Trinity College London (TCL) is an

examination board An examination board (or exam board) is small board organization that sets examinations, is responsible for marking them, and distributes results. Some are run by governmental entities; some are run as not-for-profit organizations. List of nati ...

based in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, which offers graded and diploma qualifications (up to postgraduate level) across a range of disciplines in the

performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perform ...

and

English language learning and teaching English-Language Learner (often abbreviated as ELL) is a term used in some English-speaking countries such as the US and Canada to describe a person who is learning the English language and has a native language that is not English. Some education ...

in over 70 countries worldwide. Trinity College London was founded as the external examinations board of Trinity College of Music (which today is part of the

Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance is a music and dance conservatoire based in London, England. It was formed in 2005 as a merger of two older institutions – Trinity College of Music and Laban Dance Centre. The conservatoire has ...

) in 1872, and began offering exams in

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...

to external students in 1877. Over time, Trinity expanded to offer exams in other areas of the performing arts and in

English for Speakers of Other Languages English as a second or foreign language is the use of English by speakers with different native languages. Language education for people learning English may be known as English as a second language (ESL), English as a foreign language (EFL ...

(ESOL). With over 850,000 candidates in more than 60 countries worldwide, Trinity qualifications are specifically designed to help learners realise their potential.

History

Performing arts examinations

In 2004, Trinity College London's performing arts examinations division merged with the external examinations department of the

Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a conservatoire and drama school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz ...

to form the ''Trinity Guildhall'' examinations board. The name Trinity Guildhall was dropped in 2012, and the board's performing arts examinations are now offered under the Trinity College London brand.

Music

Trinity College London offers graded musical qualifications for

musical theory Music theory is the study of the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory". The first is the " rudiments", that are needed to understand music notation (k ...

and for performance in a range of

string instruments String instruments, stringed instruments, or chordophones are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when a performer plays or sounds the strings in some manner. Musicians play some string instruments by plucking the Str ...

singing Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

electronic keyboards An electronic keyboard, portable keyboard, or digital keyboard is an electronic musical instrument, an electronic derivative of keyboard instruments. Electronic keyboards include synthesizers, digital pianos, stage pianos, electronic organs ...

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other with ...

woodwind Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and reed ...

instruments and

percussions A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Excl ...

. The grading begins with the Initial Grade then are numbered from Grade 1 to Grade 8 in increasing difficulty. Candidates are rated under three categories – the performance of musical pieces, technical work such as

scales Scale or scales may refer to: Mathematics * Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points * Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original * Scale factor, a number w ...

, and supporting tests such as

sight reading In music, sight-reading, also called ''a prima vista'' (Italian meaning "at first sight"), is the practice of reading and performing of a piece in a music notation that the performer has not seen or learned before. Sight-singing is used to descri ...

and

improvisation Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...

.Exam Structure
Trinity College London Candidates are graded on a scale from 1 to 100, with 60 being the pass mark. Candidates have some flexibility in the choices of pieces and tests prepared for each of these sections. In addition to graded examinations, TCL also offers foundation, intermediate and advanced certificates in music. TCL also offers diplomas in music at three levels - Associate (ATCL, which is equivalent to the standard of work required for a UK

Certificate of Higher Education A Certificate of Higher Education (Cert.H.E./CertHE) is a higher education qualification in the United Kingdom. Overview The Certificate is awarded after one year of full-time study (or equivalent) at a university or other higher education institu ...

) and AmusTCL, Licentiate (LTCL, which is equivalent to the standard of work required for a UK

Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

) and Fellowship (FTCL, which is equivalent to the standard of work required for a UK

Master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

). In 2012, the exam board introduced Rock & Pop graded examinations for bass,

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

and vocals.

Drama and performance

Trinity College London offers a choice of qualifications for students and teachers of drama and speech subjects with various levels of experience and ability. Exams can be taken by individuals, pairs or groups. Study strands include: Speech and Drama, Individual Acting Skills, Group Performance, Shakespeare, Choral Speaking, Communication Skills,

Musical Theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

and Performance Arts. As is the case with music, diplomas in drama, performance and communication subjects are also offered at three levels, and TCL is the awarding body for the series of professional performing arts courses that are funded in part by the

Dance and Drama Awards The Dance and Drama Awards are a scholarship scheme which subsidises professional vocational training at some of the leading performing arts schools in the United Kingdom. Established in 1998, the awards are funded and regulated by the British G ...

scheme. In 2012, the exam board introduced Rock & Pop graded examinations for bass,

and vocals. Candidates perform their ‘set list’ from eight songs in their published Songbook for each grade, as well as improvisation and playback session skills – needed to be successful in the industry. In 2020 Trinity introduced Digital Grades and Diplomas – an online submission-based version of the well-established face-to-face qualifications. In response to changes in the way people learn and consume music, these exams were designed to support teaching, learning and assessment through a digital medium. They are fully regulated qualifications – with each level corresponding with its equivalent face-to-face option – offering learners a greater choice and flexibility.

Arts Award

Within the

, Trinity College London manages Arts Award in association with

Arts Council England Arts Council England is an arm's length non-departmental public body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is also a registered charity. It was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three s ...

English Language examinations

Trinity’s English language qualifications focus on giving learners lifelong transferable skills that they will need for future study and work. English language qualifications include English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and Secure English Language Tests (SELTs).

ESOL qualifications

Trinity’s English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) qualifications cover all levels, from beginner to advanced. Trinity offers two skills oral assessments and four skills reading, writing, speaking and listening assessments as well as young learner awards.

TESOL qualifications

Trinity’s English language teaching qualifications (Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) are designed to support teachers throughout their careers — from early practitioner to experienced professional.

SELT

Trinity offer
Secure English Language Tests (SELTs)
which are approved for applications to UKVI for visas, UK visa renewal,

British Citizenship British nationality law prescribes the conditions under which a person is recognised as being a national of the United Kingdom. The six different classes of British nationality each have varying degrees of civil and political rights, due to the ...

, Settlement and

Leave to Remain Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) or permanent residency (PR) is an immigration status granted to a person who does not hold the right of abode in the United Kingdom (UK), but who has been admitted to the UK without any time limit on their stay a ...

. Trinity has 20 centrally located SELT centres in the UK providing exam sessions seven days a week. Book an SELT exa
here

References

External links

Trinity College London
{{Authority control Qualification awarding bodies in the United Kingdom Performing arts in London 1872 establishments in England Organizations established in 1872