abrsm or trinity for piano

Fine, you got me. When I first looked it just said practical. You win 🙂

It's not about winning. Most people are unaware of this option.

Although actually, did your son do a performance jazz grade 5 or a practical one? On the website and what you quoted it says jazz practical exam?

He played three pieces as far as I can remember in front of an exminer, some scales too.

Oh then yeah, that's the practical exam. The regular performance exam is four pieces, no scales etc, played as a continuous performance for a video, so I'd imagine the jazz one is very similar.
I like the performance exams because you don't have to do them with an examiner, so it's completely low stress which is great if piano is just for enjoyment.
I think because it specifies practical jazz exam on the website it would've had to have been that one to get from Grade 5 to 6.
I don't know why they allow the jazz practical as the bridge if they don't allow the regular practical though.
Were the rest of the exams practical (three pieces, scales, examiner etc)? If so then I'd imagine doing an extra jazz one was no bother as he would have been very used to doing that style of exam.

Yes - he did all the grades up to and including grade 8 - he played the flute so he had an accompanist with him for the pieces, so a bit different to piano. He also did a lot of concerts in windbands, orchestra and even guested in a jazz band!
They probably allow jazz grade 5 as you do scales and improvise so have to understand similar ideas to the theory.

Oh wow can't say I'm not jealous!! They must have been great experiences. More and more I realise that I love playing with others, but so many people play piano that there aren't as many opportunities for me to do things like playing in an orchestra section.
Yeah it makes sense about the jazz exam then; I guess they only don't want the more basic ideas of playing and rote learning patterns, which don't require as much knowledge- improvising is very fun when you have enough knowledge to be able to do it, but you do need the knowledge.