The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) is an institution headquartered in England and affiliated with four leading colleges of that country:
These schools combined their efforts to create an independent testing system for musical achievement. Please take the time to visit their web-page here.
ABRSM provides a curriculum with high standards that can be integrated into any teaching method and existing curriculum, and allows the student and the teacher to measure their progress in a steady and structured manner. It gives purpose and motivation to practicing, and confers meaningful certificates for each level of testing that build your resume and are accepted for employment purposes worldwide.
In order to participate in these examinations, a timely application has to be completed, fees have to be paid in advance, and you have to be prepared to come to a test center in the area (e.g. Catholic University, NoVa Community College) on a week day and during business hours, even on school days. The examiners come from ABRSM headquarters in England and are assigned certain regions of the U.S. on certain days with no flexibility.
In order to pass these exams successfully, students need to prepare the required programs with their teachers, and participate in Theory classes offered at the school.
There are twelve levels of examinations:
Theory and Performance Examinations are offered seperately. Theory exams are held three times a year and are a written exam only. Performance exams are held twice a year and have several parts:
There is no given timeline or prerequisit for taking these tests, with one exception: In order to take Performance level 5, students are required to pass Theory level 4. Tests of a certain level can be taken any number of times, you can skip a level, sit out a test cycle, etc. Although these test preparations shouldn't consume the lessons and the overall study and enjoyment of music, the standards are high and should not be taken lightly
The cost for these examinations depends on the level and ranges from $50.00 to $75.00 (Diploma level not included). In addition, you should be prepared to spend about $30.00 in music and other materials.
I encourage all students to participate in this program. I am happy to discuss the necessary steps and for more information in general. Brochures and syllabi for the different instruments are avilable at ABRSM's web-page.