SCRÚDÚ CEOL TÍRE (SCT)
The Scrúdu Ceol Tíre (SCT) programme is a graded series of exams organised and administered by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. It is designed to take musicians from basic proficiency in tune-playing through to a mastery of the tradition. SCT exams have been on hold as a result of the pandemic.
The current Director of the SCT is Óisín MacDiarmada who, together with the SCT Board, has prepared initial plans for the recommencement of examinations. The administrative engine for SCT is located at CLASAC, the Comhaltas Regional Resource Centre in Clontarf. Chief of operations there is Jim McAllister. Here is Jim’s latest update on the exams:
We have been waiting to see if the latest Government guidelines would offer us a window of opportunity to hold he 2020 SCT Exams in late summer or early autumn and, at the same time, ensure that all Teachers would have adequate time to facilitate the exam preparation that is required. The SCT Board are also very conscious of the safety of candidates being brought into an examination room that has possibly not been sanitised to a proper level and the potential exposure of examiners, to 25 or 30 different candidates in any one day.
The SCT Board, after lengthy discussion and having looked at various options have reached the following decision:
All Exams from Elementary 1 to Grade 5 will be cancelled for 2020.
All candidates for these grades will be given a PASS mark and will be permitted to skip to the next level for 2021. Anyone who wishes to undertake the Exam they entered for this year, will of course be permitted to do so in 2021.
Please note that Grade 5 candidates will only be permitted to undertake a Grade 6 exam if they meet the minimum age requirements as per the syllabus.
Candidates already entered for 2020 exams will remain on the system and the SCT administration office will enter them for the next level.
All fees already paid will accrue for the 2021 exams. However, no increase in fee will be levied on candidates for skipping the grade. Any increase in fees for this skip will be borne by the SCT Examination system – e.g. If a candidate was due to sit a Grade 2 exam @€30, they will undertake a Grade 3 exam for the same price for 2021, instead of the normal fee of €35.
As candidates are not permitted to skip at Grades 6,7 and 8, candidates registered will have their examinations scheduled for mid-September to mid-October 2020. The SCT Board are very conscious that many of these candidates are also undertaking various state exams and have a tight time schedule. As these candidates account for less that 10% of the total number of exams for 2020, it will be possible to complete these exams this year, within the current Government guidelines.
Detailed information relating to Grade 6,7 and 8 exams will be sent to the appropriate entrants within the next 14 days.
