ABRSM Fined £150,000 After Assessment Records Were Lost

The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music has agreed to pay a £150,000 fine after England’s qualifications regulator identified serious failures in the retention and management of assessment evidence.

Three incidents during 2024 and 2025 left recordings or marking records unavailable when needed for marking reviews and a malpractice investigation.

A software fault affected 8,539 assessment recordings. Twenty candidates who sought a marking review could therefore not have their cases reconsidered using all the original evidence.

A separate deletion affected recordings and completed marking records for 16 learners, delaying results and limiting their ability to challenge marks.

In another case, 231 recordings were unavailable during an investigation into suspected malpractice involving an overseas tutor who had entered 710 learners.

Ofqual also identified approximately 72,000 certificates carrying incorrect qualification titles. ABRSM subsequently corrected the error, contacted learners and offered replacements, but its initial response was judged insufficient.

Under the settlement, ABRSM will also contribute £10,000 towards investigation and enforcement costs and commission an independent audit of its record-retention arrangements.

The regulator acknowledged that ABRSM had identified problems and introduced improvements, while stressing that accessible assessment evidence is essential to protecting candidates and maintaining confidence in qualifications.