Edexcel GCSE Music: the Component 3 listening exam, dictation and Section B skills

What these skills demand

Component 3 (Appraising) is the only written exam, worth 80 marks over 1 hour 45 minutes. Knowing the set works is essential, but so is the exam technique for each question type: the listening questions, the dictation, the unfamiliar piece and the Section B comparison. This overview ties together the four skills dot-point pages.

The structure of the paper

The paper has nine questions across two sections (80 marks). Section A (68 marks) has eight questions: six on set-work extracts, one dictation (6 to 10 marks) and one on an unfamiliar piece with a skeleton score (8 marks). Section B (12 marks) is the extended comparison. Audio is played a set number of times (printed on the paper), with reading time before and writing time after. Match your detail to the marks, and use early playings to gather, later ones to check.

The melodic and rhythmic dictation

A dictation appears every year (6 to 10 marks): complete missing notes, rhythms or chords by ear. Method: fix the metre (beats per bar) and key first; work out each interval and note value one beat at a time; sing it back; and check each bar adds up. Partial credit is given, so notate what you are sure of and use the shape, repetition and sequence to reason out the rest. Practise on the set works, whose conventions the dictation uses.

The unfamiliar piece

One 8-mark question gives an unfamiliar extract related to a set work, with a skeleton score. Use the score (cite bar numbers), work through the elements (MAD T-SHIRP) making a point for each, and link the features to the related set work ("like the Brandenburg, this is a Baroque concerto with a continuo"). Cover several elements, not one.

The Section B comparison

Section B (12 marks) compares and evaluates a set work with a related unfamiliar piece, with both scores given. It is marked by levels for knowledge and for comparison/evaluation. Plan with the element grid, write comparative paragraphs (both pieces in one point, with comparative language and bar references), and end with an evaluative conclusion. The single biggest trap is describing the two pieces separately.

Check your knowledge

1. How many marks are Section A and Section B worth? (1 mark)
2. How often does a dictation question appear, and what is it worth? (1 mark)
3. What is the first step in a melodic dictation? (1 mark)
4. What should you do in the 8-mark unfamiliar-piece question? (2 marks)
5. What turns a Section B comparison into a top-band answer? (1 mark)