Opinion · The exam economy
The ABRSM cash cow
A family can buy an exam entry, book the lessons that lead up to it, and begin paying toward the next grade before anyone asks what the student wants to play. The cash cow is a repeatable transaction for confirming progress in an art that rarely progresses in straight lines.
ABRSM’s Hong Kong fee table for 2026 lists HK$1,798 for Practical Grade 1 and HK$3,959 for Practical Grade 8. The UK charity register identifies ABRSM as a registered charity and records its education and publication activities. The criticism is about a market with recurring fees and clear incentives. A charity can have a valuable mission and still sit at the centre of a market that sells families a finish line every year.
The product works because everyone gets something legible. The parent gets a level, the teacher gets a deadline, and the child can point to a result. The transaction becomes a problem when it crowds out the work that has no receipt, like lifting a melody off a recording or finishing a song nobody assigned.
Before the next entry, ask the learner to name something they want to be able to do by the end of the term. Write down the answer before anyone mentions a grade. If the exam serves that answer, its fee buys something useful. If the answer is “play with my friends,” start looking for a drummer.