Pass a graded music exam
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
A graded music exam gives your playing or singing a fixed target, on a ladder that runs up to Grade 8. ABRSM's Performance Grades are assessed from a video recording, with no booking periods or exam sessions, so you choose when to book, record and submit.
Moderate£100 to £500 / $130 to $650MonthsIndoorsOn your own
How to start
- Read how ABRSM Performance Grades and Trinity College London graded exams work, and choose a board.
- Download the syllabus for your instrument or voice and pick a grade and pieces with a teacher.
- Book the exam, then record and upload your performance or attend a face-to-face exam.
Where to go
- ABRSM, "About Performance Grades" (exam board)
- Trinity College London, "About our Graded exams" in music (exam board)
We opened these links on 8 October 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Read next
Taking up a musical instrument as an adult
A practical guide to starting an instrument as an adult: choosing one for your hands, hearing, space and budget, structuring short daily practice, finding a teacher or group, and what to expect at one month, three months and a year.