Exam booking FAQs

You can always ask someone to book exams on your behalf. This could be the parent/carer of a candidate, a relative or a friend, or an adult candidate (aged 18 or over). 

We’ve tested our exam booking service to work with the following browsers:

• Google Chrome version 74
• Microsoft Internet Explorer version 11
• Safari version 12.1.2

We’ve tested these internet browsers on the following operating systems:

• Windows 8, 8.1 and 10 +
• Android 7 and 8 +
• iOS 11 (or later)
• Mac OSX 12.4

You can click here or go to the Login button on our website, choose ‘Register’ and then complete the online form. You will need to create a unique username and password to do this. 

We are no longer using old ABRSM applicant numbers. To set up your account you will need to create a username and password. You will then use these, instead of an Applicant Number, to log in.

If you have an ABRSM applicant number from previous exam bookings, enter it when you register so we can link your new account to your existing personal details.

Everyone using our new online exam service will receive a unique Contact ID. This is to ensure we can identify individuals in the system, link up records and exam history, and avoid duplication.

ABRSM applicants (who book exams on behalf of candidates) will be given a Contact ID when they set up an online account. Candidates will be given a Contact ID once they’ve been entered for an exam through the new online service. Contact IDs will appear on all communications about exam bookings.

If you are an applicant, you will not need to use your Contact ID to book exams. However, it is important that you make a note of the Contact IDs for all your candidates. Once candidates have a Contact ID it should be entered, along with their date of birth, every time an exam booking is made for them. This will keep the candidate's records up to date on our system (including any access requirements and prerequisites), ensure all their exam bookings are linked, and make it quicker to enter their details when booking new exams.

Candidates can register and create an account, even if they have not made the exam booking themselves. Parents/carers can set up this account on behalf of a child, but the account must be in the candidate’s name. Having an account means that a candidate can view information about their exams, change appointments, submit digital exams, take online Music Theory exams and view results. All candidates taking an online Music Theory exam (Grades 1 to 5) need an account to access the link to take the exam.

If the applicant includes the candidate (or parent/carer) email address in their exam booking, the candidate (or parent/carer) will automatically receive an email confirming the booking and asking if they would like to create an account. The email will include a link to the registration page. This email will also include the candidate’s Contact ID, which they need to enter when they create their account. Alternatively, once an exam has been booked, the candidate (or parent/carer) can request the candidate’s Contact ID from the applicant. The candidate (or parent/carer) can then go to our website at any time to register and create an account.

Candidate accounts should be created in the candidate’s name, and their Contact ID and date of birth should be entered where requested. This is to make sure we can create a unique record for the candidate, which links their existing and future exam bookings. If you are a parent/carer who would like to book exams for your child, you will need to set up your own account in your own name to make the booking. Anyone booking an exam should be 18 years or over. When you book exams for your child, please enter their Contact ID (if they have one) and date of birth, to make sure we can link their exam bookings.

We use your date of birth, along with other personal information you supply, to ensure we create a unique and secure record for you.

If you are a parent/carer who would like to book exams for your child, you will need to register and create your own account in your own name to make the booking. You must be 18 years or over to book an exam. When you book exams for your child, please enter their Contact ID and date of birth. This will allow us to create an accurate record for your child that includes all their exam bookings.

To change an email address registered to an online account the following steps need to be followed:

• Click “Login” on the ABRSM homepage and click “Register” or “Register for an account”. In order to change an email address on an existing account, the email address needs to be verified. Therefore this update is done using the registration form.
• Fill in the details. You will need to provide a new username for the account as you will not be permitted to continue using the existing one. Enter your password and the new email address. Verify the email address.
• Fill in the rest of your details including your existing Contact ID and the date of birth as registered to the account. These last two details enable the existing account to update rather than registering a new one.
• Tick the privacy policy and click Register. Once logged in, check the profile details to ensure it is the correct Contact ID and your new email address is registered to the account.

When you go to log in click ‘Forgotten your username’ and follow the instructions.

When you go to log in click ‘Forgotten your password’ and follow the instructions.

We need this information to help us identify all candidates accurately in our system, avoid duplication of records and create an exam history for each candidate. We also need to ask for this information to ensure we meet our responsibilities as a regulated awarding organisation in the UK.

Supplying a candidate email address will allow us to invite them to set up an ABRSM account. With an account, they can log in and view their exam details (date, time and venue), change appointments, submit digital exams, taken online Music Theory exams and view results. You must include a candidate email address for online Music Theory exams, digital Performance Grades and digital ARSM diplomas. For other exams it’s optional.

When you book exams for candidates you can tell us who presented the candidate for the exam. The name you enter here when you book will appear on the certificate under 'Presented by'. The applicant's name will appear here by default. However, the 'presenter' name could also be another teacher, a school or a music centre, for example.

It is the responsibility of the person making the booking to ensure that details are correct when they book. However, there are some amendments that you can make through your account.  The exam applicant can make these changes or the candidate, if they have an account.

• Name spelling – not the whole name
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Print last name first
• Presented by name
• Instrument – if the time needed for the exam stays the same or is shorter or if there’s space for a longer exam. The system will check this automatically.

If you live in a country where we ask for National ID then we can amend this for you. Please use our contact us form to get in touch. You will need to provide supporting documentation.

• Change of grade
• Change of instrument – if the time needed for the exam increases and there is no space for a longer exam. The system will check this automatically.
• Complete change of candidate name
• Change of exam type (Performance Grade/Practical Grade)

Please note cancellations are subject to our Withdrawals, Non-attendance and Fee Refund Policy and new bookings are subject to availability.

For changes to Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments please read the information here: Specific Needs

A candidate email address entered during booking cannot be changed. The candidate or parent/carer can update this when they register the account: Register an account

Performance Grade submission dates are available every month on a first-come-first served basis. You can check dates and booking periods here. When you log in to book, make sure you select the right date range. You’ll then be able to see any available submission dates. If there are no dates showing, then there are no slots currently available for your exam. Find out more about booking digital instrumental and singing exams.

Keep checking back as slots may appear as a result of cancellations. Or you can wait for the next booking period. We have regular booking periods usually at the beginning of every month. Remember, you can record the exam at any time, then upload once you’ve booked. Check booking periods.

Public Venue is the new name for a public exam centre. It's a venue organised by ABRSM for practical or Grade 6 to 8 Music Theory exams taking place during our main exam sessions.

This is when you can go online to book exams to take place in a forthcoming exam session. For practical exams, you will need to book early in the booking period to have the widest choice of dates and venues.

When you book exams, you can choose a date and venue from a list of available options, but not a time.

Exams run for different amounts of time with many things affecting the length of each exam, such as grade, time for tuning and extra time for any access arrangements. This means we cannot offer a list of available exam times for each day as we cannot predict what those exams will be. We hope that knowing the date and venue of an exam when you book helps you to plan. Once you know your confirmed exam time(s) you will have the option to log in and search for alternative appointments (subject to availability), if the time is not suitable.

Yes, you can select a different date/venue for different candidates as long as there is space available.

The online booking service will show all dates that are available, so there's no advantage to phoning up to check as well.

Once the booking period has closed and we have finalised the timetables we will send you an email to let you know that you can view your confirmed exam appointment online. This will be around two weeks after the booking period has closed. When you log in you will see exam times for candidates, as well as the date and venue that you have already chosen and booked.

This depends on how many candidates you have and the space available on any one date. For the best chance of booking all your candidates together, you will need to log in and book as soon as the booking period opens. This will provide the widest choice of exam dates.

You can book different dates (and venues) for different candidates. If you are booking a large number of candidates at a Public Venue, you may need to book them on different days, rather than all on one day. We would advise you to book as early as possible in the booking period to ensure you have the best chance of keeping all your candidates together.

If possible we will group together candidates who are part of the same booking for the same date and venue. However, we cannot guarantee this. We may also need to change the order of your candidates to create the most efficient timetable with the correct breaks for examiners.

We recommend that you book your candidates’ exams in the order you would like them to take place. However, we cannot guarantee this will be the final order. We will keep all your candidates grouped together on the same day and at the same venue, but in order to create the most efficient timetable and to make sure the examiner has the correct breaks, we may need to change the order of your candidates.

You will not be able to change the order of candidates once you have booked and paid for your exams. This is to ensure that examiner breaks, which we cannot change, take place at the correct time.

We advise you to log in and book your exams as soon as the booking period opens, to make sure you have the widest choice of exams dates.

Once exams have been confirmed applicants (and candidates with an account) can log in to look for alternative dates within the same session. You can change an exam slot up to three days before an exam date. For example, if you log in on Monday you can book into slots from Thursday onwards.

Alternative slots are offered subject to availability and we cannot guarantee that you will be able to reschedule an exam. We are unable to transfer access arrangements or reasonable adjustments to a rescheduled exam. If a candidate has these booked, please consider this carefully before rescheduling their exam. Find out more.

We cannot do this for you by phone or email. Instead, you can log in to your account to look for alternative exam slots.

When you reschedule you will only be able to move the exam to a day that is at least three days ahead. For example, if you log in on a Monday, you can only see and select slots from Thursday onwards. The timetables for the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be closed.

As it is less than three days before the exam day, you will not be able to reschedule. If your pupil is unable to attend, please see our Withdrawals, Non-attendance and Fee Refund Policy.

If you can’t find a suitable alternative at first, we recommend that you try again later or on a different day. Other people will be rescheduling or cancelling exams, so timetables and availability will change on a daily basis. You can keep trying up to three days before your exam date.

You won’t be able to change the order of your candidates. This is to ensure that the examiner’s breaks take place at the correct times, and that we make the most efficient use of the exam day.

Yes, as long as there is a free space of the right length available. If you log in to your account you can select the candidate and see if there is a space available in the afternoon. If there is no space available you could widen your search to look for spaces on different days or at different venues. You can do this up to three days before the exam day.

We are unable to accept late entries for Music Theory exams, so please make sure you book all your candidates before the booking period closes.

Private Visits take place at an approved venue provided by a teacher, school or other organisation. Only candidates of the Visit Organiser or their Permitted Applicants can take exams at a Private Visit.

Private Visits are available for face-to-face instrumental and singing exams, and paper-based Music Theory exams (Grades 6 to 8). Find our more.

Visit Organisers book and run Private Visits. The Visit Organiser is responsible for booking their Private Visit and for sharing their Venue Code with any Permitted Applicants. Applicants cannot book exams at a Private Visit without the permission of the Visit Organiser and the Visit Organiser can ‘remove’ Permitted Applicant status at any time. Visit Organisers are also responsible for finalising timetables and for sharing this information with candidates and Permitted Applicants.

Permitted Applicants are applicants who have received permission from a Visit Organiser to book their candidates at a Private Visit.

Once we’ve approved a Private Visit venue it will have a unique venue code. The Visit Organiser shares this code with any Permitted Applicants, who then enter the code when they book their candidates at the Private Visit. Once the Permitted Applicant has entered the Venue Code, they will remain a Permitted Applicant at the Private Visit for future bookings.

We do not share Venue Codes with anyone, as only the Visit Organiser can decide who to allow as a Permitted Applicant.

As a Visit Organiser you may need to request approval for your Private Visit venue before you can make a booking. This ensures that all venues meet our standards and those of our UK regulators. You only need to request approval for your venue once.

Find out more.

You only need to request approval for your venue once. Once approved, this will apply for all your future Private Visit bookings at that venue.

The standard exam day is 8 hours 5 minutes long, which includes 6 hours 30 minutes of examining as well as time allocated for examiner breaks. When you book a Private Visit you can specify for your exam day(s) to start at 9.00am or 9.30am. For any special requests, please contact us before the 28-day deadline. No further changes are allowed after the 28-day deadline, including late bookings.

You can book candidates up to 28 days before the Private Visit start date.

As the Visit Organiser you can rearrange your Private Visit timetable once we have ‘confirmed’ the booking by email. 

At this point, you can log in and view all the candidates at your Private Visit and use the online timetabling tool to rearrange your exam day(s). It is your responsibility to contact your candidates and any Permitted Applicants to let them know about the revised exam times. You can make changes to the timetable up to 48 hours before the start date. Find out more.

It may be possible to make late entries, if space is available. You can book candidates into available space up to 48 hours before the visit start date.

You can only add candidates if space is available within your confirmed visit dates and times. We cannot add further days or extend a half day to a full day.

We cannot accept late bookings for DipABRSM, LRSM or FRSM diplomas or Music Theory exams, or for candidates who would like to request special arrangements for specific needs.

f Jazz exams are available in your country, candidates can take these exams at ABRSM Jazz Visits, organised by us on set dates in our main exam sessions. We provide a list of ABRSM Jazz Visits with dates, venues and Venue Codes when the booking period opens. To book exams, choose your ABRSM Jazz Visit, select ‘Private Visit’ in the online booking service and enter the Venue Code. You can then enter candidate and exam details, book and pay.

Find out more about booking at an ABRSM Jazz Visit

If Jazz exams are available in your country, Jazz exams can take place at a Private Visit, as long as there is at least one hour of Jazz examining time and the total examining time for the visit is at least three hours.

Once the booking period has closed and timetables are confirmed, it may be possible to make late bookings for instrumental and singing exams if space is available. However, slots are likely to be limited and we cannot guarantee that you will be able to book an exam once the booking period has closed. We are unable to accept late bookings for Music Theory exams. Find out more.

For graded music exams, ARSM, Prep Test and Performance Assessment booked online you can pay by Visa debit or credit card, Electron or Maestro debit card, Mastercard, or PayPal. Please ensure you have the relevant payment card ready before you log in to book your exams. Your booking will not be confirmed until your payment has been processed, unless otherwise agreed with us in advance.

If you know in advance that a candidate can't make their instrumental or singing exam, you can log in to look for an alternative and change their slot. You can do this up to three days before the exam date. If you can’t find a suitable alternative or need to cancel the exam then our Withdrawals, Non-attendance and Fee Refund Policy applies.

We cannot offer alternative dates for paper-based Music Theory exams (Grades 6 to 8). Please see our Withdrawals, Non-attendance and Fee Refund Policy.

For digital instrumental and singing exams, face-to-face instrumental and singing exams at Public Venues, and all paper-based Music Theory exams, if you cancel an exam during the booking period or within 14 days of the date when the exam booking was made, we will automatically refund the fee.

For instrumental and singing exams at Private Visits, if you can cancel an exam more than 28 days before the visit start date we will automatically refund the fee. All other cancellations are be subject to our Withdrawals, Non-attendance and Fee Refund Policy.

To cancel an exam, log in and click ‘Booking details’ to view the relevant booking. You will see a list of candidates/exams with a bin icon at the end of each line. Click on the relevant bin icon to cancel a candidate’s exam.

Recordings will help us to help you if you have queries about an exam. Recordings also help us with quality assurance processes and examiner training.

Not at all. The recording happens automatically in the background on the examiner’s iPad, and candidates will not be aware of this.

No, this is now part of our exam regulations for all our practical music performance exams and is standard practise for many other awarding organisations.

Only authorised ABRSM staff will be able to access the recordings. The recordings will be stored for three months after the exam date and then deleted.

We are not making video recordings. All iPads used by our examiners are supplied by ABRSM with the camera function disabled.

We continue to keep a record of exams taken between 1994 and the introduction of our new online service. However, you no longer have access to this information via your online account. If you need information about these exams, please contact us. We can provide information relating to individual candidates through our confirmation of marks service.