The Blog

Exams and Festivals offer a practical way  to help young singers improve and measure progress.

The JTPTrust presently offers two kinds of examinations to our students; LCM Musical Theatre to Grade 8 Level and ABRSM Singing Exams to Grade 5 Level. Grades 4 and 5 are Level 2 on the QCF scale. Advanced MT exams ( Grades 6-8) are Level 3 and offer UCAS points.

ABRSM is an abbreviation of The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.

LCM is an abbreviation of London College of Music and is part of the University of West London (UWL).

Musical Theatre exams are PERFORMANCE exams and require movement, basic costume and props, plus a discussion with the examiner about the context of the songs. Singers present two, three of four songs, depending on the Grade.

ABRSM exams are Singing exams and singers present three songs, an unaccompanied folk-song and are asked to sight-read and perform listening tests.

At first,  singers normally progress annually through the Grades in the JTPTrust but there may be a two year gap before singers take Grade 5 Level (and Advanced levels) as voices need require more maturity to achieve good passes at these Grades.

Musical Theatre Exams normally take place in the Autumn term, but Advanced students also sometimes take these in the Spring or Summer terms.

Usually ABRSM Singing exams take place in the summer term, but Grade 5 Singing is often more flexible and always based on individual needs.

Our Highest achiever in the JTPTrust is Emelia Cassidy, who achieved 140 Marks at Grade 1