Articles

Landmark music exam puts musicians’ performance skills centre stage for first time

The UK’s oldest music examination board is breaking with 131 years of tradition with the launch of a landmark exam which, for the first time, spotlights students’ performance skills, letting them choose what they play and then submit videos of their performances.

2 years ago

Share your love of performance with our new Performance Grades

For the first time in ABRSM’s history, students and teachers can curate their own programme with our Performance Grades.

2 years ago

Update 28 August – Online Theory exam on 26 August

Since the exam on 26 August we have been working through a high volume of queries and analysing your survey feedback on a daily basis. There are some common questions arising so we are providing the response to as many people as possible through this page and social media.

2 years ago

Online theory exam update

A big thank you to all who took their Grade 5 online Theory exam tonight. We will be in touch with everyone who took part to ask for feedback so that we can make improvements for future candidates.

2 years ago

Award-winning Trinidadian musician tells young commonwealth composers: ‘be yourself’

An award-winning young Trinidadian composer has urged musicians to create music ‘that is an extension of themselves’ as they bid to repeat her success in the Commonwealth International Composition Award.

2 years ago

Updating our exam booking service

We’ve made some improvements to our online booking service to create a better experience for everyone involved in booking and taking an ABRSM exam.

2 years ago

48 pieces from ABRSM’s new 2021 & 2022 Piano syllabus available to buy as digital downloads

For the first time, ABRSM will make a selection of pieces from its Piano syllabus available as digital sheet music downloads.

2 years ago

ABRSM’s new Piano syllabus 2021 & 2022

ABRSM have just released their new Piano syllabus, for use in exams from 1 January 2021.

2 years ago

48 pieces from ABRSM’s new 2021 & 2022 Piano syllabus available to buy as digital downloads

For the first time, ABRSM will make a selection of pieces from its Piano syllabus available as digital sheet music downloads.

2 years ago

Piano syllabus 2021 & 2022

ABRSM have today (9 July 2020) released their new Piano syllabus, for use in exams from 1 January 2021.

2 years ago

Working towards more representative syllabuses

The rise of the worldwide Black Lives Matter movement has thrown a spotlight on the lack of diversity across the entire cultural infrastructure and it is right that ABRSM is, above many others, part of that debate.

2 years ago

ABRSM’s Performance Grades

Take to the stage, share your musical story and discover an additional route to progress with our Performance Grades.

2 years ago

Our Diversity Statement - Inspiring Musical Achievement for Everyone

We know that we can only serve everyone - and inspire musical achievement- if we include everyone.

2 years ago

700 musicians aged 4-70 unite from around world for virtual performance of Disney track

ABRSM unites nations for June 21st Make Music Day

2 years ago

Lockdown transforming instrument tuition with 87% UK music teachers adapting to online teaching, survey shows

Lockdown has transformed the way in which UK music teachers deliver instrument tuition, with 87% of them adapting lessons for delivery online, an ABRSM survey reveals.

2 years ago

Instrumental Music Teaching During Lockdown

Instrumental Music Teaching During Lockdown is the result of an investigation involving 300 instrumental music teachers who told us about the impact that the current lockdown is having on their work. We have submitted our findings to the Education and DCMS Committees to show how government and sector stakeholders can address the significant music education challenges and opportunities that lockdown presents.

2 years ago

Remotely-assessed graded music exams: your questions

Since our last post on 21 May, we’ve received lots of questions. Thank you to everyone who has commented, contacted us and highlighted queries. We want to answer them as soon as we can, so we’ll be regularly adding your questions and our responses to a dedicated web page.

2 years ago

Remotely-assessed graded music exams: an update

In August, we are aiming to launch performance-focused graded music exams in the UK that will be assessed remotely, based on a recorded submission. Penny Milsom, our Executive Director of Products and Services, is leading the team developing these qualifications, and we asked her to give us a preview.

2 years ago

An update from our Chief Executive – special arrangements for Grades 6 to 8 plus online graded music exams

At ABRSM we appreciate how much the cancellation of our exams has affected you and we’ve been working hard on solutions to enable you to gain your qualifications at the earliest opportunity. As a result, I now have two important announcements to make.

2 years ago

#OurWorldWithout – championing creativity in crisis

The ingenuity demonstrated by artists of all kinds as they look for new ways to create and share their work is one of the most positive aspects of the pandemic and subsequent lockdown.

2 years ago