Grade 5 Theory Guidance
Here is some guidance for students who are going to take their ABRSM grade 5 Theory Exam.
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WHEN WILL I TAKE THE GRADE 5 THEORY EXAM?
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You have to pass grade 5 theory before you can progress onto piano grades 6, 7 and 8. You can take piano grades 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 without having taken any theory grades but, if you want to proceed onto grade 6 piano, you will need to take grade 5 theory first. I recommend my students take grade 1 piano and then start working on music theory. We will do this by completing the ‘Discovering Music Theory’ workbooks alongside working towards grades 2 – 5 piano.
HOW WILL I PREPARE FOR THE THEORY EXAM?
The starting point is to complete each of the grades 1 to 5 workbooks.
The workbooks are available from lots of places but here are the Amazon links:
I have created so many videos to fit with topics in the workbooks which you can find on my website by clicking here. Alternatively, you can visit my YouTube channel by clicking here.
As you come to the end of the workbook, you should complete the free online practice test for that particular grade which are available by clicking here.
You should also complete each of the sample papers (hand written not computer based) which are available towards the bottom of the same page as the free online practice tests (link above).
Finally, you should complete all of the grade 5 papers which are available to purchase by clicking here.
I would suggest that when you are achieving at least 60/75 (Merit) on all the practice papers and free online tests, then you are ready to take your real exam!
HOW WILL I BE ENTERED FOR THE 'REAL' EXAM?
I will enter my students in the same way as I do for piano exams. The current cost of entry (2026) for grade 5 theory is £60. You will take your grade 5 theory exam at home so there are a few more preparations you need to make
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE EXAM
.Once I have entered you for your exam, you will receive an email asking you to create your own account on the ABRSM portal. The most important thing here is that you use the contact ID which is on the email. Once you have set up your account, the booking details of your exam entry will show, confirming you are entered for the exam. You need to wait 3 hours before a button will appear next to the exam entry information which says ‘Start Music Theory Exam’. You have a month from exam entry in which to take your exam.
WHAT PREPARATIONS DO I NEED TO MAKE?
Here is some guidance on what you need to do prior to starting the grade 5 theory exam.
The first thing you should do is watch the videos on the ABRSM website which give you an overview of what happens when you take the exam. You can view the relevant page by clicking here.
The main thing to note is that you cannot take the exam using a phone or tablet. You need a laptop or desktop computer. Your computer needs to have one of the following:
Windows 11
macOS Sequoia
macOS Sonoma
It will also need a working webcam and a working microphone.
You need to run a system check to make sure the software needed to take the exam runs ok on your system by clicking here.
You will need photo ID to show to the camera during the initial set up. A passport is perfect for this.
You can only have a piece of plain paper and a piece of manuscript paper for the exam and no other resources.
Whenever you decide to start your exam, you will press the ‘Start the Theory Exam’ button on the dashboard of your account (see previous section). Before you start answering any questions, you will need to do the following (which a responsible adult can help you with) which will take up to 10 minutes:
– Download the software needed to run the exam. Select the software needed (PSI) and then click the ‘downloads’ arrow on the top right of your screen. You’ll be guided through installing the PSI Bridge software including accepting license terms. When a screen which says ‘The installation was successful’ appears, DON’T CLOSE IT! Wait for a few seconds and the software will open automatically.
You will then choose a language for your exam, do system checks (check your microphone is working – speak when asked to), show photo ID (a passport is perfect) and do room scans (to check you do not having anything which can help you to answer questions on the exam). You need to agree to being recorded.
At the start of the exam, you will need to show your paper and manuscript paper to prove it does not have anything written on it that could help you in your exam. There is a timer on your exam to help you to keep track of the time.
You are allowed one toilet break and you can just say “I am taking a toilet break”.
When you’ve finished the exam, you need to click ‘End Test’. Just before you click it, rip up your paper and manuscript paper in front of the camera. Once you have clicked ‘End Test’ you then need to click ‘End Session’.
If you experience any technical difficulties during the exam, DO NOT CLICK ‘End Test’ or ‘End Session’. Just close the browser window. Head back to your account dashboard and click on the ‘Start Theory Exam’ button and it will take you back to the question you were up to. You can also access technical support during your exam by clicking the ‘Live Chat’ button in the top right corner.
I hope this grade 5 theory guidance has been useful for you!