Short answer: buy by route (Practical or Performance) and exact grade.

• Practical Grades: grade-matched repertoire plus Scales & Arpeggios, Specimen Sight-Reading Tests, and Specimen Aural Tests.
• Performance Grades: repertoire for a four-piece programme, including one own-choice piece that meets current rules.

Use Syllabus Finder to confirm requirements, then select titles in the Oboe collection.

Practical Grades: three pieces (Lists A, B, C), plus Scales and arpeggios, Sight-reading, and Aural tests.

Performance Grades: four pieces in one continuous performance (at least one from each of Lists A, B and C, plus a fourth list or own-choice piece), with assessment of each piece and the performance as a whole.

Current cycle: the Woodwind 2026 Practical and Performance specifications are valid for exams from 1 January 2026 until further notice.

Overlap: pieces from the 2022 Woodwind syllabus can be used until 31 December 2026. Requirements in one exam must come from the same syllabus.

Practical: exactly 3 pieces, one from each of Lists A, B and C.

Performance: exactly 4 pieces in one continuous performance: at least one from A, one from B, one from C, plus a fourth list or own-choice piece. Pieces may be performed in any order.

Practical route (approximate total exam time): Grade 1: 12 mins; Grades 2-3: 14 mins; Grades 4-5: 17 mins; Grade 6: 20 mins; Grade 7: 25 mins; Grade 8: 30 mins. Initial Grade is not available for woodwind.

Performance route (maximum programme time): Grades 1-8 = 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20, 25 minutes.

Practical: accompaniment is live only; recorded accompaniments are not permitted. At Grades 1-3, some or all pieces may use woodwind accompaniment where listed.

Performance: accompaniment may be live or recorded. Duet/wind-accompanied limits are up to two pieces at Grades 1-3 and one piece at Grades 4-8. Up to two unaccompanied pieces are allowed.

Practical Grades: yes. Scales and arpeggios, Sight-reading and Aural tests are assessed components.

Performance Grades: no supporting tests are assessed; assessment is based on the four-piece programme and performance as a whole.

In Woodwind 2026 Practical, these Scales/Sight-reading/Aural requirements remain the same as the preceding syllabus.

Practical (150 marks): Piece 1 (30), Piece 2 (30), Piece 3 (30), Scales and arpeggios (21), Sight-reading (21), Aural tests (18).

Performance (150 marks): Piece 1 (30), Piece 2 (30), Piece 3 (30), Piece 4 (30), Performance as a whole (30).

Result bands (both routes): Distinction 130-150, Merit 120-129, Pass 100-119, Below Pass 50-99.

Practical: at Grade 8, one listed piece may be played on cor anglais where indicated; all other requirements must be played on oboe.

Performance: at Grades 6-8, the own-choice piece may be played on cor anglais. At Grade 8, one set-list piece may also be played on cor anglais where indicated.

The own-choice piece must be broadly at grade standard (or above), fully notated in a legible score, and compliant with programme rules.

• Minimum own-choice durations: Grade 1 00:25, Grade 2 00:30, Grade 3 00:35, Grade 4 00:45, Grade 5 01:00, Grade 6 01:30, Grade 7 02:00, Grade 8 03:00.
• The own-choice piece may be a duet, own composition, or arrangement when all requirements are met.
• ABRSM may request a copy of the own-choice score if needed.

Key rule: submit one continuous take. Edited videos are not accepted.

• One optional break is allowed: up to 1 minute (Grades 1-5) or 2 minutes (Grades 6-8). The recording must not be paused or stopped during the break.
• Provide programme information in performance order, announce the programme, and show the opening of the own-choice score to camera.
• At Grades 6-8, photo ID must be shown to camera before the performance begins.

See ABRSM Performance Grades guidance for current upload instructions.

Check the official ABRSM Woodwind area and open the latest PDFs via Syllabus Finder before checkout.

Then buy route-matched and grade-matched titles in the Oboe collection.