Trinity College London and ABRSM are two of the main British music exam boards. Both run grades from Initial to Grade 8. They differ in how they mark, what they test beside the pieces, and whether a theory exam is required. This page compares them.
The short version
| Trinity | ABRSM | |
|---|---|---|
| Grades | Initial to Grade 8 | Initial to Grade 8 |
| Marks | Out of 100 | Out of 150 |
| Pass | 60 | 100 |
| Merit | 75 | 120 |
| Distinction | 87 | 130 |
| Pieces in a face-to-face exam | 3 | 3 |
| Beside the pieces | Technical work and two supporting tests | Scales and arpeggios, sight-reading, and aural tests |
| Choice of tests | Yes | No |
| Theory exam needed before Grade 6 | No | Yes |
| Exam by video | Two digital pathways | Performance Grades |
How each board marks
Trinity. The three pieces are worth 22 marks each, for 66 in all. Technical work is worth 14. The two supporting tests are worth 20.
ABRSM. The three pieces are worth 30 marks each, for 90 in all. Scales and arpeggios are worth 21. Sight-reading is worth 21. Aural tests are worth 18.
In both exams, the pieces carry most of the marks. They are 66 percent of a Trinity exam and 60 percent of an ABRSM exam.
The biggest difference: choice
ABRSM gives every student the same tests. Each student plays scales, reads at sight, and takes the aural tests.
Trinity lets the student choose. There are four kinds of supporting test: sight reading, aural, improvisation, and musical knowledge. The student takes two. Which two depends on the grade and on the student’s choice. For technical work, the student also prepares from a set of options.
A child who dreads sight reading may find Trinity kinder. A child who needs a push to learn sight reading may gain more from ABRSM. Ask the teacher which fits.
The theory rule
ABRSM. A student has to pass Grade 5 theory before taking Grade 6, 7, or 8. ABRSM also accepts Grade 5 in Practical Musicianship or in a solo jazz subject. Read ABRSM Grade 5 theory.
Trinity. There is no theory rule. A student can reach Grade 8 with no theory exam.
For some families, this one rule settles the choice. A teenager with a heavy school load can avoid a written exam with Trinity.
The pieces
Both boards ask for three pieces in a face-to-face exam.
ABRSM sorts its pieces into Lists A, B, and C. The student plays one from each. List A pieces are faster. List B pieces are song-like. List C pieces come from a wide range of styles. From the Initial Grade to Grade 3, one piece may be a duet.
Trinity asks the student to pick three pieces from the lists in its syllabus. In some syllabuses, a student may play a piece of their own in place of one listed piece.
In both piano syllabuses, memory is the student’s choice. It earns no extra marks.
Exams by video
Trinity has two digital pathways. In one, the student records three pieces and technical work. In the other, the student records four pieces.
ABRSM has Performance Grades. The student records four pieces in one take. There are no scales or tests. Read ABRSM Practical vs Performance Grades.
How much work each grade takes
Both boards publish the same estimate of study time for each grade. It runs from 60 hours in total for Grade 1 to 320 hours for Grade 8. The two boards sit in the same framework of regulated qualifications, so a Grade 5 from one stands at the same level as a Grade 5 from the other. Read piano levels by age.
University points in the United Kingdom
Grades 6 to 8 from both boards carry UCAS points for university entry in the United Kingdom. Outside the United Kingdom, ask the school what it accepts.
How to choose
- Ask the teacher. Many teachers work with one board. Their experience with it helps your child.
- Look at the piece lists for your child’s grade. The board with music your child wants to play is the board your child will practice for.
- Decide about theory. If a written exam before Grade 6 is a problem, Trinity avoids it.
- Think about the tests. If your child has one weak area, Trinity’s choice of tests helps.
- Check the exam centers. See where each board holds exams near you, or plan on a video exam.
A student can move from one board to the other between grades. ABRSM does not ask a student to pass its earlier grades first, apart from the theory rule. Ask the teacher how a switch would work.
In Canada and the United States, the Royal Conservatory of Music is easier to find than either British board. Read RCM vs ABRSM.
Related pages
- Trinity music grades explained for parents
- ABRSM grades explained for parents
- ABRSM Grade 1 piano: what the exam asks for
- Music exams for kids: how RCM and ABRSM work
Sources
Checked in November 2026.
- Trinity College London. About our graded exams.
- Trinity College London. Piano syllabus, digital and face-to-face assessment.
- Trinity College London. Digital Classical and Jazz grades.
- Trinity College London. Music qualifications recognition.
- ABRSM. Piano Practical Grades syllabus 2025 and 2026: qualification specification. Copy hosted by Caswell’s Strings.
- ABRSM. About Performance Grades.
More from this guide
This article is part of Music exams for kids: how RCM, ABRSM, and other graded exams work.
ABRSM Grade 1 piano: what the exam asks for
What ABRSM Grade 1 piano asks for: three pieces, scales and arpeggios, sight-reading, and aural tests, with the marks and ways to practice at home.
ABRSM Grade 5 theory: what parents need to know
Why ABRSM asks for Grade 5 theory before Grade 6, what the online exam covers, how it is marked, and when to start preparing.
ABRSM grades explained for parents: from Initial Grade to Grade 8
How ABRSM music exams work: the Prep Test, Initial Grade, Grades 1 to 8, Practical and Performance Grades, the marks, and the Grade 5 theory rule.
ABRSM piano syllabus 2027 and 2028: what changed
What is new in the ABRSM piano syllabus for 2027 and 2028, what stayed the same, the dates that matter, and which book to buy for an exam in 2027.
ABRSM Practical vs Performance Grades: how to choose
The two kinds of ABRSM grade exam compared: what a child plays, how each is marked, how a Performance Grade video works, and which one fits.
AMEB grades explained for parents
How AMEB music exams work in Australia: Preliminary to Grade 8, the Certificate of Performance, the diplomas, the kinds of exam, results, and theory.
Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.