Preparing for a Level 9 history exam.

A history exam rewards structure more than raw memorising. Students who try to swallow the whole syllabus at once feel buried; students who build the big picture first, then fill it in era by era, tend to walk in calm. This is the sequence and the timeline I use, along with the resources that carry each stage—so you can adapt it to your own student and their exam date.

The order I teach the eras in

I teach chronologically—Baroque, then Classical, then Romantic, then Modern—but I always start with an overview of the whole subject before any single era. Seeing the shape of music history first gives every later detail somewhere to attach, and it means students understand each era as part of a story rather than as an isolated block of facts. A one-page era comparison chart on the stand keeps that big picture in view the entire time.I think of it like building the pillars, the big picture, and then moving into the details gradually within each pillar.

Within each era, I work in the same order: the defining features and innovations, then the key composers and works, then the terms and dates. Concepts before facts—because the facts are far easier to hold once the concepts give them meaning.

The study tools I use

Three resources do most of the work across the run-up. The overview workbook and era comparison charts build and hold the framework. The Baroque era flashcards handle the heaviest memory load—terms and dates—through short, repeated review. This free version gives you Baroque. The workbook contains all eras. For the required listening, drawing the story of a piece with comic strips makes programme music stick far better than re-reading a description. In the workbook, you can dig deeper into piece reviews and deep-dive background detail worksheets. A Bach family tree sorts out the composer names that students most often confuse.

An eight-week countdown

Adjust the pace to your student, but this is the rhythm I aim for when there are roughly two months to the exam:

• Weeks 1–2 — the big picture. Complete the overview worksheet and meet all four eras at a glance and the required composers within each. Goal: a student can place any era in time and name what makes it distinct.
• Weeks 3–4 — Baroque and Classical. Features, composers, works, then terms and dates. Begin flashcard review of Baroque terms now and keep it going regularly.
• Weeks 5–6 — Romantic and Modern. Same pattern. Add the required listening here, using comic strips to fix the narrative of each piece.
• Week 7 — connect and compare. Return to the comparison chart and draw the links across eras. Practise short written answers and essay structure.
• Week 8 — review and mock. A full practice paper, then targeted review of whatever is still shaky. Keep flashcards going right up to exam day. If you're using the workbook along with your text, it will take you through and add a bit of review at the end.

Before exam day

In the last week, shift from learning to retrieving—short self-quizzes, a written practice paper (the RCM offers booklets of these - I highly recommend completing at least one), and light daily flashcard review rather than long new study. On the day itself, the goal is a calm, rested student who trusts the framework they have built. If you are still sorting out the logistics of the written exam, my guide to booking an RCM exam covers sessions, deadlines, and the co-requisite rule.