Trinity’s Digital Music Theory Exams

Dr Liz Stafford reviews Trinity College London’s brand new online music theory assessments

Trinity College London’s new digital theory examinations allow students to take graded theory exams under exam conditions from the comfort of their own homes. I opted to try the Grade 2 exam to see how it works.

After a simple registration process I was able to access the exam portal and the practice area where I could get to grips with how the questions worked, and test my knowledge. I can see this being a really useful learning tool, especially for nervous learners to get really confident with how everything works before the big day! I found the inbuilt notation software intutive and easy to operate, and - being as my theory knowledge is somewhat higher than Grade 2 - was ready to take the exam after a few minutes’ practice, although I could have had up to 28 days if I had needed extra time to prepare.

The exam itself is goverened by an AI proctoring system. I had to give access to my screen, camera and microphone, to ensure that I kept to exam conditions whilst taking the test. Obviously I tested the limitations of this by talking to myself during the exam, and straight away I received a warning message on the screen. I undertstand that any potential breaches of exam conditions are investigated by a human at the other end, so I can only apologise to whomever at Trinity had to sit through me spouting nonsense at myself at this point!

The exam questions covered everything you would expect from a paper exam, just in a different format. Trinity College London have committed to also keeping the paper version of the exams, so this digital version just represents an alternative approach, rather than a complete replacement.

I think these digital exams are a great option for busy families, giving the opportunity for learners to take the exam from anywhere at any time, as long as they have a computer or laptop and a wifi connection. It’s also great to hear that a digital certificate will be provided - so much easier to keep track of, produce, and share than a traditional paper one!

Overall I think this is a great new addition to Trinity’s suite of qualifications, and I would definitely encourage teachers to consider it as an option for their pupils.