Music Exams

If you are working hard to make progress with your music you may want some way of measuring your success and reassurance that you are on the right road. 

If you have a particular target in mind (for example, a particular graded exam to pass or a particular piece of music that you would like to be able to play) – please discuss this with me at the earliest possible stage. 

I do not restrict my tuition to any graded exam syllabus, and it’s not always appropriate to enter students for external exams, but they can be a useful part of (as opposed to an endpoint to) a musical education. (They differ from school-leaving exams or even a driving test in that). 

I am happy to discuss the possibility of entering any age of student for an external music exam and advise on the preparation required. 

Those that do enter for exams don’t necessarily take all the grades up to 5 (which is the highest level I enter candidates for): sometimes they can miss one out or they reach a point where they want to concentrate on another goal. 

The exam boards I have successful experience of entering exams for are all regulated by Ofqual and have proved to be effective assessments:

• Classical piano, guitar and singing exams; Singing for Musical Theatre exams – ABRSM.
• Classical piano, or guitar exams and acoustic guitar exams – Trinity College.
• Rock and Pop piano, keyboards, guitar, bass guitar or vocals – Trinity Rock and Pop.
• Classical piano, contemporary piano, keyboards, electric or acoustic guitar, bass guitar, vocals – RSL Awards.
• I am happy to teach theory of music – (Theory exams) or aural skills (needed for ABRSM or Trinity practical exams) separate from instrumental tuition, but I always incorporate appropriate theory, aural and compositional skills into my instrumental (or vocal) lessons as I feel they are important in producing a well-rounded musician.

Where do the music exams take place?

Practical (face to face) instrumental and singing exams of The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) are held at All Saints Church in Sidmouth (with free on site parking) and I am in attendance as steward: I am the Local Rep for the ABRSM.

For their classical and acoustic exams, Trinity hire a school in central Exeter (with free parking on site), Trinity Rock and Pop use Taunton School as their exam venue and RSL (formerly Rockschool) hire a sound studio just off the A30 to the west of Exeter.

Results for my pupils

I have been preparing and entering students of all ages for nationally accredited music exams up to and including Grade 5, since 2005.
157 of the 160 grade exam students I have entered have passed (practical and music theory), 67% at Merit level or above; in fact, almost ¼ have passed with Distinction (i.e. with a mark of over about 86%). In the past 5 years, 83% of my students have passed at merit level or above.

National Accreditation

All the graded exams of the boards listed above in Theory of Music, individual instruments and singing are accredited in England by the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (Ofqual).  They are part of the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF).

They have also been approved under Section 96 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000.

UCAS includes Grades 6 – 8 in the tariff for UK university and college entrance.  So, for example, a Grade 6 pass in a Practical exam will gain you 6 points and a grade 8 Distinction 30 points.