Guidance

GCSE subject-level conditions and requirements for music (2022)

Published 11 November 2021

This guidance was withdrawn on 9 July 2024

These documents are no longer in use, as they applied only to assessments delivered in 2022.

Applies to England

Introduction

About this document

This document is part of a suite of documents which sets out the regulatory requirements for awarding organisations offering GCSE qualifications (graded from 9 to 1) in 2022.

We have developed these requirements with the intention that GCSE qualifications (graded from 9 to 1) should fulfil the following purposes:

• to provide evidence of students’ achievements against demanding and fulfilling content;
• to provide a strong foundation for further academic and vocational study and for employment; and
• to provide (if required) a basis for schools and colleges to be held accountable for the performance of all of their students.

Requirements set out in this document

This document sets out the GCSE Subject Level Conditions for Music (2022). These conditions will come into effect at 09:30 on 12 November 2021 for all GCSE qualifications (graded from 9 to 1) in Music for Learners completing the qualification in 2022, except where the General Qualifications Alternative Awarding Framework applies.

It also sets out our requirements in relation to:

• interpretation of the content document - an awarding organisation must comply with these requirements under Condition GCSE(Music)1.1(c);
• assessment objectives - awarding organisations must comply with these requirements under Condition GCSE(Music)1.2; and
• assessment - awarding organisations must comply with these requirements under Condition GCSE (Music) 2.3.

With respect to all GCSE Qualifications (graded from 9 to 1) in Music in 2022, awarding organisations must also comply with:

• our General Conditions of Recognition, which apply to all awarding organisations and qualifications;
• our GCSE Qualification Level Conditions; and
• all relevant Regulatory Documents.

With respect to GCSE qualifications in Music taken by Learners completing the qualification in 2023 and after, an awarding organisation must continue to comply with the GCSE Subject Level Conditions and Requirements for Music.

Subject Level Conditions

GCSE Subject Level Conditions for Music

Condition GCSE(Music) 1: Compliance with content requirements

GCSE(Music)1.1

In respect of each GCSE Qualification in Music which it makes available, or proposes to make available, an awarding organisation must -

• comply with the requirements relating to that qualification set out in the document published by the Secretary of State entitled ‘Music GCSE subject content’, document reference DFE-00703-2014,
• have regard to any recommendations or guidelines relating to that qualification set out in that document, and
• interpret that document in accordance with any requirements, and having regard to any guidance, which may be published by Ofqual and revised from time to time.

GCSE(Music)1.2

In respect of each GCSE Qualification in Music which it makes available, or proposes to make available, an awarding organisation must comply with any requirements, and have regard to any guidance, relating to the objectives to be met by any assessment for that qualification which may be published by Ofqual and revised from time to time.

Condition GCSE(Music) 2: Assessment

GCSE(Music)2.1

Condition GCSE4.1 does not apply to any GCSE Qualification in Music which an awarding organisation makes available or proposes to make available.

GCSE(Music)2.2

In respect of the total marks available for a GCSE Qualification in Music which it makes available, an awarding organisation must ensure that -

1. (a) 40 per cent of those marks are made available through Assessments by Examination, and
2. (b) 60 per cent of those marks are made available through assessments that are not Assessments by Examination.

GCSE(Music)2.3

An awarding organisation must ensure that in respect of each assessment for a GCSE Qualification in Music which it makes available which is not an Assessment by Examination it complies with any requirements, and has regard to any guidance, which may be published by Ofqual and revised from time to time.

Subject content requirements

Requirements in relation to subject content for GCSE Qualifications in Music

The subject content for GCSE Qualifications (graded 9 to 1) in Music is set out in the Department for Education’s Music GCSE subject content, document reference DFE- 00032-2016 (the ‘Content Document’).

Condition GCSE (Music)1.1(c) requires awarding organisations to interpret the Content Document in line with any requirements, and having regard to any guidance, published by Ofqual.

We set out our requirements for the purposes of Condition GCSE(Music)1.1(c) below.

Composition

An awarding organisation must interpret paragraph 8 of the Content Document as if a Learner may compose either freely as he or she chooses or in response to a brief or commission supplied by others.

Assessment objectives

Assessment objectives - GCSE Qualifications in Music

Condition GCSE (Music)1.2 allows us to specify requirements relating to the objectives to be met by any assessment for all GCSE Qualifications in Music.

The assessment objectives set out below constitute requirements for the purposes of Condition GCSE (Music)1.2. Awarding organisations must comply with these requirements in relation to all GCSE Qualifications in Music they make available or propose to make available.

	Objective	Weighting
AO1	Perform with technical control, expression and interpretation	30%
AO2	Compose and develop musical ideas with technical control and coherence	30%
AO3	Demonstrate and apply musical knowledge	20%
AO4	Use appraising skills to make evaluative and critical judgements about music	20%

Assessment requirements

Requirements in relation to assessments for GCSE Qualifications in Music

Condition GCSE (Music) 2.3 allows us to specify requirements and guidance in relation to assessments which are not Assessments by Examination for GCSE Qualifications in Music.

We set out our requirements for the purposes of Condition GCSE(Music)2.3 below.

Forms of non-examination assessment

Condition GCSE(Music)2.2(b) states that an awarding organisation must ensure that of the total marks available for a GCSE Qualification in Music, 60 per cent of those marks shall be made available through assessments which are not Assessments by Examination.

In respect of that 60 per cent, an awarding organisation must ensure that -

1. (a) 30 per cent of the total marks available for the qualification are made available through tasks which assess a Learner’s knowledge, skills and understanding in relation to performance (the ‘Performance Assessment’), and
2. (b) 30 per cent of the total marks available for the qualification are made available through tasks which assess a Learner’s knowledge, skills and understanding in relation to composition (the ‘Composition Assessment’).

The Performance Assessment

An awarding organisation must ensure that each Performance Assessment is designed and set to -

1. (a) require each Learner to perform one or more pieces of music, with a combined duration of at least -
   1. (i) one minute and 30 seconds if all pieces are performed solo, or
   2. (ii) two minutes where including performance as part of an ensemble,
2. (b) require each Learner to select, following discussion with the Centre which will deliver the assessment, the pieces of music that the Learner will perform during the assessment,
3. (c) be taken by each Learner in the academic year in which that Learner expects to be awarded the qualification,
4. (d) be taken under conditions specified by the awarding organisation, including, in particular, conditions which ensure that the evidence generated by each Learner can be Authenticated, and
5. (e) assess assessment objective AO1 in its entirety.

An awarding organisation must ensure that, in respect of each piece of music performed by a Learner in the Performance Assessment, the Centre which delivered that assessment provides the awarding organisation with -

1. (a) a complete and unedited recording of the Learner’s live performance, and
2. (b) where available, the score or lead sheet for that performance.^{[footnote 1]}

In paragraph 7 of the document published by the Secretary of State entitled ‘Music GCSE subject content’, document reference DFE-00703-2014, it is stated that Learners must make use of musical elements, techniques and resources to interpret and communicate musical ideas with technical control and expression through one or more of the following means -

1. (a) playing music,
2. (b) singing music,
3. (c) improvising, or
4. (d) realising music using music technology.

In its assessment strategy, an awarding organisation must demonstrate to Ofqual’s satisfaction that, with respect to each Performance Assessment, it has taken all reasonable steps to ensure that the Level of Demand is consistent no matter which of those means is chosen by a Learner.

The Composition Assessment

An awarding organisation must ensure that each Composition Assessment is designed and set to -

1. (a) require each Learner to compose one or more separate pieces of music with a combined duration of at least two minutes, which may be -
   1. (i) in response to a brief set by the awarding organisation, and/or
   2. (ii) composed freely as the Learner chooses,
2. (b) be taken under conditions specified by the awarding organisation, including, in particular, conditions which ensure that the evidence generated by each Learner can be Authenticated,
3. (c) minimise the predictability of such assessments,
4. (d) facilitate the comparability of such assessments, and
5. (e) assess assessment objective AO2 in its entirety.

An awarding organisation must not communicate the brief(s) that it has set for each Composition Assessment to Centres before 1 September in the academic year in which the assessment is to be taken.

An awarding organisation must ensure that each brief it sets for a Composition Assessment specifies the occasion or audience with reference to which the piece is to be composed.

An awarding organisation must ensure that, in respect of each piece of music composed by a Learner for the Composition Assessment, the Centre which delivered that assessment provides the awarding organisation with -

1. (a) a complete recording of the piece, and
2. (b) a score, lead sheet or written account of the composition, which has been produced by the Learner.

The Learner does not have to perform the piece of music which he or she has composed.

Marking of assessments

Evidence generated by a Learner in an assessment for a GCSE Qualification in Music which is not an Assessment by Examination may be marked -

1. (a) by the awarding organisation or a person connected to the awarding organisation,
2. (b) by a Centre, or
3. (c) through a combination of (a) and (b).

In any event, the awarding organisation must demonstrate to Ofqual’s satisfaction in its assessment strategy that -

1. (a) it has taken all reasonable steps to identify the risk of any Adverse Effect which may result from its approach to marking the assessments (and to moderation where appropriate), and
2. (b) where such a risk is identified, it has taken all reasonable steps to prevent that Adverse Effect or, where it cannot be prevented, to mitigate that Adverse Effect.

1. Where, in circumstances in which a written score is not available, an awarding organisation allows the piece of music to be performed by the Learner, it must require an alternative to a written score to be submitted. Where an awarding organisation allows the performance, the alternative materials must be sufficient to allow assessors to make valid judgements against the marking criteria for the task. ↩