Rock & Pop
Play real hits on bass, drums, guitar, keyboards, or vocals - three songs plus session skills, Initial to Grade 8.
About Rock & Pop
Trinity Rock & Pop is built around the music students actually listen to. Every grade book is a set of hit songs across rock, pop, funk, soul, metal, and more; the exam is three of those songs plus a short session-skills test that mirrors what a working musician does in a studio.
The syllabus covers five instruments - Bass, Drums, Guitar, Keyboards, and Vocals - from Initial to Grade 8, with Rock & Pop diplomas beyond that. Exams can be taken face-to-face or as a recorded digital exam; both earn the same certificate and, at Grades 6–8, the same UCAS points.
- Levels
- Initial, then Grades 1–8, then Rock & Pop diplomas
- Songs
- Three per exam, including one Technical Focus song
- Session skills
- Playback or Improvising (your choice)
- Total marks
- 100
- Pass mark
- 60
- Formats
- Face-to-face, or digital (recorded video). Electronic drum kits accepted for digital drums exams.
What you can be examined in
- Bass
- Drums
- Guitar
- Keyboards
- Vocals
The grade ladder
Each rung, what it expects, and where it sits on the qualification framework.
Initial
RQF Entry Level 3Simple riffs, grooves, or melodies with a backing track. A first taste of performing a full song start to finish.
Grade 1
RQF Level 1Steady time with the band track, basic chord shapes, beats, or vocal phrasing across three songs.
Grade 2
RQF Level 1More varied rhythms and techniques; the Technical Focus song introduces a specific skill to master.
Grade 3
RQF Level 1Confident performance of full arrangements; session skills grow to longer phrases and chord charts.
Grade 4
RQF Level 2Intermediate playing: fills, solos, dynamics, and stylistic feel across several genres.
Grade 5
RQF Level 2A full band musician - reading charts, improvising over changes, and delivering style-accurate performances.
Grade 6
RQF Level 3Advanced technique and interpretation. First grade to carry UCAS points.
Grade 7
RQF Level 3Professional-level control, tone, and expression across demanding songs.
Grade 8
RQF Level 3Top of the ladder: complete command of the instrument in any contemporary style, leading to Rock & Pop diplomas.
What is in the exam
Choose the format that suits you - the certificate is the same.
Face-to-face exam
| Component | Marks | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Song 1 | 25 | A song from the Rock & Pop book for the grade. Marked on fluency & accuracy (8), technical control (8), and communication & style (9). |
| Song 2 | 25 | A song from the book, an own-choice song, or your own composition. |
| Song 3 - Technical Focus | 30 | A song from the book marked “TF”, chosen to showcase a specific technique. Fluency & accuracy (8), technical control (12), communication & style (10). |
| Session skills | 20 | Either Playback - repeating short phrases heard over a backing track, with a chart if you want one - or Improvising over a chord progression from an unseen chart. |
| Total | 100 | |
Digital exam
Record your three songs at a time and place of your choice and upload the video.
| Component | Marks | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Songs 1, 2 and 3 | 80 | The same three songs and criteria as the face-to-face exam. |
| Session-skills knowledge | 20 | Not tested separately: examiners assess how well the skills behind Playback and Improvising - listening, feel, reading - show through the whole performance. |
| Total | 100 | |
Marks and result bands
UCAS points at Grades 6–8
| Grade | Pass | Merit | Distinction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 |
| Grade 7 | 12 | 14 | 16 |
| Grade 8 | 24 | 27 | 30 |
How to progress
From first lesson to the top grade - the steps most Artium students follow.
Pick your instrument and grade book
Each grade has its own book of songs with backing tracks. Artium’s Rock & Pop guitar, piano, keyboard, and Western vocal courses follow these books.
Learn three songs, one with a Technical Focus
Songs marked TF are built around a technique - a picking pattern, a groove, a vocal run. Master that technique and the 30 marks follow.
Choose Playback or Improvising
Playback suits students with a strong ear; Improvising suits those who like to create. You choose at booking, and can switch between grades.
Perform with the backing track
Rehearse to the official tracks - timing with the band is a core criterion at every grade.
Record digitally or book a centre
Digital exams remove travel and nerves; face-to-face gives the live-performance experience. Same certificate either way.
Beyond Grade 8
Rock & Pop diplomas continue the pathway with longer recital programmes.
Common questions
Can I sing and play at the same time?
Yes - self-accompanied performance is allowed, and own compositions can be used for Song 2.
Do I need to read music?
Not at the lower grades. Charts are provided in the Playback test but you may work by ear; from the middle grades reading a chord chart becomes a useful skill.
Are the results the same as Classical & Jazz?
Yes: Pass 60–74, Merit 75–86, Distinction 87–100, and the same UCAS points at Grades 6–8.
Courses that prepare you
Live, 1-on-1 classes following this syllabus.
Figures on this page are from the official Trinity syllabus ↗. Boards update syllabuses periodically - check the official page before booking an exam.