Your flute grade 5 ABRSM exam will be marked out of 150 and you will need a total of 100 marks to Pass, 120 marks for a Merit and 130 marks for a Distinction. The exam comprises of four main areas:
Pieces
In your exam you are required to play three pieces (worth up to 30 marks each), one from each of the three lists, A, B and C below:
LIST A
- Handel Allegro: 2nd movt from Sonata in F, HWV 369, Op. 1 No. 11 Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 5 (ABRSM)
- D. Purcell Largo and Vivace: 1st and 2nd movts from Sonata No. 2 in D minor Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 5 (ABRSM)
- Quantz Presto: 3rd movt from Sonata in G, Op. 1 No. 6 Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 5 (ABRSM)
- C. P. E. Bach Vivace: 3rd movt from Sonata in Bb, Wq. 125. No. 1 from C. P. E. Bach 6 Sonatas for Flute (Zimmermann ZM18000)
- Blavet Allemanda (Allegro): 2nd movt from Sonata in G minor, Op. 2 No. 4 (‘La Lumague’). Blavet 6 Sonatas, Op. 2, Vol. 2 (Schott FTR 165) or No. 7 from Flötenmusik, Vol. 1 (Henle HN 368)
- Hasse Largo and Allegro: 2nd and 3rd movts from Sonata in G, Op. 2 No. 4. Hasse 6 Sonatas for Flute, Vol. 2 (Universal UE 30438)
- Stanley Menuet: 3rd movt from Solo in A minor, Op. 4 No. 1. Stanley 6 Solos for a German Flute, Op. 4 (Chester CH55040)
- Telemann Allegro: 4th movt from Sonata in G minor, TWV 41:g3 (Dowani) or Telemann Methodical Sonatas, Vol. 1 (Bärenreiter BA 2241)
- Telemann Les Plaisirs: 2nd movt from Suite in A minor, TWV 55:a2, arr. Salter (Peters EP 7787)
LIST B
- Delibes Morceau (Concours de flûte, 1876) Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 5 (ABRSM)
- Christopher Norton Nobody Knows: No. 1 from The Christopher Norton Concert Collection for Flute Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 5 (ABRSM)
- Blaž Pucihar The Playful Pony: from Luna’s Magic Flute Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 5 (ABRSM)
- M. Arnold Sarabande (from Solitaire), arr. Poulton (Novello NOV954239)
- Arrieu Allegro moderato: 1st movt from Sonatine (Amphion)
- Stephen Dodgson Circus-Pony. New Pieces for Flute, Book 2 (ABRSM)
- Cecilia McDowall Hornpipe: from Six Pastiches (Pan Educational Music PEM40)
- Gérard Meunier Au crepuscule (Lemoine)
- Peterson-Berger Song of Summer or Congratulations. No. 1 or No. 3 from Peterson-Berger Frösöblomster (Flowers from Frösö), arr. Marcusson (Just Flutes)
LIST C
- O. Fischer Study in G Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 5 (ABRSM)
- E. Köhler Exercise in G: No. 12 from Schule für Flöte, Part 2 Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 5 (ABRSM)
- Mike Mower Mango Tango: from The Modern Flute Player Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 5 (ABRSM)
- Alan Bullard Thoughtful Flute or Baroque Flute: No. 29 or No. 30 from Fifty for Flute, Book 1 (ABRSM)
- Gariboldi Study in Eb. No. 45 from 76 Graded Studies for Flute, Book 1 (Faber)
- Járdányi Allegro. No. 54 from Flötenetüden, Vol. 1 (Breitkopf & Härtel EB 8354)
- Allen Vizzutti Flamenco: from Dynamic Dances for Flute (De Haske Hal Leonard)
Scales & Arpeggios
As part of your exam you are also required to play scales & arpeggios from memory (worth up to 21 marks) - please see the ABRSM Flute Grades 1-8 Scale Book
Sight-Reading Test
You will also be required to sight-read some music that you have not seen before (worth up to 21 marks) - to prepare for this part of your exam please see the ABRSM Flute Grades 1-5 Sight-Reading Book which has a selection of specimen sight-reading pieces.
Aural Tests
In another part of your exam you will be required to complete a set of aural tests challenging your musicianship (worth up to 18 marks). To help prepare for this please see the ABRSM Aural Training in Practice Grades 4-5 Book (a guide with tests) and/or ABRSM Specimen Sight-Reading Tests Grades 4-5 Book (specimen tests).
*Information correct at time of publishing 14.03.16