A Blog for Our Community

What are the differences between the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) music exam and the California-based Certificate of Merit (CM)? Learn about them both here.

So what is it about the National Piano Guild Auditions that I like so much? If you are one who does not believe in any type of assessments whatsoever, I hope to convince you that this one is worth doing. Here are some unique qualities about the Guild Auditions that may be different from other types of assessments out there.

I feel strongly that we as music teachers need to understand the differences and requirements of various exam/testing systems, before deciding in general that testing is not “healthy” for our students. I would like to give my personal opinion about the different music audition/festival/exam systems I am aware of.

It was at the age of seven, when I came to the United Kingdom, that I first encountered the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) music examination system.  “What grade are you?” the other children would ask when I told them that I played the piano. Here’s what I learned about the system.