Trinity College London
Rock & Pop
Play real hits on bass, drums, guitar, keyboards, or vocals - three songs plus session skills, Initial to Grade 8.
Overview
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.
Instruments
What you can be examined in
- Bass
- Drums
- Guitar
- Keyboards
- Vocals
Levels
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.
Exam structure
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 | |
Results
Marks and result bands
Recognition
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 |
Your path
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.
FAQ
Common questions
Learn with Artium
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.
Trinity College London
More Trinity certifications
Ready to get certified?
Artium teachers pick the right board and grade, prepare you in every lesson, and handle the exam enrolment - book a free trial.