Nationwide Music Examinations has been offering this type of assessment option for more than a decade.

It’s simple: all you do is to send in a recording of your students’ performed repertoire and an examiner will assess their music-making. As a busy teacher, this brings the added benefit of being able to submit material for evaluation at any point during the year – so when you feel your student is ready!

Now and again you will encounter a student who just doesn’t want to perform his/her examination pieces ‘live’ in front of an examiner. There could be a number of reasons for this: ‘I simply don’t have time…’ often plainly it’s a case of ‘nerves will get the better of me’

These awards are assessed totally on an individual’s presentation and music-making performance.  They are required to play or sing four pieces instead of three as outlined on each syllabus grade.

Here’s what a candidate has to do:

Select the syllabus and grade and then….

The candidate is required to play four pieces – each attracts a maximum of 25 marks.

He/ she can elect to play

•      all four pieces from those listed within our syllabus
•      OR they can opt for four pieces of their own choice (* please find guidance in ‘Own Choice’ Zone)
•      OR they can mix repertoire featuring in our syllabus list combined with pieces of their own choice (* again please visit ‘Own Choice’ Zone for guidance)

Quite simply no!

Download a Performance Assessment Award Entry Form. Fill this in and send it together with your candidate’s recording and fee to our Examination Office.

You will receive a written Assessment Report Sheet plus a Certificate if their submission achieves the pass mark.  This will be posted directly to you as the teacher, if you presented the candidate for the Performance Assessment Award.  Our target is to dispatch results within 15 working days however, on rare occasions, this can be a little longer.

Please ensure the recording submitted is of good quality, most people choose to submit DVD or CD format. In the future we are exploring the ability to upload MP3 files and to submit material digitally for evaluation purposes via our website.

Please note: We cannot be held responsible for loss of a candidate’s material in transit so it is wise for you to retain a copy of any original, as appropriate. We cannot return candidates’ recordings and it is NME’s policy to destroy submitted copy after 45 days. The Examiner’s adjudication is final. Please refer to our main Terms and Conditions.