1. Eduqas GCSE Music
First teaching: 2016
First assessment : 2018

2. Specification Overview
Component 1: Performing (30% of qualification)
Internally assessed, externally moderated
Minimum of 4 minutes for all performances (maximum 6 minutes)
A minimum of two pieces, one of which must be an ensemble of one minute duration
The second and subsequent pieces may be either solo or ensemble or a mixture of both
One piece must demonstrate a link to an area of study
Technology options available
Component 2: Composing (30% of qualification)
Internally assessed, externally moderated
A minimum of 3 minutes for both composition (maximum 6 minutes)
Two compositions, one of which must be a response to a brief set by WJEC (released each year on September 1st of year 11)
The second piece is a free composition for which learners set their own brief

3. Specification Overview
Component 3: Appraising (40% of qualification)
Externally assessed listening and appraising examination
One hour 15 minutes duration approximately
Based on the four areas of study
Musical Forms and Devices
Music for Ensemble
Film Music
Popular Music
Includes two prepared extracts set by WJEC
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Movement 3, Mozart
Since You’ve been Gone, Rainbow

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

5. Assessment Objectives
AO1
AO2
AO3
AO4
Total
Component 1: Performing
30%
Component 2: Composing
Component 3:: Appraising
20%
40%
Overall weighting
100%

6. Subject Content Musical Elements
Musical elements, contexts and language
Musical Elements
Through the four areas of study, learners will gain knowledge and understanding of musical elements
The list at the back of the specification is an exhaustive list of features which learners should recognise and understand and use in relation to musical elements
All musical elements can be taught through the four areas of study
Understanding and use of musical elements will be assessed in all three components

7. Subject Content Musical Context
Through the four areas of study, learners will gain knowledge and understanding of musical contexts including:
the purpose and intention of composers, performers and those who commission music
the effect of the occasion, audience and choice of venue on the way music is composed and performed
how music is created, developed and performed in different social, historical and cultural contexts
Understanding of musical context will be assessed in all three components

8. Subject Content Musical Language
Through four areas of study, learners will gain knowledge and understanding of musical language including:
reading and writing treble and bass clef staff notation in simple time
reading treble and bass clef staff notation in compound time
roman numerals for chords I, ii, iii, IV, V and vi in a major key
contemporary chord symbols for chords within a major key e.g. C, Dm, Em, F G(7) and Am
reading and writing key signatures to four sharps and flats
musical vocabulary related to areas of study
Musical language will be explicitly assessed in Component 3, although it is hoped that learners will also develop their knowledge and understanding of musical language through Components 1 and 2.

9. Subject Content Areas of study There are four areas of study, in line
with DFE subject content requirements
The areas of study enable teachers to follow an integrated teaching and learning approach to the three assessed skill areas by providing opportunities for learners to perform, compose and appraise music within each area of study
The areas of study provide opportunities to study music from a range of genres and styles without expecting learners to develop a detailed musical chronology
Each area of study has a specific learning focus whilst the knowledge and understanding in each is transferrable to the others

10. Area of study 1: Musical Forms and Devices
Learning Focus: Structure and compositional devices
100% of teachers who responded to our survey requested
that we retain this area of study from the legacy specification
This area of study focuses on the music of the Western
Classical tradition however, the knowledge, understanding and
skills is vital for and transferrable to the other three areas of study
This area of study is the only one which does not focus on a
specific genre of music and learners may study any genre of
Western Classical music which focuses on binary, ternary,
minuet and trio, rondo, variation and strophic forms
Through studying the specified compositional devices learners will improve their composition skills
This area of study contains one prepared extract:
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Movement 3, Minuet (and trio), Mozart

11. Area of study 2: Music for Ensemble
Learning Focus: Sonority and texture
This is a new area of study which focuses on three styles of music, chamber music, musical theatre and jazz and blues
Learners learn the basic characteristics of different kinds of ensembles including vocal ensembles, jazz trios, rhythm sections, string quartets, basso continuo and sonatas
Learners need not develop a detailed chronology of each genre, but they should learn to recognise the musical combinations outlined in the specification
Through studying the specified textural devices learners will improve their composition skills

12. Area of study 3: Film Music
Learning Focus: Sonority (timbre and tone colour), texture and melody
78% of teachers surveyed requested that we retain Music for Stage and Screen from the legacy specification and this area of study incorporates part of that
As well as focusing on specific elements of music, this area of study allows learners to consider various musical contexts, specifically, how composers respond to commissions and the affect of the audience, time and place
Film music is a popular genre for learner
composers

13. Area of study 4: Popular Music
Learning Focus: Sonority, structure, harmony and tonality
This is a new area of study and focuses on rock and pop, bhangra and fusion
There is one prepared extract within this area of study:
Since You’ve Been Gone, Rainbow
This area of study reflects learner interest in various
genres of popular music
Learners need not develop a detailed chronology of
pop music but should recognise basic features of
genres including rock, soul, hip-hop, reggae,
ballad pop and bhangra

14. Component 1: Performing (AO1 30%)
Standard is broadly equivalent to grade 3 in GME
Links to areas of study can be interpreted in a number
of ways
It is important that the learner’s part is not doubled in
an ensemble
There is no benefit to playing on more than one
instrument or voice
Technology options are included but there must still be an ensemble performance with a live performer

15. Assessment of Component 1:
AO1 30% of qualification
72 marks
Each piece is marked out 36 and adjusted using the table on page 31 of the specification
If more than two pieces are performed, the total mark for all pieces must be divided by the number of pieces and multiplied by 2 to give a final mark out of 72
The pieces can be performed at any time during the final year of the course, but final recordings must always be one unedited attempt
There is no limit to the number of attempts learners may have
The teacher must be present during the recording and the candidate and teacher must sign an authentication declaration
It is good practice to mark the work live at the time of performance, but this is not compulsory and not always possible if the teacher is acting as accompanist

16. Assessment of Component 1:
AO1 30% of qualification
72 marks
Teachers should moderate their own marking within centres, this is even more important when recordings are made over several days, weeks or even months
Pages of the specification contain detailed guidance on how to assess performances with regards to the standard of difficulty of the piece
When a piece is on a graded music exam syllabus there is no need to consult pages 31-36
If a learner in your class plays an instrument not covered by the list, please contact WJEC for advice

17. Assessment of Component 1:
AO1 30% of qualification
72 marks
Each column within the assessment grid focuses on a specific aspect of performance and is marked out of 12
Learners are assessed on
accuracy of pitch and/or rhythm, tempo and response to performance directions
technical control of their instrument, equipment or voice including intonation, their ability to control and manipulate sonority (tone quality) and projection (dynamics)
expression and interpretation including interpretation of style, communication with the audience, ensemble skills and/or balance with pre-recorded tracks
Guidance on assessment is provided in Appendix A of the specification

18. Component 2: Composing (AO2 30%)
Both compositions are composed in response
to a brief, WJEC will set one brief and the
learner sets their own brief for their free
composition
Set briefs will always contain information
about the occasion and/or the audience
The composition briefs are designed to allow any number of different valid responses
There will always be a choice of four briefs, each one linked to a different area of study
It is recommended that each piece is long enough to demonstrate development of ideas

19. Assessment of Component 2
AO2 30% of qualification
72 marks
Each piece is marked out of 36 using the assessment grid on pages of the specification
The free piece may be composed at any time during the course, but the piece composed to a brief set by WJEC must be composed during the final year of the course as briefs will not be released until September 1st
All compositions must be submitted with a score and a recording, although the score does not need to be fully notated (a detailed lead sheet with a written description can be substituted for a full score)
All learners must complete a non- assessed composition log to authenticate the work. The log will require details such as:
acknowledgements
the relationship between the score and the recording
process evidence
candidate and teacher signatures

20. Assessment of Component 2
AO2 30% of qualification
72 marks
Each column within the assessment grid focuses on a specific aspect of composition and is marked out of 12
Learners are assessed on
creativity and development of musical ideas
technical control of musical elements and resources
structure and stylistic coherence
There is a table on page 40 of the specification which provides further guidance for teachers on the assessment of composition

21. Component 3: Appraising (AO3 20% and AO4 20%)
The listening and appraising exam focuses on
the four areas of study
Every year there will be eight questions out
of 12 marks each, two on each area of study
The prepared extracts will be assessed in every exam, accounting for two of the eight questions
The other six extracts will be on unprepared musical extracts
Questions will always focus on musical elements, musical contexts and musical language

22. Assessment of Component 3
AO3 20% and AO4 20% of qualification
96 marks
48 marks of the exam will focus on AO3 Demonstrate and apply musical knowledge
AO3 style questions will include multiple choice, picking out features from a piece of music and recall of knowledge
Typical command words will include name, state, identify, underline, give, pick, insert, define

23. Assessment of Component 3
AO3 20% and AO4 20% of qualification
96 marks
48 marks of the exam will focus on AO4 Use appraising skills to make evaluative and critical judgements about music
Some AO4 questions will require a longer response, however, there may still be some multiple choice questions which require critical judgement or evaluation such as question 8b on the sample assessment materials where learners must consider more than one musical feature at a time
Typical AO4 command words will include, describe, explain, compare, contrast, complete (missing pitch or rhythm), find the difference

24. Assessment of Component 3
AO3 20% and AO4 20% of qualification
96 marks
The sample assessment materials are not an exhaustive account of what can be asked in the exam, and questions could appear in a different order. For example, the dictation question could be in any of the four areas of study
The following things will remain constant:
the longer response question will always be on an unprepared extract
there will always be a dictation score based question based on an unprepared extract
there will always be a question on each of the prepared extracts
the paper will always have 24 marks on each area of study
the areas of study will always appear in order from 1-4
musical terminology tested in the exam will be taken only from the list provided in Appendix C of the specification.

25. Assessment of Component 3
AO3 20% and AO4 20% of qualification
96 marks
Things to remember about the exam:
the dictation question will require learners to write either pitch or rhythm, not both at the same time
the dictation question will require learners to write either treble clef or bass clef, not both at the same time
the dictation question will always be in simple time
learners may be asked to write chord symbols in either contemporary symbols or roman numerals, but not both in the same question and it will always be from chords I-vi in a major key only

26. Assessment of Component 3
AO3 20% and AO4 20% of qualification
96 marks
learners will be required either to read or to write key signatures up to four sharps and flats, but not both in the same question
learners will be required to read compound rhythms, but not write them
learners will not be asked for dates or names of composers outside of the prepared extracts, but they will be expected to recognise whether a piece is baroque, classical, romantic, rap, hip-hop, musical theatre etc.

27. Assessment of Component 3
Exam Technique
Location on the score must be precise (bar 4, beat 3)
State/explain/describe two features (only the first two answers will be accepted)
Describe features (learners may offer any number of features and examiners will pick out correct answers)
Give the full name of the key (B minor would be correct, but B would not be correct in this case)
Underline/tick (only one answer will be accepted. Where two or more features are underlined/ticked the answer will be marked wrong, even if one of the responses is correct).
Tick two (the first two ticks on the list will be marked)

28. Assessment of Component 3
Understanding the mark scheme
Unless otherwise stated, there is one mark for each correct response
Brackets are used to show alternative correct answers {…..}
Brackets are also used to show non-essential information (……)
/ is used to show an additional correct response
Indicative content is designed to be exhaustive, however, examiners are instructed to use their professional judgement when marking something not included on the mark scheme
The longer response question will have an assessment grid describing levels of achievement. In this case one mark per comment does not apply.

29. Resources for Teachers
Supporting teaching and learning
We are planning a number of resources to support
teaching and learning. These include:
Class arrangements of the prepared extracts plus two other pieces
Practice questions
Interactive quizzes focusing on elements of music and areas of study
A book on the Areas of Study
Teacher’s guide
Term plans
Facebook
Subject network groups

30. Resources for Teachers
Supporting teaching and learning
eduqas.co.uk/qualifications/music/
Free subject specific resources available for all to download from our website
resources.eduqas.co.uk
Free Eduqas digital resources to support the teaching and learning of a broad range of subjects.
oer.wjec.co.uk
Our free Online Exam Review allows teachers to analyse item level data, critically assess sample question papers and receive examiner feedback

32. EXAMINING FOR WJEC EDUQAS
We value the contribution you as experienced teachers and lecturers make in assessing students’ work, ensuring that candidates are given a fair result which accurately reflects their ability
We appoint examiners to mark externally assessed work and moderators to review the original marking of teachers for internally assessed components or units
We provide face-to-face training for examiners and moderators (appointees) prior to assessment work commencing
Our senior examiners and subject officers provide support and advice during the assessment period

33. Application process
Complete an application using the on-line application system available on the Appointees page of the WJEC website
Once you have completed the initial registration, please make sure that you validate your account so that you can complete the application process
When you have completed your application, remember to click ‘submit’ on the homepage, to complete the process
Remember to inform your referee of your application, as sometimes delays occur due to referees not completing the reference section
On rare occasions, applicants may not be accepted due to a lack of relevant teaching experience
Applicants may re-apply once they have gained sufficient experience
Some applicants will be approved, but may have to wait on the reserve list until a suitable vacancy arises

35. Any Questions?
Contact our specialist Subject Officers and administrative team for your subject with any queries.
(Subject Officer)
(Subject Support Officer)
(Subject Support Officer)
@eduqas
eduqas.co.uk