The CCEA GCSE Music specification is for everyone who loves music: composing, playing an instrument, listening to music, or using music technology. It encourages students to develop their musical potential by focusing on performing, composing and listening.

Students can explore a range of music, including classical, pop, film, and traditional Irish music. This deepens their appreciation of the diverse heritage of music and promotes their personal, social, intellectual and cultural development.

Through the performance element of the course, students develop the skills they need to communicate effectively as musicians. This increases their self-confidence and enhances their presentation, communication and evaluation skills. The opportunity to write their own music allows them to be creative.

This qualification builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills developed through the Area of Learning The Arts and the Cross-Curricular Skill of Using ICT.

This specification is a linear qualification: students take all the assessment at the end of the course.

The specification has three components:

• Component 1: Performing and Appraising
• Component 2: Composing
• Component 3: Listening and Appraising.