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CCEA A-Level Music: complete guide to the performing, composing and Responding to Music units and how to study each

A complete guide to CCEA A-Level Music (specification 2016). Covers the three musical activities of performing, composing and appraising, the AS and A2 units, the compulsory Areas of Study and set works, the test of aural perception and score study, how the coursework and written exams are structured and marked, and how to study each unit for top grades.

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CCEA A-Level Music (specification first taught 2016) is a two-year course split into AS and A2, set and marked by CCEA in Northern Ireland. It is built around the three fundamental musical activities: performing and appraising, composing, and listening and appraising. This page is the index: below is a map of the units, the Areas of Study and set works, the assessment structure, and how to study each part of the course.

The three musical activities

The course assesses three linked activities, each examined in its own unit at both AS and A2.

Performing and appraising (Unit 1)
A recorded solo recital plus a viva voce (a spoken discussion of your pieces). The standard is about Grade 4 at AS and Grade 6 at A2, and the marks reward accuracy, technical control, interpretation and communication, with the viva adding musical understanding. This is coursework.
Composing (Unit 2)
One composition to a free brief, with your own choice of style, resources and form, submitted as a recorded performance (live or sequenced) with an optional score. The marks reward the use and development of ideas, structure, harmony, texture and instrumentation, and a convincing realisation. This is coursework.
Listening and appraising (Unit 3 Responding to Music)
The examined unit, built on three compulsory Areas of Study and a test of aural perception, with a written paper on the Areas of Study and set works. At A2 it also demands unprepared score study.

The Areas of Study

Responding to Music is studied through three compulsory Areas of Study each year, balanced between orchestral and vocal music and illustrated by set works.

At AS:

  • Music for Orchestra 1700-1900 - orchestral music across the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods, including the concerto grosso, the symphony and sonata form.
  • Sacred Vocal Music (Anthems) - the English anthem, the verse and full anthem, word setting and choral texture.
  • Secular Vocal Music (Musicals) - the music of stage musicals, song forms and the dramatic function of song.

At A2:

  • Music for Orchestra in the Twentieth Century - impressionism, neoclassicism, nationalism and modernism.
  • Sacred Vocal Music (Mass and Requiem) - the Mass Ordinary and the Requiem Mass, from Renaissance polyphony to modern settings.
  • Secular Vocal Music (1600 to the present day) - recitative and aria, the Lied and the art song across four centuries.

Assessment structure

CCEA A-Level Music is split between AS (40 percent) and A2 (60 percent), combining coursework and examination.

  • Unit 1 Performing and Appraising - coursework: a recorded solo recital and a viva voce.
  • Unit 2 Composing - coursework: one free-brief composition submitted as a recorded performance with an optional score.
  • Unit 3 Responding to Music - a test of aural perception and a written examination on the Areas of Study, the set works and general musical knowledge (with unprepared score study at A2).

How to study CCEA Music

Music rewards practical fluency, creative craft and accurate listening, so study each activity in its own way.

  1. Performing. Choose contrasting repertoire at the target standard early, secure accuracy first, shape deliberate interpretation, and prepare to discuss every piece for the viva.
  2. Composing. Set a clear, achievable brief in a style you understand, choose a form that gives the piece shape, develop your opening idea rather than repeating it, and realise the recording convincingly.
  3. Responding to Music. Learn the stylistic features of each Area of Study and study the set works closely so you can identify and analyse music by ear and from a score.
  4. Build the analytical vocabulary. Master the musical elements and working harmony (Roman numerals, figured bass, keys and modulation, common devices) so your descriptions are precise.
  5. Drill the aural and score-study skills. Practise interval, chord and cadence recognition, dictation, and (at A2) unprepared score study under timed conditions with past papers.

The modules, dot point by dot point

Each unit has a specification-level overview with worked questions and cross-links, plus dot-point pages and a quiz. Browse the full set at /ccea-a-level/music/syllabus.

For the official specification

CCEA publishes the full specification, set works, past papers and mark schemes at ccea.org.uk. Always revise from the current CCEA specification, the prescribed set works for your exam series, and CCEA's own past papers, because the Areas of Study, set works and question style are board-specific.

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Music practice quizzes

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Common questions about Music

How is CCEA A-Level Music structured?
CCEA A-Level Music is a two-year course split into AS and A2, built around three musical activities: performing and appraising, composing, and listening and appraising. At AS there are three units (Unit 1 Performing, Unit 2 Composing and Unit 3 Responding to Music), and the AS counts for 40 percent of the full A-Level. At A2 there are three matching units (Unit 1 Performing, Unit 2 Composing and Unit 3 Responding to Music), and the A2 counts for 60 percent. Performing and composing are coursework; Responding to Music is examined by an aural test and a written paper.
What are the Areas of Study in CCEA A-Level Music?
Responding to Music is built on three compulsory Areas of Study in each year. At AS they are Music for Orchestra 1700-1900, Sacred Vocal Music (Anthems) and Secular Vocal Music (Musicals). At A2 they are Music for Orchestra in the Twentieth Century, Sacred Vocal Music (the Mass and Requiem Mass) and Secular Vocal Music (1600 to the present day). Each area is studied through set works that illustrate its styles, and gives awareness of the relationship between music and its context.
How is the performing unit assessed?
Unit 1 Performing and Appraising is coursework. You give one recorded solo performance and complete a viva voce, a spoken discussion of your pieces with a visiting CCEA examiner. The recital should be at a standard equivalent to about Grade 4 at AS and Grade 6 at A2. Marks reward accuracy, technical control, interpretation and communication, with the viva adding marks for musical understanding.
How is the composing unit assessed?
Unit 2 Composing is coursework. You compose one piece of music to a free brief, choosing your own style, resources and form, and submit it as a recorded performance (live or sequenced) with an optional score. Marks reward the use and development of musical ideas, structure and form, harmony and tonality, texture and instrumentation, and a convincing realisation.
How is the Responding to Music unit examined?
Responding to Music is examined by a test of aural perception, in which extracts are played and you answer questions on intervals, chords, cadences, keys, rhythm, texture, instruments and devices, with melodic and rhythmic dictation, and by a written examination based on the Areas of Study, the set works and general musical knowledge. At A2 the unit also demands unprepared score study, analysing an unfamiliar score under exam conditions.
How should I revise CCEA A-Level Music?
Treat the three activities separately. For performing, choose contrasting repertoire at the right standard early, secure it, shape deliberate interpretation and prepare to discuss every piece in the viva. For composing, set a clear brief in a style you understand, choose a form that gives shape, and develop your ideas rather than repeat them. For Responding to Music, learn the stylistic features of each Area of Study and the set works, build the analytical vocabulary of the musical elements and harmony, and drill the aural and score-study skills with past papers. Revise from the current CCEA specification and CCEA past papers, because the Areas of Study and set works are board-specific.
How does CCEA A-Level Music compare to other exam boards?
All A-Level Music specifications assess performing, composing and listening or appraising, so the core skills are shared. CCEA's distinctive features are its three-activity unit structure across AS and A2, its compulsory Areas of Study (orchestral music of two different periods, plus sacred and secular vocal music spanning several centuries), its free-brief composition, and its combination of a viva voce in performing with an aural test and unprepared score study in the written unit. Always revise from the current CCEA specification, set works and past papers, because the prescribed content is board-specific.