Hi all, ive often read about members talking about how many passes were awarded to various grades and diplomas.. i wonder if there is a website that shows us all these statistics?

Try here.

Car Expert

Hmmm, interesting page! Seems, if we're going to fail any level, we're more likely to fail grades 2 and 5 than any other pre-advanced grades! (Haven't really looked at G6-8 yet)

THANK YOU Car Expert!!

Yeah, what is it with grade 2, at least 2 of my friends failed it and i barely passed.

People seem to be looking at numbers of fails rather than percentages. There is very little difference between grades 2 and 3 percentage wise.

It is an interesting page but it would be nice to see some statistics for outside the UK as well. I have entered about 150 candidates since living in France and it would be nice to see what has been happening elsewhere in France, Europe and the rest of the world.

at a glance and without doing any sums, it seems that the highest percentage failure rate is at Grade 6. It's also clear that there's a big drop in the number of entrants at Grade 6. Has anyone ever found Trinity statistics, to see whether people are going there for Grade 6 in order to avoid Grade 5 theory, or whether there's a drop at Grade 6 in both boards irrespective of the theory requirement?

Interestingly, percentage marks seem to be higher again at Grade 8. I wonder if Grade 6 is that point at which people begin to realise that they've reached their limit - either in ability, or in the amount of work they're prepared to do? But if they make it through Grade 6 with a reasonable mark, then maybe they're through the pain barrier and will go all the way?

Possibly also there are experienced musicians going straight into Grade 8 as it's a prerequisite for a diploma, but below their ability.

Interesting theory......but I took Grade 5, then skipped G6 and went straight on to G7. Ever since, I have been playing the G8 pieces but quivering hopelessly about entering for the exam. I think I am through the pain barrier, but don't think I will go all the way because I am a hopelessly nervous performer. But no doubt you are generalising, and I think your generalisations are right.

Just a guess, but from friends who've done better in G8 than in any other exams: a lot of people I know reeeeeeally pulled their finger out for grade 8 and practised like absolute crazy. For lots of reasons: last exam they plan on doing, UCAS points, for a teacher who had been really dedicated to them... etc. Friend of mine who got a ridiculously good mark in grade 8 (flute) said it was just because she practised like mad as it was grade 8, and she had a "good tone day"... she didn't have that special a mark in previous exams, and would fully admit that it's probably the best she has ever been and her playing isn't a fraction as good any more.

So I think the very fact that it is grade 8 makes some people really go for it - even if they're not really through the pain barrier, or even haven't done many other exams/been that bothered before.

You know I think they make computers which can do this sort of thing.

As a copy and paste Excel expert who really ought to get a life I can tell you that the % figures average across the years given are:-

Pass Merit Distinction Fail
1 46.1% 35.9% 15.7% 2.2%
2 53.4% 31.5% 11.3% 3.8%
3 53.6% 31.4% 10.9% 4.1%
4 53.5% 30.9% 10.9% 4.7%
5 52.5% 29.3% 11.4% 6.8%
6 47.0% 31.3% 14.4% 7.3%
7 42.7% 31.9% 18.3% 7.1%
8 34.6% 30.0% 26.4% 9.0%

I don't believe I just did that but I hope somebody finds interesting.


Regards

"The man with the numbers"
earplugs

Thanks earplugs!

So the failure rate is rising?
As well as the Distinction rate?

Does that mean people are either working harder or not bothering much at all? Or are examiners becoming more polarised in their marking?

Sorry, the rows are grades 1-8. The figures are the totals for the years 2001 - 2006 from CEs link. Over those years the % rates seem pretty static

What Earplugs has done is that each row represents the grade (each column represents pass, merit, distinction and fail) and the figures are aggregates of the years listed from the website.

Soory, folks! You go to all that trouble and I can't even manage to read the thing properly!

bump.



sorry but I had to...

Looking at the statistics, I wondered why grade 7 distinction rate is lower than grade 8 ?
I thought that a distinction at grade 8 was very rare compared to the other grades.

There might be another factor influencing the drop in numbers at grade 6. Those candidates who learn through school beginning in year 7, they take a grade a year and get to 5 before they leave school. Just a thought.

Baring in mind that these are statistics for AB grades only, the drop at grade 6 could be down to the people who don't want to do theory changing to a different board.