For exam boards such as the Royal Irish Academy of Music certain students will require the employ of a pianist/accompanist to support the student through the exam pieces.

Don't worry, this will be raised by your teacher and is dependant on the student's grade and instrument.

For in house exams (RIAM) we exclusively recommend the Rodney Baldwin, in our eyes the best accompanist in Dublin.

We'll make all the arrangements! The School of Music organises your rehearsal session with Rodney (the accompanist). The office will contact you by phone to find a suitable time for the exam rehearsal.

In the rehearsal, we will work with Rodney to ensure the student is prepared musically, mentally and practically for the coming exam.

On exam day we provide a familiar and supportive environment for our students. Students feel more at ease and less stressed taking exams in the Music School they've grown accustomed to. They preform better and leave happier.

We aim to enstill a positive association with the whole exam experience. This keeps students engaged and driven in their practice.

To stay competitive during the pandemic exam boards adopted online music examinations. These online submissions remain a popular option and require a video in place of a traditional music exam.

This new format for music exams is somewhat controversial amoungst the teaching community but is likely to stick around for the foreseeable future due to their popularity and cost.

For most students the School of Music heavily recommends in person, traditional exams. In traditional exams the students gain self confidence through perseverance, they learn to perform in person. They avoid the stressful and repetitive video recordings.

In our experience the incentive for students to progress in an instrument is somewhat diminished without the ceremony of in person exams.

Please feel free to contact the office if you are unsure how to proceed. We're always here to help.

The Royal Irish Academy stress the importance of supplying the original music to your exam… the penalty being disqualification, a very serious and potentially upsetting outcome.

They request you “Bring a copy of pieces for examiners for all instruments, including singing and music theatre. For piano, this applies only to pieces not in the piano albums for Grades VI–VIII and the Senior Certificate grade.”

Notibly, In their rules they may ask you to produce a receipt for the sheet music purchased online. So be prepared.

The office is your friend here, we often have to arrange last minute solutions for this stipulation so please call us for clarification as early as possible.

All students are different and for a myriad of reasons not all students benefit from the exam system.

We try to offer a tailored service that suits every customer's educational goals.

We 100% support the studying of music for fun or personal development reasons… this requires flexibility and preparation from our talented music teachers & they always deliver.

RIAM has an online portal for exam applications.

The first step in booking an exam is registering an account with RIAM. An email, phone number & a new password are required for sign up.

Once the form is submitted you will receive an email with a link to verify your email address. Click on the link and sign in with your email address and your new password.

You will be presented with a page asking for a code to verify your phone number. Check your SMS messages for the code sent by RIAM and enter it on site.

The RIAM site will now prompt you to “Complete Your Profile”

1) Select Individual

2) Select Parent or Mature Student

3) Select No, not an examiner

4) Fill in address info

5) Click complete profile

You are now ready to begin your application.

For in person exams Trinity have a less straightforward application process in Ireland.

Trinity exams in Ireland (including their Digital Grades and Diplomas) are not entered online. Instead they are booked by posting a physical application form to your local Trinity representative.

1) Here is a map with contact info for local reps for Trinity. Find your nearest rep’s address.

2) Here are the various booking forms. This is the specific Form for Grades, download it and fill out the required fields.

3) Send the completed form, along with the fee (cheque), to the local representative at your nearest centre before the closing date.

Here’s a link to Trinity’s Digital/Online application information in case you’d prefer to go that route.

Winter 2025

Application Windows:

Live & Theory Exams
3 September - 6 October 

Recorded Exams
3 September  - 29 October 

Recorded Exam Upload Windows:
5 November (9 am) -
11 November (12 noon) 

19 November (9 am) – 
25 November (12 noon)

Live Exam Sessions:
5 November – 3 December 

Theory Exam Sessions:

Preparatory – Grade V
10 November (12 noon) – 
13 November (10 pm)

Grades VI–VIII & Senior Cert (Music)
8 November (12 – 6 pm) 

Senior Cert (Drama & Comm, online)
8 November (12 – 6 pm) 

Spring 2026

Application Windows:
Live Exams
5 - 21 January 

Recorded Exams
5 January - 11 February 

Recorded Exam Upload Windows:
23 February (9 am) –
27 February (12 noon)

9 March (9 am) – 
15 March (12 noon)

Live Exam Sessions:
23 February – 16 March

No Theory Exam Sessions