Assessment criteria for Composing Music courses at OCA

1st

Technical presentation
Clarity of scores and orderly
presentation; good command
of appropriate software;
accuracy of notation;
understanding and application
of graphic publishing
conventions.

Level 4
30%

Compositional skills
Evidence of craftsmanship in
manipulating material;
structural cohesion;
exploration of ideas;
appropriate and correct use of
performance resources.

Level 4
30%

Creativity
Exploration and inventiveness
toward developing an
individual voice; original ideas
and experimental
adventurousness.

Level 4
20%

Level 5
25%
Level 6
20%

Level 5
30%
Level 6
30%

Level 5
25%
Level 6
30%

Stylistic awareness
Evidence of listening and
reading, research, critical
thinking and reflection;
development of responses to
exploratory enquiry and
analysis (demonstrated in
listening logs and, at levels 5
and 6, critical reviews and
essays)

Level 4
20%
Level 5
20%
Level 6
20%

2.1

2.2

3rd

Fail

A+
85%+
Exceptional

A 70-84%
Excellent

B
60-69%
Very good

C
50-59%
Good/Average

D
40-49%
Satisfactory

30-39%

F
29% or
below

A highly professional
presentation
demonstrating complete
command of resources,
accurately and
comprehensively edited to
meet the highest
standards.

A professional
presentation
demonstrating a good
command of software
resources and graphic
conventions.

Well presented scores

demonstrating a good
command of software
resources and graphic
conventions.

Reasonably
presented scores,
though some
inaccuracies show a
need to acquire
greater command of
the software and/or
understanding of
notation conventions

Reasonably presented
scores, though
inaccuracies show a
need to acquire greater
command of the
software and/or
understanding of
notation conventions

A poor familiarity with

the software leaving a
confused or
misleading
impression of the
work.

An inadequate
submission lacking
clarity and,
grammatical rigour.

Outstanding facility with

technical resources within
the given assignment
range; highly effective and
practicable use of
instruments and voices,
and a sound structural
design.

Excellent facility with

technical resources
within the given
assignment range;
effective and
practicable use of
instruments and voices,
and a sound structural
design.

A facility appropriate
to the assignments
with evidence of some
skill with materials
and structural design.
Ideas are explored
and instrumental
and/or vocal
resources used well.

Some facility
appropriate to the
assignments with
evidence of using
ideas with some
interest within a
structured framework,
and a cautious
approach to
performance
resources.

Only a modest facility in

the use of ideas and
structure with little
exploration and only a
cautious approach to
performance resources

Poor facility in the use

of ideas and structure
with no appreciable
exploration and little
understanding of
performance
resources.

Inadequate use of
materials and a lack
of understanding of
structure and
instrumental
resources.

Exceptionally imaginative
ideas, inspired thinking
with unusual treatment of
materials; plausible and
confident experimentation
with design and thematic
structure.

Highly imaginative
ideas applied to
unusual and interesting
development, with
some confident
experimentation, design
and thematic structure.

Interesting and
imaginative ideas
given some inventive
treatment with useful
attempts to explore
some original
approaches.

Some evidence of
interesting and
imaginative work, with
useful attempts to
explore some original
approaches.

Little evidence of
interest or imagination
in the work, with only
modest signs of
originality or exploratory
development of the
ideas in use.
situations.

Limited evidence of
interest or imagination
in the work, and
barely any signs of
originality or
exploratory
development of ideas.

Inadequate
evidence of
imaginative work or
poor ideas, with no
originality in
development.

Exceptional range of
research, demonstrating
an exciting curiosity with
well documented
responses and a thorough
understanding of the work
of other composers and
commentators.

Excellent range of
research,
demonstrating a well
documented curiosity,
lively responses and an
understanding of the
work of other
composers and
commentators.

Very good range of

listening and research
with good
documentation, lively
responses and an
understanding of the
work of other
composers and
commentators.

Good range of
listening, reading and
research, well
documented,
demonstrating a fair
analytical
understanding.

Evidence of only limited

listening, reading and
research, with a
resulting narrow
familiarity or
understanding of the
repertoire.

Little documented
evidence of listening,
reading and research
with a resulting poor
familiarity or
understanding

Inadequate
evidence of
listening, reading
and research with a
resulting in
inadequate
familiarity or
understanding

These assessment criteria should be used in conjunction with the level descriptions as described below:
Feedback at different levels - MUSIC
Different feedback is needed at each level. Students at Level 1 (HE 4), for example, shouldnt be criticised for not having found their own personal artistic voice. Similarly students at Level Three should be
expected to know how to keep their records of listening and reading, and how to express their ideas and opinions succinctly in the form of written dissertation.
Level 1 (HE 4) is about laying the foundations. The emphasis is on understanding and acquiring skills and good working habits, such as the keeping of listening and reading logs. Its about students
informing themselves about others work. At this level, they are not expected to have developed a great deal of autonomy or have found a strong personal creative language -- if they have already done so,
this is a bonus. Feedback at Level One should focus on their success in acquiring the necessary skills and working habits, at the same time encouraging the student to broaden their horizons.
At Level 2 (HE 5) the student continues to improve their skills and the quality of their work. But at this level, they should be starting to develop a personal voice in the way they produce assignments and
apply the results of their exploratory listening and reading to their work. This means that in addition to skills, feedback should reflect back to the student whether they are taking enough responsibility for the
shaping of their own work, whether they are doing enough research and whether they are interpreting the assignments imaginatively and inventively.
Level 3 (HE 6) is about the transition from being a self-motivated student to becoming a self-motivated and independent composer. The expectation is that the quality of work will continue to improve, and the
student can demonstrate evidence of inventiveness, aesthetic judgement, originality and independence. They should be developing their understanding of the professional arena they aspire to move into
and their intellectual understanding of the theory and concepts underpinning their discipline.