Music Exams

Further Music School is an authorized ABRSM exam center in New York State

Our exemplary exam preparation has shown stellar results in the past years. Due to our immense experience in preparing students for the ABRSM and NYSSMA exams, 100% of our 100+ students who have taken these exams have passed since 2012. The worldwide exam pass rate is approximately 87%. Additionally,89.2% of Further Music students have passed annually with “Distinction” on these exams, while the worldwide Distinction rate is only 2%.

ABRSM Exam

Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music

As the world leader in its field, the Associated Board currently conducts over 600,000 music exams each year in more than 90 different countries.

The ABRSM provides an independent grading system for the aspiring musician looking for a standard to compare to. For parents and teachers, it is a system that can be utilized to show areas of improvement and merit. For candidates, it provides for a certificate and/or a degree that can be used anywhere to provide verification of musicianship. This alone, sets apart ABRSM from all other testing standards because it is the largest and most well-known music examining board in the world.

As one of the largest music boards in the world, it offers greater advantages over other music exam boards, such as credits for university students. Steps are now being taken to further implement the ABRSM examinations into the collegiate system after Lipscomb University became the first university to require music majors to sit for the ABRSM examinations.

For more information, please check with your instructor, or visit:

* http://us.abrsm.org/

NYSSMA Exam

New York State School Music Assosiation

NYSSMA is a professional organization that evaluates student musicians in New York state from elementary school to high school.

Each spring, thousands of students* register through their school's music programs to attend NYSSMA Evaluation Festivals where they are adjudicated. These festivals take place at local middle and high schools within the fifteen NYSSMA zones, each of which covers an area in New York State. Usually, county high schools take turns hosting the festival every few years.

At each festival, students perform scales, a solo or ensemble piece of their choice from the designated NYSSMA repertoire, and a sight reading piece. The judges score and comment on the students' performances according to defined guidelines set by NYSSMA. The grade sheets are then certified and sent to the music departments at the individual schools to be distributed to the students.

Instruments evaluated include voice, piano, strings, woodwinds/brasses, and percussion.

For more information, please check with your instructor, or visit:

* http://www.nyssma.org/

Further Music spends a great deal of time and effort in helping students achieve satisfactory grades for their music examinations. As a result, many students received high or full scores on their exams.

The Rockschool EXAM (RSL Grade)

The Rockschool Exam (RSL Grade) is an examination board and registered charity based in the United Kingdom. Rockschool exam is one of five 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, ABRSM, Trinity College London, and the Music Teachers' Board).

Rockschool exam is the most popular exam system for contemporary and rock music for electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, drums, and vocals, which are widely acknowledged as the standard and most practical grades for these instruments.

Further Music's contemporary instruments (drum/electric guitar/vocal) students follow the Rockschool Exam.

Major music conservatories or pre-college division entrance examination

The Juilliard School of Music, Mannes School of Music, and Manhattan School of Music are among some of the most prestigious schools that accept students for pre-college classes. There are annual entrance exams for candidate students, and the exams take place from March to May.

Every year, many of Further Music's students are accepted into the pre-college classes of each music school with outstanding grades.