Music GCSE is hard to access for home-educated candidates, but music performance and theory grades are widely accepted for entry to music courses at college and sixth form. The information below explains your options for studying Music at GCSE level, including alternative qualifications.
Why is GCSE/IGCSE Music a problem for Home Educators?[]
All Music GCSEs/IGCSES require a listening/appraisal exam, plus practical assessments in performing and composing.
The problem with all GCSE/IGCSE options is because of the practical nature of the assessments you need to find a tutor who is attached to an exam centre. It is important therefore the centre needs to have a good working relationship with the tutor and trust them. CAIE IGCSE will only be available if the centre enters candidates as internal candidates. Music GCSE is generally expensive and difficult to arrange.
You may find that there is no practical way to arrange music GCSE in your area. This is also the case for some school students, as not all schools offer music GCSE. Sixth forms usually understand this and are generally flexible about admissions requirements. Many students choose to focus on music grades and theory exams as an alternative to music GCSE.
Options for Sitting GCSE/IGCSE Music[]
If you want to do GCSE Music some options to explore.
Exam Centres and Affiliate Tutors[]
A number of exam centres have links to affiliate tutors which enable them to support GCSE Music. It is important when signing up with a tutor/course to check that they have that link secure. Where no course provider is listed next to exam centre, contact the centre to ask for their approved tutors. If you use your county Music Service it might be worth asking if they can help, they may have relationships with schools that would support. If you come across a tutor offering GCSE Music do enquire as to whether they have an arrangement with an exam centre before signing up.
Enter CIC Durham, list that they offer GCSE Music.
FareGos offers GCSE Music via Debra Adamson-Brattland
Tutors & Exams offers GCSE Music via Debra Adamson-Brattland at the Doncaster centre and via Spark Creative Education at all it's centres (except N. Ireland)
The Old School offers distance learning and accommodates the exams - but the exam centre is in France
OCAD offer an online course for GCSE music. Students would still be responsible for finding their own exam centre which would accept external candidates for music GCSE exams.The online provider have mixed reviews among home edders, so do check that they can offer what you want.
Spark Creative Education offers an online AQA GCSE Music course with lessons and tutor support, marking and submission of the performance and composition coursework elements. Run by tutor who is also currently home educating parent.
Part-time College Placements/Weekend Courses[]
There are some opportunities to take music GCSE, usually at the end of a course of lessons, through music colleges or Conservatoires. Ask on your local home ed networks as there is no central registry of places which offer this, and there may be opportunities in your area. Please help to keep this page up to date by adding anything you find here.
The following have been reported as offering GCSE Music in the past
Home Ed Partners Llangattock School, Monmouth Has facilitated GCSE Music for home educated candidates.
New College, Swindon Swindon Has a 14-16 programme that is flexible, We have no one confirmed as sitting there but if local might be worth an enquiry.
Elgar School of Music Worcester Has offered GCSE and A level Music
Blackheath Conservatoire, London SE3. Doesn't currently list GCSE Music but has offered in the past and works with home educators.
Birmingham Conservatoire, Birmingham. No mention on website but has offered previously.
Trinity Laban in Greenwich, London. London SE10- Lists GCSE and A-level music, taught at weekends.
London College of Music, Ealing London W5 - IGCSE music on Saturdays. Details on the website are for 2020 so may not currently run.
Norfolk: The Garage - has offered GCSE Music but doesn't look like currently does.
GCSE Music Specifications[]
Edexcel is listed in detail as it is the spec covered at FareGos, Tutors and Exams and the Old School.
Edexcel GCSE Music[]
- Exams from: June 2018
- Available in June
- Specification code: 1MU0
Subject Content[]
There are 3 components
- Performing: solo performing, ensemble performing, approaches to performing.
- Composing: Developing musical ideas, compositional techniques and strategies, ensuring technical control and coherence, methods of notating composition scores.
- Appraising: Musical elements, musical contexts and musical language.
- Instrumental Music 1700–1820
- Vocal Music
- Music for Stage and Screen
- Fusions.
Assessment[]
This qualification is 60% practical assessment
- NEA - Performing - 60 marks - 30%
- Candidates perform for at least four minutes’ combined duration
- Solo performance: this must be of at least one minute in duration, and may comprise one or more pieces
- Ensemble performance: this must be of at least one minute in duration, and may comprise one or more pieces
- Each performance will be out of 30 marks.
- Internally marked and externally moderated.
- NEA - Composing - 60 marks - 30%
- Candidates compose two compositions, of at least three minutes’ combined duration
- One composition to a brief set by Pearson, of at least one minute in duration.
- One free composition set by the candidate, of at least one minute in duration.
- Each composition will be out of 30 marks.
- Internally marked and externally moderated.
- Paper 3 - Appraising - 1 hr 45 mins - 80 marks - 40%
- Written examination paper
- Section A – Areas of study, dictation, and unfamiliar pieces
- Section B – Extended response comparison between a set work and one unfamiliar piece
- Audio files with the music extracts will be played to all students at the same time and will repeat the extracts a set number of times.
Resources[]
GCSE Music needs to be sat via a tutor working with the exam centre. So the first place to start is speaking to the exam centre to establish the tutor you need.
Published resources; a textbook and an anthology can be seen here.
Past papers and audio recordings are available from the specification page
Edexcel has a selection of guides, planners and exemplar material available here
Other Specifications[]
WJEC GCSE Music - Wales only
CCEA GCSE Music - Northern Ireland only
CAIE IGCSE Music - CAIE IGCSE Music is not available to private candidates
Music Grades as an alternative to GCSE?[]
Music grades are widely accepted as alternatives to GCSE music for entry to A-level music or Level 3 music courses, but do check this with any sixth form or college you are hoping to apply to. For A-level music they may ask you to have performance grades of a certain level, plus grade 5 theory. ABRSM and Trinity Grades 4 or 5 are accredited by OFQUAL as Level 2 qualifications, ie GCSE level. However, this doesn't mean it's the same as a music GCSE; they are different things, being of the same difficulty as a GCSE but a different amount of content.
Grades 6 and above attract UCAS points for university applications. See UCAS tariff tables for music exams and see our page on Filling out the UCAS form for how to enter these qualifications.
Wikipedia ABRSM entry is useful on this:
"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 (Foundation: equivalent to GCSE grades D–G), Grades 4–5 at Level 2 (Intermediate: GCSE grades A*–C) and Grades 6–8 at Level 3 (Advanced: 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 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 Theory or Practical exams may be used as part of the UCAS tariff in obtaining a university place in Britain."
A member of HE-Exams, who is a former music teacher, comments:
"Years ago, ABRSM Grade 5 Practical and Theory were seen as a decent substitute for O Level / GCSE for students wishing to study at A Level who had not done school music before. The theory and practical combined were good preparation for A Level, although did not cover as much composition etc. as GCSE. However, I don't think they have ever really been seen as entirely interchangeable - rather, at a time when some schools couldn't offer specialist music teaching, and takeup at GCSE was sometimes so low that classes weren't run, ABRSM was an alternative and necessary route for some. I know at least one student that went this route and went on to study Music at university.
Speaking as an ex-music teacher, I'd say that there is definitely some point to studying ABRSM theory, even if GCSE has already been completed. It's a while since I taught A Level, but my recollection is that GCSE does little to prepare you for some of the more complex theory at A Level (such as 4-part harmony, score writing and reading etc.), whereas I seem to remember that the ABRSM contains a lot more of that sort of thing. And.. you need Grade 5 Theory if you want to take ABRSM practical exams above grade 5.
If you want to pursue studies in Music beyond GCSE, it might be worth working through the ABRSM Theory books, even if you don't bother with the exam. I really do think it covers useful areas that GCSE is lacking in."
Music Theory Exams Resources[]
Some resources recommended by members of HE-Exams. Please be aware that this list was compiled around 2014 so need to check resources are suitable for current exams.
Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory Complete Self Study Guide
Mind Blowing Music by Michael Cox - from The Knowledge series, which is like Horrible Histories. Lots of facts in a fun format.
Music Theory for Young Musicians, by Ying Ying Ng - one book per grade.
Take Five and Pass First Time, by Christopher Dunn
Other Resources[]
- Birmingham Contemporary Music Workshops and Events for Young People Various music workshops for ages 8-18, including composition and improvisation. "A friend's teenage daughter has attended some of these workshops and thoroughly enjoyed them."
- Practical Musicianship exams which can be an alternative to Music Theory for some. "Musicianship is a broad concept that covers a complex range of musical abilities. For the purposes of this syllabus, it is loosely defined as the ability to ‘think in sound’. This occurs when a musician is able to produce music which they perceive internally and in the imagination, whether through playing by ear, singing, reading from notation, or through improvisation.
- Rock School Awards (RSL) "Ranging from introductory grades all the way up to university-level degrees"
- Trinity Rock Rock and Pop Music Exams