I N F O R M A T I O N   I N   E N G L I S H

Criteria for assessment of Instrumental Exams

Advanced Exams, Type I - Orchestral Instruments

 
Pieces and studies     out of 12

  • Outstanding performance
  • Affective and personal expression
  • Technically secure
  • Good control of intonation, articulation and tone
  • Good feeling for phrasing and dynamics
  • Good feeling for musical style, character and colour
  • Good sense of rhythm
  • Convincing choice of tempo
11/12

  • Reasonably good sense of "musical whole"
  • Clear evidence of personal expression
  • Reasonably secure technically
  • Reasonably good control of intonation, articulation and tone
  • Clear evidence of dynamics and phrasing
  • Reasonably good feeling for musical style, character and colour
  • Reasonably good sense of rhythm
  • Appropriate and steady tempo
9/10

  • Acceptable performance as a whole
  • Acceptable intonation, articulation and tone
  • Dynamics and phrasing perceptible
  • Appropriate tempo, if cautious, even hesitant at times
  • Insufficiently accurate
7/8

  • Lacks sense of flow and security
  • Inadequate intonation, articulation and tone quality
  • Little sense of "musical whole"
  • Lots of mistakes and pauses
5/6

  • Lots of wrong notes and rhythms
  • Very poor intonation, articulation and tone quality
4

  • No performance
0

 

Orchestral extracts out of 12

  • Clear sense of all the orchestral works
  • Convincing performances
  • Technically secure
  • Good control of intonation, articulation and tone
  • Good feeling for phrasing and dynamics
  • Good sense of rhythm
  • Convincing choice of tempo
11/12

  • Clear sense of most of the orchestral works or reasonable sense of all
  • Reasonably good sense of "musical whole"
  • Reasonably secure technically
  • Reasonably good control of intonation, articulation and tone
  • Clear evidence of dynamics and phrasing
  • Reasonably good sense of rhythm
  • Appropriate and steady tempo
9/10

  • Acceptable sense of most of the orchestral works or inconsistent between extracts
  • Acceptable performance as a whole
  • Acceptable intonation, articulation and tone
  • Dynamics and phrasing perceptible
  • Appropriate tempo, if cautious, even hesitant at times
  • Insufficiently accurate
7/8

  • Little sense of all of the orchestral works
  • Lacks sense of flow and security
  • Inadequate intonation, articulation and tone quality
5/6

  • No sense of the orchestral work
  • Lots of wrong notes and rhythms
  • Very poor intonation, articulation and tone quality
4

  • No performance
0

 

Scales and arpeggios out of 15

  • Secure and effortless
  • Good sense of flow
  • Good controle of intonation, articulation and tone
  • Responds quickly to instructions
14/15

  • Well prepared
  • Reasonable sense of flow
  • Occasional wrong notes
  • In a few cases, needs "too" long thinking time
12/13

  • Cautious
  • Quiet a lot of wrong notes
  • In most cases, needs "too" long thinking time
9/10/11

  • Not adequately prepared
  • Too slow (see syllabus requirements)
  • Uneven
  • Lots of mistakes
  • Inappropriately long thinking time
6/7/8

  • Several scales/arpeggios not played
  • Uses music/notation
  • Not adequate
5

  • Scales and arpeggios not performed
0

 

Option/Elective - Pupils perform piece of own choice out of 10

  • Outstanding performance
  • Affective and personal expression
  • Technically secure
  • Good control of intonation, articulation and tone
  • Good feeling for phrasing and dynamics
  • Good feeling for musical style, character and colour
  • Good sense of rhythm
  • Convincing choice of tempo
9/10

  • Reasonably good sense of "musical whole"
  • Clear evidence of personal expression
  • Reasonably secure technically
  • Reasonably good control of intonation, articulation and tone
  • Clear evidence of dynamics and phrasing
  • Reasonably good feeling for musical style, character and colour
  • Reasonably good sense of rhythm
  • Appropriate and steady tempo
7/8

  • Acceptable performance as a whole
  • Acceptable intonation, articulation and tone
  • Dynamics and phrasing perceptible
  • Appropriate tempo, if cautious, even hesitant at times
  • Insufficient accuracy
6

  • Lacks a sense of flow and security
  • Inadequate intonation, articulation and tone quality
  • Little sense of "musical whole"
  • Lots of mistakes and pauses
4/5

  • Lots of wrong notes and rhythms
  • Very poor intonation, articulation and tone quality
2/3

  • No performance
0

 

Option/Elective - Ensemble performance in which the candidate plays a substantial role out of 10

  • Good sense of the "musical whole"
  • Good control of intonation, articulation and tone
  • Technically secure
  • Good feeling for phrasing and dynamics
  • Good sense of balance between voices
  • Good feeling for flow in ensemble
  • Good and steady feeling for rhythm
9/10

  • Reasonably good sense of "musical whole"
  • Reasonably good control of intonation, articulation and tone
  • Reasonably secure technically
  • Clear evidence of dynamics and phrasing
  • Reasonably good sense of balance between voices
  • Reasonably good feeling for flow in ensemble
  • Appropriate and steady tempo
7/8

  • Acceptable sense of "musical whole"
  • Acceptable intonation, articulation and tone
  • Phrasing and dynamics perceptible
  • Acceptable sense of balance between voices
  • Acceptable sense of flow in ensemble
  • Appropriate if not always steady tempo
  • Insufficiently accurate
6

  • Little sense of "musical whole"
  • Inadequate intonation, articulation and tone
  • Considerable wrong notes and rhythms
  • Little sense of balance between voices
  • Little sense of flow in ensemble
4/5

  • Hardly any sense of "musical whole"
  • Little if any sense of ensemble
  • Lots of wrong notes and rhythms
  • Very poor intonation and articulation
2/3

  • No performance
0

 

Option/Elective - Performance on a related instrument out of 10

  • Convincing performance
  • Good control of instrument, technically secure
  • Good control of intonation, articulation and tone
  • Good feeling for phrasing and dynamics
  • Good feeling for musical style, character and colour
  • Good feeling for rhythm
  • Convincing choice of tempo
9/10

  • Reasonably good sense of "musical whole"
  • Reasonably control of instrument, technically secure
  • Reasonably good control of intonation, articulation and tone
  • Clear evidence of dynamics and phrasing
  • Reasonable feeling of musical style, character and colour
  • Reasonable feeling for rhythm
  • Appropriate and steady tempo
7/8

  • Acceptable sense of "musical whole"
  • Acceptable control of instrument, intonation, articulation and tone
  • Phrasing and dynamics perceptible
  • Appropriate tempo, if cautious, even hesitant at times
  • Insufficiently accuracy
6

  • Inadequate control of instrument, intonation, articulation and tone
  • Little sense of "musical whole"
  • Considerable wrong notes and rhythms
  • Lacks sense of security and flow
4/5

  • Lots of wrong notes and rhythms
  • Very poor intonation and articulation
2/3

  • No performance
0

 

Sight-reading out of 10

  • Convincing peformance
  • Appropriate tempo
  • Appropriate dynamics
  • Rights notes and rhythms
9/10

  • Mostly correct notes and rhythm
  • Steady pulse
7/8

  • Hesitant, though mostly right notes and rhythms
  • Too cautious, though clear sense of pulse
6

  • Absence of feeling for tonality
  • Poor phrasing
  • Lots of wrong notes and rhytms
  • Absence of pulse
4/5

  • Consistently wrong notes and rhythms
  • Very poor intonation, articulation and tone
2/3

  • Sight-reading not performed
0

 

Overall impression out of 5

  • Outstanding performances
  • Affective and personal expression
  • Confident and appropriate deportment
  • Very well prepared
5

  • Good, purposeful performances
  • Confident and mostly appropriate deportment
  • Clearly well prepared
4

  • Adequate performances
  • Adequate security and deportment
  • Deserves a pass, but with one or two reservations (indicated elsewhere)
3

  • Insecure and unconvincing performances
  • Inappropriate deportment
  • Preparation appears to be inadequate
2

  • Very poor performances
  • Performances in most parts of the exam do not satisfy requirements
  • Preparation appears to be very poor
1