Exams and theory · Long Bay, Auckland # Exams and Grade 5 theory, *if you want them.* I am Adam Whybro. At my studio in Long Bay, on Auckland’s North Shore, I prepare students for ABRSM piano grades and RSL Rockschool guitar grades, and I teach ABRSM Grade 5 Theory of Music and below. Lessons are one to one, $35 per half hour. Grades are optional. [Book a lesson](https://musictuitionstudio.co.nz/book) or text [021 162 3447](tel:+64211623447) - **Exams:** Optional. ABRSM on piano, RSL Rockschool on guitar. - **Teacher:** Adam Whybro teaches every lesson, one to one. - **Price:** $35 per half hour, $70 per hour. Invoiced a month at a time. - **Lesson times:** Weekdays from 3:15pm. The last lesson finishes at 7pm on Monday, 7:30pm Tuesday to Thursday, and 6:30pm on Friday. - **Theory:** ABRSM Grade 5 Theory of Music and below. The boards ## Which exams I prepare students for ### Piano: ABRSM I prepare piano students for ABRSM exams. The pieces are classical, and I teach them alongside the songs a student wants to play. [Piano lessons](https://musictuitionstudio.co.nz/piano) ### Guitar: RSL Rockschool I prepare guitar students for RSL Rockschool exams, on acoustic or electric guitar. [Guitar lessons](https://musictuitionstudio.co.nz/guitar) ### Theory: ABRSM Grade 5 I teach ABRSM Grade 5 Theory of Music and the theory grades below it. Grade 5 usually comes before the higher practical grades. [What Grade 5 theory is for](https://musictuitionstudio.co.nz/exams#theory) I teach beginners through to intermediate players, children and adults. Singing is beginner level only, and I do not offer singing grades or exam preparation for singing. [Beginner singing lessons](https://musictuitionstudio.co.nz/singing) Does my child have to? ## Grades are optional A grade is a deadline. Deadlines suit some players and *flatten others.* I never push grades, and plenty of students here never sit one. Either way, lessons mix songs a student wants to play with the technique that makes them possible. If you do want a grade, the one thing I will not do is promise it by a date. ABRSM Grade 5 Theory of Music ## What Grade 5 theory is for Passing ABRSM Grade 5 Theory of Music is the usual way to meet ABRSM’s requirement before a Grade 6, 7 or 8 practical exam. So a student heading past Grade 5 usually sits the theory exam first. I teach it, and the theory grades below it. It is worth having for its own sake as well. Theory explains what you are playing and why a song works. ### My own qualification ABRSM Grade 8 in piano, Grade 5 Theory of Music passed with distinction, and studied toward a performance Diploma. [About Adam Whybro](https://musictuitionstudio.co.nz/about) *Photo: Adam Whybro sitting beside a young student at the upright piano, pointing at the open sheet music while the student plays. The student is seen from behind. Caption: A lesson on the upright. Photograph by Maya van Muller, from her Google review.* In a parent’s words ## What a parent says about the practical and the theory > "My son has been having lessons with Adam for a while now and his progression is amazing. I can’t thank Adam enough for his patience and guidance with both the practical and theoretical aspects of music." > > Maya van Muller Google review [Read the reviews on Google](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=11172290892771255985) Entering an exam ## How an exam entry works I do the entry, and I check with you before I do. 1. **I check with you first.** I enter a student once you have agreed and I have checked they are ready. 2. **You get an honest answer.** I tell you how it is going, whether that is good news or not. 3. **The fee goes on your invoice at cost.** It is what the board charges me, nothing added, and I show you the receipt. **Once a student is entered, the board keeps the fee** whether they sit the exam or not. That is why I ask first. Short answers ## Questions about exams ### Which exam boards do you prepare students for? ABRSM for piano and RSL Rockschool for guitar. I also teach ABRSM Grade 5 Theory of Music and the theory grades below it. I do not offer singing grades. ### Does my child have to sit exams? No. Grades are optional and I never push them. Plenty of my students never sit one and play beautifully. ### What is Grade 5 theory for? Passing ABRSM Grade 5 Theory of Music is the usual way to meet ABRSM’s requirement before a Grade 6, 7 or 8 practical exam. I teach it, and the theory grades below it, at my studio in Long Bay, Auckland. ### Can an adult sit a grade? Yes, if you want one. I teach adults, and the boards are the same: ABRSM for piano and RSL Rockschool for guitar. Nobody has to. In [lessons for adults](https://musictuitionstudio.co.nz/adult-lessons) there is no exam at the end unless you want one. ### How long does a grade take? It depends, and I will not promise a grade by a date. How far someone gets depends on what happens between lessons at least as much as what happens in them. What I will do is tell you honestly how it is going. Fees, parking, sitting in and the studio cat are on the [common questions](https://musictuitionstudio.co.nz/faq) page. The practical part ## $35 per half hour, $70 per hour ### Fees Every instrument, every level. Invoiced a month at a time, so there is no term to pay up front. No enrolment fee, no booking fee and no deposit. ### Times Lessons run Monday to Friday from 3:15pm. The last lesson finishes at 7pm on Monday, 7:30pm Tuesday to Thursday, and 6:30pm on Friday. **There are no weekend lessons.** ### First lesson There is no free trial. The first lesson is a real lesson at the normal price, with no obligation to continue. ### Where 24 Westerley Place, Long Bay, Auckland 0630. Street parking is about 20 metres from the door. Exam entry fees are separate. If you ask me to enter a student, the board’s fee goes on your invoice at what the board charges me. [More about fees](https://musictuitionstudio.co.nz/fees) [Book a lesson](https://musictuitionstudio.co.nz/book) or text [021 162 3447](tel:+64211623447) --- Source: https://musictuitionstudio.co.nz/exams Last updated: 10 November 2026