Mark an ABRSM Grade 3 Singing exam
Our exams for Singing generally consist of three accompanied songs, chosen by the candidate from the appropriate lists in the current syllabus, as well as an unaccompanied traditional song, sight-singing and aural tests. In each Practical exam 150 marks are available. 100 marks are required to achieve a pass, 120 marks to pass with merit, and 130 marks to pass with distinction.
You can watch and assess each element of this Grade 3 Singing exam in any order, but you will need to watch them all to find out the candidate's overall result. After watching each element, you will be asked what level you think the candidate achieved using our assessment criteria as reference. Our Chief Examiner, John Holmes, will then provide his analysis of the performance.
We hope this resource will help you understand how ABRSM exams are assessed and what our examiners are looking for in a performance.
Select an exam element below to watch and mark:
Pieces
In Singing exams candidates perform an unaccompanied traditional (folk) song of their choice from memory. Learning to sing unaccompanied helps students to develop their sense of key and pulse. It also encourages control of tonality and pitch, sense of rhythm, use of tonal colour, musical communication and memory skills.
Pieces
Experiencing a selection of good music is an essential part of musical learning. In preparing for our exams, candidates can choose from a broad list of songs appropriate to their standard, each presenting its own challenges. Candidates generally perform three songs in the exam (four at Grades 6-8) and each is marked independently.
Aural Tests
Listening is the basis of all good music making, and developing aural awareness is a fundamental part of any music education. ABRSM aural tests are designed to strengthen the vital connection between listening and performing, and to encourage students to develop their 'inner ear' and ability to hear how music works.
Sight Reading
Being able to sight-sing is a valuable skill with many benefits. It enables students to explore new songs with increased confidence and speeds up the learning process. Good sight-singing skills offer the satisfaction of independent musical discovery, as notation on the page is more readily transformed into sound.