I assume that most people on here do ABRSM exams. But there are several boards. how do the practical exams differ? Which are easiest/hardest?

Between the recognised, established boards, it's not possible to give a definitive answer to the difficulty question - it's due so much to personal preference and ability. For example, people who find scales very difficult to memorise might find TG much easier because there is an option of doing a study/orchestral extract instead. Plus each person will have different strengths and weaknesses which will effect the relative difficulty of the pieces on the rep. lists.

I have lots of experience of AB, am putting one pupil (my daughter) through G6 Trinity this November.

In my limited experience of Trinity, I would say that some of the differences are:

AB ask for more scales, and there's no option. Trinity ask for less and you can do something else instead.

Trinity have a much wider choice of elements, especially at Grades 1 - 5, AB is more-or-less the same from ! - 8.

Trinity's sightreading is easier than ABs.

The aural is very different, Trinity aural might favour a non-singer.


Of course, the whole admin process is different, and I understand that Trinity's results come out much sooner than ABs, within a few days.

Repertoire lists overlap a lot - I've seen pieces on AB lists graded one lower by Trinity, and vice versa - the boards will doubtless then be looking for different performances to account for the grading at different levels. Grade for grade, these two are reckoned to be pretty equivalent, but the differences in approach allow people to play to their strengths.

Yes, I've seen this a lot - and people will go "Oh! that means X is easier!" but it happens both ways so much, and as anacrusis says it doesn't take into account what is looked for at any particular grade.

As far as flute is concerned, Trinity have pieces at a lower grade, or the same grade as/than AB. I have just ha a pupil play Donjon's 'Song of the Wind' for Grade 6, where I thought it a reasonably straightforward option, only to find it appearing on the new AB Grade 7 syllabus!

The other main difference with the TG is that the Merit band is wider, making it easier to pass with Merit. Distinction is the same as AB.

It's quite funny because before the change of syllabus, it was the other way around - I found several pieces one grade higher on the TG syllabus. Then it all changed round!

The Ian Clarke "Sunstreams" also appears on G7 for TG and G8 for AB now if I remember correctly.

I've entered more for TG (and Guildhall in the past) than AB, but have done enough of both to say that I don't think either is harder or easier. Sometimes, I have to confess, the studies in higher grade TG exams take a little thinking about on my part, as the teacher, as they often contain lots of ornaments and very awkward timing. Some may prefer these to memorising lots of scales, but they do require the teacher to be fairly confident! My most inconsistent marks have come from LCM, which I have used on the occasions when pupils have difficulty choosing three pieces that they're happy with from the other boards. Sometimes the results have been much higher than expected, but sometimes lower as well.

Just my personal experience, though! As David says, everyone will have a different story to tell depending on their own experiences.

I don't find that to be the case with singers at the higher grades, as Trinity's tests are all unaccompanied. At least with AB you have the piano to keep you in the correct key and give a helping hand with the rhythm and pitch here and there.