Plan an extended performance and research report
Understand the requirements and preparation process for Extended Performance while keeping the performance and report the candidate's own work.
Exam scope and assessment notes
Original StudyForA teaching and practice, not Cambridge-authored questions, official audio, mark schemes or grades. The prescribed works change by syllabus year; use the exact Cambridge syllabus, score and lawful complete recordings for the exam year. These lessons teach transferable analysis and do not yet teach every set work in full. Listening drills use invented, text-based examples, not licensed audio or automated aural recognition. Live performance, composition portfolio assessment, centre supervision, moderation and exam entry require a school/centre. Private candidates cannot enter for 9483. Assessed compositions, research reports, essays and reflections must remain the learner’s own work: this coach can explain requirements and give general study feedback, but must not draft or edit submissions.
Before you begin
- Cambridge recommends prior study equivalent to IGCSE or O Level Music. These lessons assume basic musical vocabulary; begin with score literacy and listening evidence, then follow the route that matches your AS/A Level components.
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
What makes a music-analysis response dependable?
What you will learn
- Understand the 15–20 minute performance and 1000–1500 word report at A Level
- Plan repertoire, technical preparation and a focused research question
- Follow independent-authorship and centre submission rules
Component 3 joins practice and reflection
The current 9483 syllabus describes a 15–20 minute performance and a 1000–1500 word research report. The component is an A Level option, not part of the AS-only route.
Choose repertoire that gives a coherent programme and supports a genuine musical focus. Check current instrument, recording, repertoire and report requirements with the teacher and syllabus.
Research and report independently
A report can investigate a musical or performance question through reliable sources, score/recording evidence and the candidate's own preparation. Keep citations and distinguish observation from source claims.
The candidate must write the assessed report independently. StudyForA may explain research methods and citation basics, but must not choose a thesis, draft, rewrite or edit the candidate's submission.
Sources for this lesson
Pause and explain
What is the A Level Component 3 performance duration in the 2029–2030 syllabus?
Worked example
A candidate's programme contains several unrelated pieces and the report topic is ‘music’. Give a planning approach, not a thesis.
Show the worked solution
- Look for a genuine shared musical question or contrast across the repertoire.
- Check that the programme still offers stylistic and technical range.
- Confirm the exact component requirements and refine a question with the teacher.
Answer The candidate can list recurring performance questions across the pieces, such as articulation, ornamentation or ensemble balance, then test whether one is focused enough for independent research. The teacher should confirm the programme and current rules; the candidate develops and writes the report themselves.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
A learner asks for a research-report topic based on two pieces. What questions can help them choose one independently?
Give me a hint
Use questions that reveal their own interests and available evidence.
Compare my reasoning
- Ask what performance feature they genuinely want to understand.
- Ask what score, recordings or practice evidence they can access.
- Have the learner compare possible questions with the teacher and syllabus rules.
The coach can ask which interpretive or technical issue the learner has noticed, what reliable evidence is available, and whether the issue can be explored within the report limit. The learner chooses and frames the question with teacher guidance; the AI should not supply the assessed argument.
Look for these in your work
- Prompts learner agency
- Checks available evidence
- Preserves independent topic choice
A report draft quotes an online blog about historical performance but gives no source details. What research checks are needed?
Give me a hint
Assess authority, corroboration and citation.
Compare my reasoning
- Record author, date, publisher and purpose.
- Check the claim against the score and another reliable source.
- Cite the source according to the centre's required method.
The learner should identify who wrote the blog, what expertise and evidence it uses, and whether its claim agrees with the score or a reliable scholarly or institutional source. They should cite the source and distinguish it from their own listening observations.
Look for these in your work
- Evaluates source
- Seeks corroboration
- Separates evidence types
A performance is 21 minutes, just beyond the published duration. What is the responsible next step?
Give me a hint
Confirm the current requirements and consult the teacher before changing repertoire.
Compare my reasoning
- Check which syllabus year and component rules apply.
- Ask the centre how timing is measured and what the accepted range is.
- Make any programme change with teacher guidance and preserve musical coherence.
The candidate should confirm the exact current limit and timing method with the teacher or centre. If the duration is over the limit, they should revise the programme under that guidance and retest the full duration; they should not assume an informal tolerance applies.
Look for these in your work
- Checks the current syllabus
- Uses centre guidance
- Plans a coherent revision
Common mistakes
- Choosing a report topic too broad to investigate
- Letting the AI write or rewrite the assessed report
- Planning repertoire without checking current submission requirements
What can you explain now?
What is the A Level Component 3 performance duration in the 2029–2030 syllabus?
Compare with the explanation
15–20 minutes
The exact syllabus year is authoritative for current instructions.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
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Make it stick
Which parts of Component 3 are assessed, and which must the candidate author independently?
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.