ABRSM Music Exams and Trinity Music Exams in SingaporeIn Singapore, ABRSM music exams and Trinity Guildhall music exams are most popular. These are run by UK music exam boards. Exams range from pre-graded to diploma level with tens of thousands of candidates each year. ABRSM stands for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and is commonly referred to as the Associated Board or AB. This page gives you a good knowledge of graded exams in Singapore. Follow the links at the bottom of this page if you would like to know more about diploma exams. FAQQ. Why should students take ABRSM music exams and similar piano exams?A. These piano exams provide a reliable standard of assessment for music students. Students can gauge their musical standard by taking such exams. A. Yearly exams are not necessary. Enough time should be invested to develop musical and technical skills in between exams so that a student is well-prepared for progressively more advanced pieces. A. It is not necessary to take every grade. Grades may be skipped or taken step by step depending on the progress of the student. A. AB consists of well-established music colleges in the UK, namely the Royal College of Music, the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal Northern College of Music and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Trinity Guildhall exams are conducted by Trinity College London, also a well-reputed music college in the UK. They have slightly different requirements but generally reflect a similar standard to AB exams. Q. Are there any prerequisites to taking piano exams? For AB exams, there are no prerequisites for grades 1-5 piano exams; however, grade 5 music theory or practical musicianship must be completed before sitting for the grades 6-8 piano exams. For Trinity Guildhall exams, there are no prerequisites in all grades.
Q. What do ABRSM music exams and Trinity music exams involve? In AB exams, there are 4 different components to a graded practical music exam: Prepared pieces 3 piano pieces are chosen from a set list, practiced at home and performed during the exam. Scales and arpeggios These are prescribed exercises practiced at home and tested during the exam. Sight reading The candidate plays a short piece of music new to him after half a minute of preparation. Graded specimen sight reading tests are available for practice at home. Aural A group of tests are used to assess listening skills and musical understanding. Specimen aural tests which involve rhythmic, melodic and other musical skills are available for practice at home. In Trinity Guildhall exams, candidates play 3 pieces similar to in an AB exam. However, there are some differences with regard to the following areas: 1. Technical Work Candidates play 3 short exercises and some scales and arpeggios. 2. Sight Reading and Aural In grades 1-5, candidates may choose freely two of the following to be tested: aural, sight reading, improvisation and musical knowledge. In grades 6-8, the first test must be sight reading while the second may be aural or improvisation. Q. What are the marking criteria for piano exams? A. In AB exams, the pass mark is 100 out of 150. Marks are given for technical competence, musical understanding and communication through the music. For marking criteria in more detail, please see: You may register through your piano teacher, your music school, as a parent or as a candidate. You may also register online for associated board exams at
www.abrsm.org. ABRSM Singapore Symphonia Co. Ltd Tel: 6339 2624 Trinity Guildhall Music Examinations Centre Tel : 6344 1903 |