What is ABRSM

[roseamelia]

I don't think I heard of it where I am. what is it exactly?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I'm not much of a fan of this ABRSM thing, but there's like 8 grades of music for this and you have to get tested to get from grade to grade. 

The higher the grade, the more difficult the repertoire you can tackle. 

[candlelightpiano]

ABRSM stands for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.  When I grew up in Malaysia, those were the exams students sat for.  I think they also do it in Singapore and Indonesia.  The examiners are from the UK and there are 8 grades. You don't have to take each grade exam to get to the next grade.  You can skip grades but you need to pass your Grade 8 before you can do your Diploma.  Each grade also has theory exams.

After the Grade 8 exam, it's on to the Associate Diploma and then the Licentiate.

It's pretty much like the RCM exams in Canada (Royal Conservatory of Music) but in Canada, the examiners are mostly Canadian, from what I've heard, and there are 10 grades before you get to Diploma.

[roseamelia]

Oh O.K. thanks guys!!

[ancientsolar]

I had my grade 7 yesterday with ABRSM,

Exam is divided into 4 sections

Scales and Arpeggios

3 pieces (nomally Baroque, Classic & Romantic/Modern)

Sight reading,

Aural tests (singing melody to accompaniment, Clapping to music, recognising time, describing music) listening for cadences and modulations to.

For the higher grades 6/7/8 you require a grade 5 in theory of music,
(grade 5 being the standard of a GCSE/ or normal leaving school at 16 type qualifications.

Google ABRSM, you`ll find a ton of stuff on it!

As for examiners being British, its not  exclusive to British people, its just the most popular in the UK, ~ It is making quite a development in Asia to!

Grades 1-8 are considered Amateur,
Diploma + is for professional Development e.g
grade 7 you`d have a piece of music like 2nd movement of Beethovens Pathetique Sonata
then grade 8 , 3rd movement.
For Diploma do a 30 Min recital ~ some of which could be the whole of Pathetique Sonata.

Licentiate ~ Most of the 10/25 Etudes by Chopin, 1 of 4 Ballades)
Fellowship ~ for this you could play Appassionata

Just examples of  the music ~ the Repertoire for professional development is huge!

Theres a lot more to it than that!! So research