How to get a distinction in your ABRSM Grade 5 Music Theory Exam
I'm going to start this blog by saying that the result of your ABRSM Grade 5 Music Theory exam is not the most important thing about the exam. Of course you want to pass, but it's far more important to understand all of the concepts in this exam really well, to ensure you have a solid music theory foundation from which to build.
However, I know some of you are determined to get top marks and I'm often asked by students how they can get a distinction in their exam. So let's take a look at how many marks you need, and some tips to help you get there.
How many marks do I need for a Distinction?
The ABRSM grade 5 music theory exam is marked out out 75. You need to score 50 for a pass, 60 for a merit, and 65 for a distinction.
The following three steps can help you to score as many of these marks as possible.
1. Learn your terms & Signs
Make sure to learn ALL your terms and signs. Not just they easy ones, ALL of them should be memorised.
Terms and Signs questions will ALWAYS feature in the exam, and they are normally worth around 3 marks. That's 3 marks you can either (almost) guarantee (assuming you've learnt your terms and signs), OR 3 marks you might lose (if you haven't learnt your terms and signs). These 3 marks could help to make the difference between a merit or a distinction.
2. Practice, practice, practice!
Learning the content for this exam is just stage 1. The second stage of your revision should include practice papers and practice quesitons (ideally, lots of them!). This way you keep reinforcing your knowledge and practicing differnet ways that the material could be tested.
If you're struggling to find more practice papers, try our specifically created exam-style papers here.
3. Your exam isn't finished until you've checked every question!
Once you've finished your exam, it's time to go back to the start of the questions to check over your answers.
Make sure to take your time as you do this, and re-answer every question as if it's the first time you're seeing it. If you arrive at the same answer, then you can be confident that you've got it right. I know this is very time consuming, but how much do you want your distinction!
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