Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music
| Charity | |
| Industry | Music education |
| Founded | 1 October 1889 |
| Founder | Sir George Grove Sir Alexander Mackenzie (composer) Sir Arthur Sullivan Sir Charles Stanford Sir Walter Parratt Sir Hubert Parry Sir John Stainer |
| Headquarters |
4 London Wall Place London EC2Y 5AU, United Kingdom |
|
Area served
|
93 countries worldwide |
|
Key people
|
Michael Elliott (Chief Executive) Colette Bowe (Chairman) John Holmes (Chief Examiner) |
| Products |
Music exams Sheet music publications Digital music applications Music education courses and events |
| £42.9 million (2013/14) | |
| Website | www |
The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) is an examinations board and registered charity based in London, UK, which provides examinations in music at centres around the world. ABRSM is one of four examination boards accredited by Ofqual to award graded exams and diploma qualifications in music within the UK's National Qualifications Framework (along with the London College of Music, Rockschool Ltd and Trinity College London). 'The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music' was established in 1889 and rebranded as ABRSM in 2009. The clarifying strapline "the exam board of the Royal Schools of Music" was introduced in 2012.
The Royal Schools referred to in ABRSM's title are:
More than 650,000 candidates take ABRSM exams each year in over 93 countries. ABRSM also provides a publishing house for music which produces syllabus booklets, sheet music and exam papers and runs professional development courses and seminars for teachers.
ABRSM is one of the UK's 200 largest charitable organisations ranked by annual expenditure. For the year ended 31 January 2014, income was £42.9 million and expenditure was £39.7 million.
Graded music exams provide a structured framework for progression from beginner to advanced musician. In the United Kingdom, ABRSM graded examinations are QCA-accredited at three levels in the National Qualifications Framework: Grades 1–3 at Level 1 (SQA: National 5, GCSE: Grades D–G), Grades 4–5 at Level 2 (SQA: Higher (G4) and Advanced Higher (G5), GCSE: grades A*–C) and Grades 6–8 at Level 3 (SQA: Advanced Higher, GCSE: A-Level). Most subjects are offered from Grades 1–8 and have three standards of pass: a straight pass, a pass with merit and a pass with distinction. Candidates may enter any Practical or Music Theory exam grade without having taken any other, though there is a requirement to have passed Grade 5 Theory or Grade 5 Practical Musicianship or Grade 5 in a solo Jazz subject before Grade 6–8 Practical exams can be taken. Passes in Grades 6–8 in either Music Theory or Practical exams may be used as part of the UCAS tariff in obtaining a university place in Britain. The four types of graded exam are as follows:
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