1. This circular must be read in conjunction with the policy documents, The National Senior Certificate: A Qualification at Level 4 on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), as well as the National Protocol on Assessment for Schools in the General and Further Education and Training Band (Grades R – 12).
2. The national Department of Education has informed provinces by means of Circular S8 of 2005 that the following assessment bodies have been approved by the Minister of Education: 
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music
Trinity College of London
UNISA
3. A learner may offer a Music programme offered by the three approved assessment bodies under the following conditions:
3.1 The learner may offer the subject as one of the seven compulsory subjects or as an additional eighth or ninth subject.
3.2 The learner must enrol for the subject in the year that he or she registers for Grade 10 for the first time.
3.3 The selected Music programme must be registered as one of the Group B subjects listed in the NSC.
3.4 Learners will not be allowed to complete the prerequisite theoretical component of the selected Music programme prior to his or her registration in Grade 10 for the NSC.
3.5 Learners must register for a Music programme offered by one of the three approved assessment bodies at a minimum level of Grade 4 for that selected Practical Music examination in Grade 10, and must progress to at least Grade 6 in his or her Grade 12 year to fulfil the NSC programme requirements.
3.5.1 Learners who register for a Music programme offered by one of the three approved assessment bodies at a Grade 5 or Grade 6 level for that selected Practical Music examination in Grade 10, must progress to at least Grade 6 and 7 respectively in Grade 12 to fulfil the NSC programme requirements.
3.5.2 Learners who register for a Music programme offered by one of the three approved assessment bodies at a Grade 7 or 8 or Licentiate level for that selected Practical Music examination in Grade 10, may offer these programmes for the three-year period of Grades 10 to 12 to fulfil the NSC requirements.
3.6 Learners may offer a maximum of ONE of the ABRSM or TCL or UNISA Grade 6, 7, 8 or Performer’s Diploma/Licentiate programmes in combination with the National Senior Certificate subjects, which may include Music.
3.7 Learners who offer one of the ABRSM or TCL or UNISA music examinations in combination with the subject Music listed in the NSC, may not offer the same instrument for both examinations.
3.8 Learners offering any one of the Music programmes must produce evidence of internal assessment tasks in a portfolio.
4. The final result obtained by a learner will be calculated as a combination of both the Practical Music and its prerequisite theoretical component:

Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM)

NSC Grade 10NSC Grade 11NSC Grade 12
Grade 4 Practical and Grade 4 TheoryGrade 5 Practical and Grade 5 TheoryGrade 6 Practical and Grade 6 Theory
Grade 5 Practical and Grade 5 TheoryGrade 6 Practical and Grade 6 TheoryGrade 7 Practical and Grade 6 Theory
Grade 6 Practical and Grade 6 Theory Grade 7 Practical and Grade 6 Theory
Grade 7 Practical and Grade 6 Theory Grade 7 Practical and Grade 6 Theory or higher

Trinity College of London (TCL)

NSC Grade 10NSC Grade 11NSC Grade 12
Grade 4 Practical and Grade 4 TheoryGrade 5 Practical and Grade 5 TheoryGrade 6 Practical and Grade 6 Theory
Grade 5 Practical and Grade 5 TheoryGrade 6 Practical and Grade 6 TheoryGrade 7 Practical and Grade 6 Theory
Grade 6 Practical and Grade 6 Theory Grade 7 Practical and Grade 6 Theory
Grade 7 Practical and Grade 6 Theory or higher Grade 7 Practical and Grade 6 Theory or higher

UNISA

NSC Grade 10NSC Grade 11NSC Grade 12
Grade 4 Practical and Grade 3 TheoryGrade 5 Practical and Grade 4 TheoryGrade 6 Practical and Grade 5 Theory
Grade 5 Practical and Grade 4 TheoryGrade 6 Practical and Grade 5 TheoryGrade 7 Practical and Grade 5 Theory
Grade 6 Practical and Grade 5 Theory Grade 7 Practical and Grade 5 Theory
Grade 7 Practical and Grade 5 Theory or higher Grade 7 Practical and Grade 5 Theory or higher
5. The prerequisite theoretical components of the Music Programmes of the approved assessment bodies are as follows:

Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music

Practical Music ExaminationPrerequisite theoretical component
Grade 4Grade 4
Grade 5Grade 5
Grade 6Grade 6
Grade 7Grade 6
Grade 8Grade 7
Performer’s DiplomaGrade 8
Performer’s Licentiate in MusicGrade 8

Trinity College of London

Practical Music ExaminationPrerequisite theoretical component
Grade 6Grade 4
Grade 6Grade 5
Grade 6Grade 6
Grade 7Grade 6
Grade 8Grade 7
Performer’s Certificate in MusicGrade 8
Associate Performer’s Licentiate in MusicGrade 8
Performer’s Licentiate in MusicGrade 8

UNISA

Practical Music ExaminationPrerequisite theoretical component
Grade 6Grade 3
Grade 6Grade 4
Grade 6Grade 5
Grade 7Grade 5
Grade 8Grade 6
Performer’s Licentiate in MusicGrade 7
6. Please bring the contents of this circular to the attention of all concerned.


SIGNED: S.N. NAICKER
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2006:02:16

The National Senior Certificate: A Qualification at Level 4 on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF)  (size: 293 KB)
National Protocol on Assessment for Schools in the General and Further Education and Training Band (Grades R – 12)  (size: 301 KB)