for your preparation.
Live online
Sessions from wherever you are, by Zoom, Skype or FaceTime.
Personal feedback
A written report of strengths, areas for development and recommendations.
Exam-focused
An assessment environment that mirrors the real thing, before it counts.
Individual approach
Every session tailored to the student’s grade and syllabus.
What we offer
Three ways to prepare, depending on where the student is right now.
Mock exam
A full run-through under exam conditions, assessed and scored the way a real examiner would. The best way to find out exactly where you stand before the real thing.
Exam readiness
Focused preparation for your grade. We work through your pieces, technical work, ear tests and musicianship, and fix weak spots before exam day.
Performance coaching
Polish your playing and presentation: feel, dynamics, confidence and stage presence, with practical feedback you can use straight away.
Two ways to be assessed
Send a video whenever suits you, or go live with Dan.
Video assessment
£35 launch price
Film your pieces, send a link, and get your written report back.
- No scheduling and no time zones: film when it suits you
- Choose 5 songs, or 3 songs plus the technical exercises, with every criterion scored
- Highly detailed written report within 5 days
- Ideal for busy diaries and students far from the UK
Ear tests, musicianship questions and the quick study piece need a live session.
Live online session
£35 launch price
30 minutes live on Zoom, Skype or FaceTime, at a time you choose.
- A full exam-style run-through with Dan, as it happens
- Can include ear tests, musicianship questions and the quick study piece
- Live guidance during the session
- Every area scored, with a highly detailed written report
Times are shown in your own time zone.
How it works
From booking to written report in five steps.
- 1
Choose your session
Pick a mock exam, exam readiness or performance coaching, then a date and time. Times are shown in your own time zone, wherever you are in the world.
- 2
Fill in the questionnaire
A short form so Dan can tailor your session to you before you meet. It takes about five minutes.
- 3
Confirm and pay
Dan emails to confirm the time is acceptable. Once agreed, pay securely through Wise by card or bank transfer. Your booking is confirmed once payment arrives.
- 4
Get your joining details
You receive the video link and a short checklist, plus any prep tailored to what you told us.
- 5
Have your session
You meet online and run your session. Your detailed written report follows soon after.
Booking a video assessment? Steps 1 to 3 are the same, but instead of a live session you film your pieces (5 songs, or 3 songs plus the technical exercises) and send Dan a link. Your written report follows within 5 days of receiving your video and payment.
Getting ready for a live session
Your drum kit
Set up where Dan can see your hands and feet. A phone or laptop camera at the side or front works well.
Sound
Good speakers or headphones so you can hear backing tracks, and a quiet space.
Your material
Have your pieces, charts and backing tracks ready to play, plus sticks and a practice pad.
Connection
A stable internet connection. Please log in five minutes early so you can start on time.
Good to know
- If you need to reschedule, please give at least 24 hours’ notice.
- Sessions are not recorded unless we agree this beforehand.
- For students under 18, a parent or guardian agrees to the booking and should be nearby at the start of the session.
- This is an independent mock assessment. Scores and verdict are an honest guide, not an official RSL result.
Prefer to book by email? Download the welcome pack and questionnaire (PDF), fill it in and send it to dansmusic@me.com, or call +44 7830 174955.
Detailed feedback
Something to work from, not just a pass or fail.
After every session, students and teachers receive a written report like this one.
Strengths
Secure hand-and-feet independence across the performance pieces, with confident stylistic awareness and strong fill work. Occasional unsettled passages aside, notation was understood and presented with conviction.
Areas for development
Technical exercises showed some inconsistency, particularly the roll-based phrases; sticking accuracy could be tightened at faster tempos.
Recommendations
Isolate the roll exercises at a reduced tempo before building back to performance speed, and run the technical set against a metronome twice weekly ahead of the real exam.
Something to keep
A certificate to mark the session.
Alongside the written report, students receive a certificate of completion for taking a mock drum exam with The Examiners Edge. It’s a nice thing to put on the wall before the real exam.
Sample certificate shown. Each one carries the student’s own name.
Give the gift of an examiner’s eye
Gift certificates
Give a student, a teacher or a friend a video assessment or a live session with Dan. Each gift comes as a personalised certificate with a voucher code, valid for 12 months.
- Personalised with the recipient’s name and your own message.
- Emailed to you to give, or straight to the recipient.
- Redeemed by quoting the code when booking.
Buy a gift certificate
Choose the gift, tell us who it is for, then pay through Wise. Dan emails the certificate once your payment arrives.
Which gift?
Where should the certificate be sent?
About Dan Gay
25 years of international examining experience.
Dan Gay is a professional drummer, music educator and former international RSL Awards examiner, a role he took on in 2002. Over the following 25 years he assessed thousands of candidates across drums, guitar, bass and vocals, becoming the first RSL examiner to conduct assessments in Dubai, Qatar and New Zealand along the way.
Dan helped shape the RSL 2008 drum syllabus as technical consultant, and in 2012 authored the RSL Drums Companion Guide, still widely used by students and teachers today. Back in 2008 he built a custom spreadsheet system to assess candidates’ exam readiness, an idea ahead of its time and the direct ancestor of the mock-assessment approach behind The Examiners Edge. His contribution to percussion education has been recognised with an award from Pro-Mark.
His own musical path began in Chicago, studying at the College of DuPage while gigging and session recording, before a move to London in 1988 to build a career as a performing drummer, since endorsed by Zildjian, Mapex, Evans, Pro-Mark, Bear Percussion and DM Custom Drums. In 1998 he opened DansMusic, which grew into a teaching practice covering guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and vocals, complete with a Pro Tools recording studio, and became the first RSL exam centre in the East of England.
- 2002 RSL Awards examiner, 25 years’ service
- First RSL examiner in Dubai, Qatar and New Zealand
- 2008 Technical consultant, RSL drum syllabus
- 2012 Author, RSL Drums Companion Guide
- Award Pro-Mark, for percussion education
Grades and instruments
Drums, from Debut to Grade 8.
Want guitar, bass or vocals? Join the waitlist and we’ll tell you when sessions open.
For teachers and music schools
An independent check before you enter a student.
A fresh, examiner’s-ear opinion on how a student is really performing against the marking criteria, with a written report you can use in your own lessons.
- Add your name and contact details when booking and the report is shared with you as well.
- Use it to decide whether a student is ready to enter, or what to focus on in the final weeks.
- Booking several students at once? Get in touch and we’ll arrange it together.
Book a session · £35 launch price
By video whenever suits, or live in your own time zone.
Choose a video assessment or a live session. For live sessions, Dan’s diary runs on UK time: choose your time zone and every slot is shown in your local time with the UK time beside it, so both sides always see the same moment. Dan confirms every time by email before the booking is final.
Questions
Before you book.
Is this an official RSL exam?
No. The Examiners Edge is an independent service and is not affiliated with RSL Awards. Sessions and video assessments are not official examinations and do not result in an official grade or certificate of an exam board. They are an honest guide to where you stand against RSL-style marking before the real thing.
How do a live session and a video assessment differ?
A video assessment (£35) is for your playing: you choose 5 songs, or 3 songs plus the technical exercises, film them and send a link, and Dan returns a detailed written report within 5 days, with no scheduling needed. A live session (£35) is 30 minutes on video with Dan at a time you choose, and it can also cover ear tests, musicianship questions and the quick study piece. Both score every area and include clear guidance.
What do I get from a live session?
Each live session is 30 minutes, live online, followed by a highly detailed written report: every area scored, plus clear, personal guidance on what to work on next. Live sessions also include a certificate of completion. The launch price is £35, report included.
How do I send my video?
Film your pieces in landscape with your hands, feet and the whole kit in shot, then share an unlisted YouTube, Google Drive, Dropbox or WeTransfer link that opens without a login. You can add the link when you book, or email it afterwards with your booking reference.
What can I include in a video assessment?
You can choose either 5 songs, or 3 songs plus the technical exercises, which is closer to how the RSL exam is structured. Ear tests, musicianship questions and the quick study piece need a live session.
How long does a video assessment take?
Your detailed written report is returned within 5 days of Dan receiving your video and payment. The launch price is £35.
Who can see my video?
Only Dan. It is used only to prepare your assessment and report. Please use an unlisted or private link.
Which grades do you cover?
Drums, from Debut to Grade 8. Guitar, bass and vocals are coming soon; use the waitlist link on this page to be told when they open.
How do the time zones work?
For live sessions, Dan’s diary is set in UK time. Choose your time zone when booking and every slot appears in your local time with the UK time beside it. Clock changes in either country are handled automatically, and your confirmation and calendar file show both times. Video assessments need no booking time at all, so time zones don’t matter.
What do I need for a live session?
Your drum kit set up where Dan can see your hands and feet (a phone or laptop camera at the side or front works well), good speakers or headphones for backing tracks, your pieces and charts, sticks and a practice pad, a quiet space and a stable internet connection. Please log in five minutes early.
Can my teacher see the report?
Yes. Add your teacher’s name and contact details when you book and the report is shared with them as well.
Is the time I pick confirmed straight away?
No. For a live session your chosen time is a request. Dan is available between 8am and 8pm UK time in half-hour slots, and he will email you to confirm the time is acceptable. Once it is agreed and payment arrives, your booking is confirmed.
Can I reschedule a live session?
Yes. Please give at least 24 hours’ notice and we will agree a new time.
Are live sessions recorded?
No. Sessions are not recorded unless we agree this beforehand.
What about students under 18?
A parent or guardian agrees to the booking. For live sessions they should also be nearby at the start of the session.
I’m preparing for a different exam board. Can I still book?
The sessions are built around the RSL drum syllabus. If you are preparing for another board, email first and we will tell you whether we can help.
How do I pay?
Payment is through Wise by card or bank transfer, using the QR code or link at the end of the booking steps. For a live session, pay once Dan has confirmed your time. For a video assessment, pay when you book. Your booking is confirmed once payment arrives.
Can I buy a gift certificate?
Yes. Choose a video assessment or a live online session (both £35) in the gift certificate section, add the recipient’s name and an optional message, and pay through Wise. Dan then emails a personalised certificate with a voucher code, valid for 12 months.
How do I redeem a gift certificate?
Book as usual and enter the voucher code in the gift voucher box in the questionnaire. Dan checks the code and, if it covers the session, there is nothing to pay.
Can I book by email or phone instead?
Yes. Download the welcome pack, fill in the questionnaire and email it to dansmusic@me.com, or call +44 7830 174955.
The Examiners Edge is an independent service and is not affiliated with RSL Awards. Sessions provide independent preparation, mock assessment and coaching. They are not official RSL Awards examinations and do not result in an official examination grade or certificate.
Ready to see where you stand?
Send Dan a video for assessment or book a live 30-minute session. £35 launch price, full written report included.
Book your session