MUSIC TRIPOS

Amended by Notice (Reporter, 2016–17, p. 510)

1. The Music Tripos shall consist of three Parts: Part Ia, Part Ib, and Part II.

2. A student may be a candidate for honours in Part Ia if he or she has kept one term, provided that three complete terms have not passed after her or his first term of residence.

3. A student who has obtained honours in Part Ia of the Music Tripos or in another Honours Examination may be a candidate for honours in Part Ib in the year next after so obtaining honours, provided that twelve complete terms have not passed after her or his first term of residence.

4. A student who has obtained honours in Part Ib of the Music Tripos may be a candidate for honours in Part II in the year next after so obtaining honours, provided that twelve complete terms have not passed after her or his first term of residence.

5. No student shall be a candidate for more than one Part, or for any Part and also for another Honours Examination, in the same term. No student who has been a candidate for honours in any Part shall again be a candidate for honours in the same Part.

6. There shall be three separate bodies of Examiners, one for Part Ia, one for Part Ib, and one for Part II. The Faculty Board of Music shall nominate such number of Examiners as they shall deem sufficient to conduct the examinations.

7. The Faculty Board shall have power to nominate one or more Assessors to assist the Examiners in any of the subjects of the Tripos. Assessors shall be responsible for setting the paper or papers or other tests in the subjects assigned to them, and shall present to the Examiners such written reports as the Examiners may require. Assessors may be summoned, for the purpose of consultation and advice, to meetings of the Examiners, but shall not be entitled to vote.

8. There shall be a separate class-list for each Part of the Tripos. In each list the names of the successful candidates shall be arranged in three classes, of which the second shall be divided into two divisions. The names in each of the first and third classes and in each division of the second class shall be arranged in alphabetical order. In each class-list a mark of distinction may be awarded for special excellence.

9. The scheme of examination for Part Ia shall be:

Paper 1 will consist of a two-hour examination and the submission of an extended essay or equivalent exercise to be chosen from a specified list, or a composition in accordance with Regulation 17, or an instrumental or vocal recital in accordance with Regulation 18; each element will attract equal weighting. Papers 2–4 will each consist of a three-hour examination. Papers 5 and 6 will be examined through a three-hour examination (counting for two-thirds of the marks for Paper 5), a 28-hour takeaway paper (counting for one-third of the marks for each of Papers 5 and 6), and a practical examination comprising an aural test and keyboard test (each counting for one-third of the marks for Paper 6). A candidate for Part Ia shall offer all the papers for that Part.

10. The scheme of examination for Part Ib shall be:

The Faculty Board shall have the power to prescribe, not later than the division of the Easter Term in the year next before the examination to which they apply, not more than six additional papers, provided that they shall have the power of subsequently issuing amendments if they have due reason for so doing and they are satisfied that no student’s preparation for the examination shall be adversely affected. Each paper shall be of three hours’ duration, with the following exceptions:

1. (a)Paper 3 will consist of three submitted elements (which may include composition in specified styles, orchestration, arrangement, and/or film scoring) in accordance with Regulation 14; each element will attract equal weighting;
2. (b)Paper 4 will consist of a three-hour examination plus either an essay in accordance with Regulation 17 or a recital in accordance with Regulation 18; each element will attract equal weighting;
3. (c)Paper 5 will be submitted in accordance with Regulation 14;
4. (d)Paper 6 will be submitted in accordance with Regulation 15.
5. (e)In announcing additional papers, the Faculty Board shall have the power, subject to the approval of the General Board, to specify an alternative mode of examination for one or more of those papers.

11. A candidate for Part Ib shall offer six papers in all: Papers 1, 2, and 3; and three other papers. Subject to the approval of the Faculty Board, a candidate at Part Ib may be permitted by the Faculty Board to offer not more than one Part II paper.

12. The scheme of the examination for Part II shall be:

The Faculty Board shall have the power to prescribe, not later than the division of the Easter Term in the year next before the examination to which they apply, not more than twelve additional papers, provided that they shall have the power of subsequently issuing amendments if they have due reason for so doing and they are satisfied that no student’s preparation for the examination shall be adversely affected. Each paper shall be of three hours’ duration, with the following exceptions:

1. (a)Papers 1–3 will be submitted in accordance with Regulation 14;
2. (b)Paper 4 will consist of a recital in accordance with Regulation 18;
3. (c)Paper 5 will be submitted in accordance with Regulation 15.
4. (d)In announcing additional papers, the Faculty Board shall have the power, subject to the approval of the General Board, to specify an alternative mode of examination for one or more of those papers.

13. A candidate for Part II shall offer six papers in all. A candidate must offer a combination of papers that is examined by at least six hours of written examination.

14. A candidate who offers either Papers 3 or 5 in Part Ib, or Papers 1–3 in Part II, shall submit portfolio work in accordance with the requirements set out by the Faculty Board to the Chair of Examiners so as to arrive not later than the following dates: for Paper 5 in Part Ib or Paper 2 in Part II, the last Tuesday of Full Lent Term preceding the examination and the fourth day of Full Easter Term in which the examination is held; for Paper 1 in Part II, the last Thursday of Full Lent Term preceding the examination and the eleventh day of Full Easter Term in which the examination is held; for Paper 3 in Part Ib, the last Thursday of Full Lent Term preceding the examination and the fifteenth day of Full Easter Term in which the examination is held; for Paper 3 in Part II, the fifteenth day of Full Easter Term in which the examination is held. The compositions, analyses, or transcriptions contained in such a portfolio shall be written by the candidate during the current academical year; each separate item shall be initialled by the teacher under whose direction it was written, as an indication that the teacher approves the submission. Candidates will be required to declare that the contents of the portfolio are their own work and that they do not contain material already used to any substantial extent for a comparable purpose.

15. (a) The examination for Paper 6 in Part Ib and Paper 5 in Part II shall consist of a dissertation on a musical subject of the candidate’s own choice approved by the Faculty Board which falls wholly or substantially outside the subject or subjects chosen by the candidate for any other papers. A candidate who wishes to offer such a dissertation shall submit the proposed title to the relevant Chair of Examiners so as to arrive not later than the division of Michaelmas Term preceding the examination.

(b) Each candidate must obtain the approval of the proposed subject by the Faculty Board not later than the division of the Lent Term.

(c) A dissertation for Part Ib shall be of not less than 5,000 words and not more than 7,000 words (excluding bibliography and appendices but including footnotes). A dissertation for Part II shall be of not less than 7,000 words and not more than 10,000 words (excluding bibliography and appendices but including footnotes). Dissertations shall be in typewritten form.

(d) Each candidate shall submit an electronic copy and two hard (paper) copies of her or his dissertation to the appropriate Chair of Examiners so as to arrive not later than the eighth day of the Full Easter Term in which the examination is to be held.

16. Each candidate will be required to sign a declaration indicating that the work submitted for Paper 1 in Part Ia, Papers 3–6 in Part Ib, or Papers 1–3 or 5 in Part II, is her or his own work, unaided except as may be specified in the declaration, and that it does not contain material that has already been used to any substantial extent for a comparable purpose.

17. A candidate who offers Paper 1 in Part Ia, or Paper 4 in Part Ib, shall submit the following materials to the Chair of Examiners so as to arrive not later than the following dates: for Paper 1 in Part Ia, an essay, extended exercise or composition by the fourth day of Full Easter Term in which the examination is held; for Paper 4 in Part Ib, an essay by the eleventh day of Full Easter Term in which the examination is held.

18. A candidate who offers the recital option of Paper 1 in Part Ia, the recital option of Paper 4 in Part Ib, or Paper 4 in Part II shall give a recital of a length specified by Faculty Board. Each candidate must obtain the approval of the proposed programme by the Teaching Committee of the Faculty Board not later than the end of Michaelmas Term (for Parts Ia and Ib) or the division of the Lent Term (for Part II).

19. For the purpose of drawing up the class-list the Examiners for Part II shall have the power to call a candidate for interview on matters arising from the examination, but they shall take account of such an interview only if it would be to the candidate’s advantage.

20. The Faculty Board may issue from time to time supplementary regulations defining all or any of the subjects of the examination, and may modify or alter such supplementary regulations as occasion may require, due care being taken that sufficient notice is given of any alteration.

21. The Board shall notify candidates of the work or works prescribed for Paper 4 of Part Ia not later than the first day of Full Michaelmas Term preceding the examination, and for Paper 2 of Part Ib not less than two weeks before the start of the examination by written papers.