Trinity or Abrsm exams?

Which is better for examination, which is better for job prospectives.

Any thoughts?

I've never considered Trinity before.

I don't think there is any significant difference in terms of how other people regard these exams - the standard required for both is very similar. However there are subtle differences in the requirements for the exams eg Trinity offers some choice of supporting tests up to grade 5, allowing you to avoid certain elements if they are not your best skills. I would have a good look at the syllabuses and the repertoire pieces for this year and choose the one that you like best. You can chop and change between the two boards (and others) - there is no imperative to stick with one system, so you could do a mixture if you wanted to and try both. Good luck.

Some teachers will only deal with one board or the other.

In the music profession both boards are held in equal status. But overall, in the music profession they don't really care what exams you've taken, they just want someone who can play their instrument well enough to what is required of them and get along with those they are working with.

There is such a huge choice of exam material out there now - compared to when I started teaching. The best thing is that they are now all equally recognised which is important, as otherwise the incentive to choose a certain syllabus could be wrong for a student. The teacher is now free to select what is best for a particular pupil without having to worry about its 'status'.

One thing which often gets missed. The Associated Board is the only 'board' as it is solely an exam organisation amalgamated from the four Royal Colleges of Music - The Royal Academy and Royal College in London, the Royal Northern and the Royal Scottish. Thhis is printed underneath the logo on your AB certificates. I suppose you could call the Trinity Guildhall a 'board' now but they used to be two separate bodies connected to each music college. The London College of Music, which is also recognised, used to be entirely independent in Marlborough St in London (founded by Andrew Lloyd Webber's father William) but is now connected to a university (London College of Music and Media at the Thames Valley University in Ealing). They all have a very different history but all are worth investigating.

Of course there is the Victoria College which I intend to investigate one day, Rockschool etc etc.

It is very confusing that there is a Leeds College of Music (also called LCM) but I don't think it has an external exam syllabus.

I don't think either is "better" than the other - just different. I use both. Mostly I use AB. I use TG for grades 6-8 where theory is a weakness. Of course I teach the theory alongside the practical, but some people, especially busy adults, do not want to spend time committing everything to memory for the sake of taking an exam. TG gives those people a chance to take the higher grades, whilst still testing the theory side - i.e. cadences, modulations, musical qualities, etc. through the aural tests. I also like their concert certificates, and often use them as a stop gap - the first concert certificate, between grades 5 and 6, is useful for any normally AB candidates, whilst they achieve their grade 5 theory, and has no supporting tests, other than programme notes. Presentation is also marked - dress, command of the stage, etc., as it is not an exam as such, but an assessment as a public performance. The other one is post grade 8 as a step towards diplomas, and is a useful goal, as it is often a long time to reach diploma standard after grade 8.
Also TG allows the candidate to take the music in to the exam (I'm talking about singers here). I don't let them normally, but I have one lady of 62 who CANNOT memorise words. She wrote out the words to her song for my student concert over 100 times over 5 months, and still they were not faultless - by that I mean causing hesitation. So TG is the only way for her - AB would be too stressful. TGs sight singing is much more difficult than ABs at the higher levels because they are unaccompanied, contain no words and the intervals required to be pitched are fiendish. Frankly, I could not do them. AB is more user friendly.
I think aural tests are more difficult with AB.
Where AB scores is their organisation. TG leaves it all to the local reps, and ours is HOPELESS. 6 days notice of the day/time of the exam - and then only after prompting, 5 months for certificates to be sent following receipt by him, and longer to get the results than AB. I should stress that this is the reps fault, not the Boards, and yes, I have complained, but to no avail. So I enter people for TG only if there is no alternative (i.e. no theory) and warn students in advance.
I don't believe either of them is easier than the other, all things considered, so it is right that they should carry equal weighting.

Thanks for your replies. I certainly know a little bit more now that I did before!

The reason the question came up was because I while looking for teachers I found one who used different boards to suit the student, which prompted me to have a look at the TG syllabus. I must admit I am extremely worried about the ABs aural tests. I did up to grade 4 aural no problem, but grade 5 aural was so difficult. I spent months with the aural tapes, practising and I never got any better, I think I didn't really have enough guidance from my teacher really. Anyway I ended up not doing my grade 5 just because of the aural.

I'm not sure if will be much different now, I am doing all my theory grades, my plan is to go to grade 8 with it and to be honest it has really helped me with scales and everything, so I might have more of a hope at the aurals this time. It is more convenient for me to do ABs exams simply because the exam centre is not far from me.

I saw in TG's syllabus that you could choose either aural tests or improvisations? Have I read that correctly? Has anyone choosen to do the improvisations, I wondered how they might be done.

Hi
I'm doing both boards. With Trinity you have various options to sightreading such as musical knowledge etc (I don't know what grade it goes up to). Also, I noticed that a piece I did for Grade 2 Trinity was on the syllabus for Grade 3 ABRSM and I think you have more emphasis on scales for ABRSM.

The other difference I've noticed is that for ABRSM, I had at least 5 weeks notice for my exam date, for Trinity, I only had a week's notice which I wasn't very happy with.

Hope this helps a bit!

Best wishes.

You have a choice of 4 supporting tests for TG up to grade 5 only (you choose 2 out of aural, sight reading, musical knowledge and improvisation).

I think you might find the TG aural easier than AB, they are significantly different. If you are doing a lot of theory, you should sail through the musical knowledge questions. Syllabus details including supporting tests are all on the Trinity Guildhall website

The problem there seems to be in trying to do the test without having learnt the material.
The taoes are only tapes of the tests after all, not guidance on how to do them.

Where do you find this material to learn? Or should this be mainly from your teacher?

A good teacher can see what is required of the tests and so use material of their own.
The Aural training in Practice books have suggestions on how to work towards the tests and you may be able to find extra things to use yourself just as a teacher could.

[quote name='BusyBee' date='Jan 17 2008, 08:22 PM' post='655685'
The London College of Music, which is also recognised, used to be entirely independent in Marlborough St in London (founded by Andrew Lloyd Webber's father William) but is now connected to a university (London College of Music and Media at the Thames Valley University in Ealing). They all have a very different history but all are worth investigating.

Of course there is the Victoria College which I intend to investigate one day, Rockschool etc etc.

It is very confusing that there is a Leeds College of Music (also called LCM) but I don't think it has an external exam syllabus.
[/quote]

Sorry to correct this little but London College of Music was actually founded in 1887. I know that William Lloyd Webber was something of a wonder child but he wasn't born until 1914. He took over the directorship in 1964. They became a part of Thames Valley University in 1991 and now call themselves LCMM. (London College of Music and Media).
I agree that there is not really an exam body that is better than another. There are aspects of some that suit some candidates better than others and often teachers are more familiar with one rather than another.

That's okay petrat - I don't mind at all. Thanks for sorting out the dates. I just had this idea as a child that William was terribly important and at the 'beginning of it all' - especially when I heard him play in an organ recital at the Central hall Westminster -a very vivid memory still. Will check out my facts more thoroughly next time.

I think I'm right in saying though that the London College exams are still called LCM exams (see cover and publisher of Grade Handbooks) under the 'umbrella' of TVU which houses the LCMM for internal students. I did a search once for the exams using LCMM on google and only came up with university information. The website for LCM exams is: http://mercury.tvu.ac.uk/lcmexams/