Cancellations

Private Visits, Public Venue and digital exams (Performance Grades, digital ARSM diplomas and online Music Theory exams)

The exam applicant can cancel an exam up to three days before the exam appointment date (face-to-face exams), or, for digital and online exams, up to three days before the booking expires (28 days following the date of booking for digital and online exams). To cancel an exam:

1) Log in to your account, locate the relevant booking and click ‘Booking Details’. Click the bin icon to the right of the candidate information to cancel the exam.

2) If the cancellation qualifies for a refund in accordance with our Withdrawals, Non-attendance and Fee Refund Policy, see below for information about making a claim.

Choral Singing and Ensemble exams and DipABRSM, LRSM and FRSM diplomas

The exam applicant can cancel an exam by emailing [email protected]. If the cancellation qualifies for a refund in accordance with our Withdrawals, Non-attendance and Fee Refund Policy, see below for information about making a claim.

When booking an exam at a Public Venue or a digital exam (Performance Grades, digital ARSM, and online Music Theory), you can cancel within 14 days of the date of booking (the consumer and cancellation rights’ ‘cooling-off period’). For digital Performance Grade and ARSM exams this must also be before the exam video has been submitted. Cancellations during the 14-day cooling-off period must be made by the applicant through our online service and payment will be refunded back to the original payment card. Applicants will receive a credit confirmation by email. For exams booked via paper application, cancellations must be received in writing via email to [email protected].

If a booking is cancelled and/or expires (28 days after the date of booking for digital and online exams) outside the ‘cooling-off period’ we will not offer any refund other than in the circumstances specified in paragraphs h, i, j or k of our Withdrawals, Non-attendance and Fee Refund Policy. In this instance the applicant must notify ABRSM in writing at [email protected] as soon as possible and no later than the day of the exam, or the date the booking expires.

Refunds for deferred payment Public Venue exams

For accounts authorised to use the ‘submit and pay later’ option for Public Venue exam bookings, the applicant will be able to cancel a booking up until the day the booking period closes. Cancellations during this period must be made by the applicant using the online exam service.

When booking an exam at a Private Visit, either as the Visit Organiser or as a Permitted Applicant, the booking may be cancelled up to 28 days before (and not including) the first day of the Private Visit and receive a full refund. Cancellations made during this period must be made by the applicant using the online exam service. For payments made at the time of entry, refunds will be issued back to the payment card and applicants will receive a credit confirmation by email. For exams booked via paper application, cancellations must be received in writing via email to [email protected].

If a booking is cancelled less than 28 days before (and not including) the first day of the Private Visit, ABRSM will not offer any refund of the exam fee for the cancelled exam other than in the circumstances specified in paragraphs f, g, h or i of our Withdrawals, Non-attendance and Fee Refund Policy. In this instance the applicant must notify ABRSM in writing at [email protected] as soon as possible and no later than the day of the exam.

Late Booking at a Private Visit: For an exam booked during the late booking period, after the 28 day deadline, as detailed above, and up to three days before the exam day, the exam fee is only eligible for a refund in the circumstances specified in paragraphs f, g, h or i of our Withdrawals, Non-attendance and Fee Refund Policy. In this instance the applicant must notify ABRSM in writing at [email protected] as soon as possible and no later than the day of the exam.

A candidate who's withdrawn from an exam, who does not attend an exam, or who does not submit a video or press Start Music Theory exam during the allotted 28 days of the booking, may be eligible for a partial refund, but only under the circumstances specified in paragraphs h, i, j or k of our Withdrawals, Non-attendance and Fee Refund Policy. The applicant must notify ABRSM in writing at [email protected] as soon as possible and no later than the day of the exam, or the date the booking expires. Notice given only to an examiner, honorary local representative, steward or invigilator isn't sufficient to qualify for a refund.

For face-to-face exams and Music Theory Grade 6-8, a candidate who's withdrawn from an exam may be re-entered in the next exam session. In such cases, a new booking and full payment must be made as entry details/payment cannot be transferred from one period to the next.

Special terms for non-attendance due to COVID

Refunds for exams up to 31 January 2024

To support anyone affected by COVID restrictions, for all face-to-face instrumental and singing or Grade 6 to 8 Music Theory exams, any absent candidate will automatically receive a full refund. This applies worldwide.

You do not need to contact us to request a refund. However, it will help us if you log in to your account and cancel the exam.

Please note this policy does not include Grade 1 to 5 online Music Theory, digital Performance Grades or digital ARSM exams.

• For exams at Public Venues and diplomas, we normally issue refunds by the end of the month following each exam session. (By the end of January for November–December exams, end of April for February–March exams and end of August for June–July exams.)
• For Private Visits we will issue refunds by the end of the month following the month of the visit date.

Updated August 2023