Being able to read and interpret written music at a glance is an invaluable skill for any musician. That’s why Sight Reading is one of the Supporting Tests available in Trinity College London’s face-to-face Classical & Jazz exams. In this blog, we explore the format of the Sight Reading test, how candidates are assessed, and how teachers can help their students prepare with confidence.
Trinity’s Supporting Tests offer candidates a choice of four options, from which they select and perform two:
- Sight Reading (mandatory at Grades 6-8)
- Aural (or Unpitched Aural for Drum Kit)
- Improvisation
- Musical Knowledge (Initial – Grade 5 only)
The aim of the Sight Reading test is to assess a candidate’s ability to perform a previously unseen musical extract. The extract is set at approximately two grades below the level of the exam being taken and is designed to be musically intuitive and natural. This reflects the way sight reading is used in real-world musical settings, where musicians may need to perform unfamiliar music with little or no preparation, such as when playing in bands, choirs or orchestras.
What does the Sight Reading test entail?
Candidates are given their extract and 30 seconds to study it. During this time, they may perform sections aloud if they wish. Once the 30 seconds are over, the examiner will invite them to play the extract in full.
Preparing candidates for Sight Reading tests
Trinity's Sight Reading: A Progressive Method and Sound at Sight books provide a useful resource for students preparing for their Sight Reading test and offer a range of graded extracts to help develop confidence and fluency. Specimen sight reading tests for harp can be found here.
Teachers can also source additional sight reading material to develop their students’ skills. The parameters provided in Trinity’s syllabuses give an indication of the musical features likely to appear in the test and can be used to assess whether other extracts are broadly appropriate for a level approximately two grades below the exam being taken.
What reasonable adjustments are available for candidates with SEND?
Trinity is committed to ensuring that candidates can demonstrate their musical skills in an accessible and equitable way. A range of reasonable adjustments may be available for candidates with additional needs that affect their ability to engage with the Sight Reading test.
Depending on the candidate’s individual requirements, adjustments may include additional time to prepare, or alternative presentation formats of written copies, such as Braille, enlarged print or coloured paper. The option of a memory test is also available as an alternative test for visually impaired candidates, a sample of which can be found here. For more information about the reasonable adjustments available for Trinity’s face-to-face exams, please visit our website.
How are candidates assessed?
All supporting tests are marked out of 10. For Sight Reading, a holistic mark is awarded based on the fluency and secure control of pulse, rhythm and tonality, notational accuracy and realisation of musical details. The full assessment criteria for Sight Reading can be found in the relevant instrumental or vocal syllabus.
For a further explanation of the assessment criteria for Supporting Tests and how it is applied, watch our Teaching and Assessment: Supporting Tests webinar back on demand.
You can find information on our other Supporting Tests below:
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