Performance Diplomas

Practical performance Diplomas are available at Associate, Licentiate, and Fellowship levels.

Candidates will suggest and prepare suitable pieces which they submit for agreement by the School prior to submitting their application. It is the candidate’s reponsibility to ensure all proposed works meet the agreed national standard for the assessment for which they wish to enter.

By working to set standards on the assessment grid, they will be able to improve their own standards during the preparation period prior to an assessment.

The grid also allows teachers to be aware of exactly what is going to be assessed as they are presented at the post-assessment level, one for each piece, thus enabling a clear view of achievement and where more work may be necessary.

The post-assessment report includes observations and comments which arose from the natural progression of the assessment.

Candidates under the age of 21 who are students in full-time education, or from a disadvantaged background, are encouraged to apply to the Thomas Memorial Fund for a non-repayable bursary, which may be the full or partial cost of an NMSM assessment.

Applications for funding should be submitted at the same time as an application to enter for an assessment or examination.

NMSM Diploma Assessment Levels

Assessment Level	ANMSM	LNMSM	FNMSM
Duration	30 mins +/-3 mins	40 mins +/-4 mins	60 mins +/-5 mins
Works	3-8 contrasted pieces	4-10 contrasted pieces	Suitable national pieces standard or specialised programme by a single composer
Viva	Yes	Yes	Yes
Perform from memory	Candidate’s choice	Candidate’s choice	Candidate’s choice
Improvisation	Candidate’s choice – 3 to 4 mins	Candidate’s choice – 4 to 6 mins	Candidate’s choice – 5 to 8 mins
Public recital	Candidate’s choice	Yes	Yes
Address audience	Candidate’s choice	Yes	Yes
Programme notes	Yes	Yes	Yes (in depth)
Written element & aural tests	None	None	None

Assessment Level	ANMSM
Duration	30 mins +/-3 mins
Works	3-8 contrasted pieces
Viva	Yes
Perform from memory	Candidate’s choice
Improvisation	Candidate’s choice – 3 to 4 mins
Public recital	Candidate’s choice
Address audience	Candidate’s choice
Programme notes	Yes
Written element & aural tests	None

Assessment Level	LNMSM
Duration	40 mins +/-4 mins
Works	4-10 contrasted pieces
Viva	Yes
Perform from memory	Candidate’s choice
Improvisation	Candidate’s choice – 4 to 6 mins
Public recital	Yes
Address audience	Yes
Programme notes	Yes
Written element & aural tests	None

Assessment Level	FNMSM
Duration	60 mins +/-5 mins
Works	Suitable national pieces standard or specialised programme by a single composer
Viva	Yes
Perform from memory	Candidate’s choice
Improvisation	Candidate’s choice – 5 to 8 mins
Public recital	Yes
Address audience	Yes
Programme notes	Yes (in depth)
Written element & aural tests	None