GCSE Music (8271/C) - Teacher online standardisation (T-OLS) index - Component 3: Composing music

Oct 20, 2026

GCSE Music Component 3: Composing music (8271/C) teacher online standardisation (T-OLS) index compiles marked student examples across Composition 1 (composition to a brief) and Composition 2 (free composition). The purpose is to support centres in standardising internally assessed work prior to moderation, while also exemplifying a range of marks aligned to the mark scheme. Current-year pieces are provided without marks to enable fair standardisation, with mark and commentary available on T-OLS after mark input. Version 2.0 January 2026.

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Teacher online standardisation (T-OLS) index

GCSE Music Component 3: Composing music (8271/C)

Composition 1: Composition to a brief (marks out of 36)

Composition 2: Free composition (marks out of 36)

Marked work index by original series and student title

GCSE Music (82 71/C) Teacher online standardisation (T-OLS) index Every year, we publish a range of student work for GCSE Music Component 3: Composing music (8271/C) showcasing different approaches from schools and colleges around the country. The materials cover a wide range of marks representing achievement at all levels of the mark scheme for Composition 1: Composition to a brief and Composition 2: Free composition. The primary purpose of this work is to help you standardise work for the internally assessed component before submitting marks for moderation. The examples can also support your teaching by exemplifying a range of marks. To help you find the examples you need, the tables below identify marked work found on Centre Services, within Teacher online standardisation (T-OLS) . Please note, in order to enable centres to standardise without having seen the marks in advance, the pieces of work from the current year do not include the mark. The marks and commentaries for these pieces of work are available to view on T-OLS once you have inputted your mark. Version 2.0 January 2026 8271/C GCSE Music Component 3: Composing music (marks out of 72) • Composition 1: Composition to a brief (marks out of 36 marks) • Composition 2: Free composition (marks out of 36 marks) . | Original series | Title | Description | Mark | Brief/Free | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025 | T26 Student 1 – Brief | Feeble Winters | | Brief 2 | | 2025 | T26 Student 1 – Free | Adventure Time | | Free | | 2025 | T26 Student 2 – Brief | Spooky Waltz | | Brief 1 | | 2025 | T26 Student 2 – Free | Final Loss | | Free | | 2025 | T26 Student 3 – Brief | Hope is for Us | | Brief 3 | | 2025 | T26 Student 3 – Free | Nature | | Free | | 2025 | T26 Student 4 – Brief | Up and Down | | Brief 1 | | 2025 | T26 Student 4 – Free | Melodic Peace | | Free | | 2025 | T26 Student 5 – Brief | Home Again | | Brief 2 | | 2025 | T26 Student 5 – Free | Pavement Poetry | | Free | | 2024 | T25 Student 2 – Brief | The Swimming Turtle | 26 | Brief 2 | | 2024 | T25 Student 2 – Free | Under the Weather | 13 | Free | | 2024 | T25 Student 3 – Brief | Dance Festival | 3 | Brief 1 | | 2024 | T25 Student 3 – Free | Don’t Worry Baby | 31 | Free | | 2024 | T25 Student 4 – Brief | Chinese Festival | 10 | Brief 2 | | 2024 | T25 Student 4 – Free | Wonderful Wedding Day | 32 | Free | | 2024 | T25 Student 5 – Brief | Parallel String Quartet | 36 | Brief 3 | | 2024 | T25 Student 5 – Free | Endless Dream | 25 | Free | | 2024 | T25 Student 6 – Brief | Text | 19 | Brief 3 | | 2024 | T25 Student 6 – Free | Rando in F major | 22 | Free | | 2023 | T24 Student 1 – Brief | Brief | 6 | Brief 1 | | Original series | Title | Description | Mark | Brief/Free | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2023 | T24 Student 1 – Free | Life and War | 9 | Free | | 2023 | T24 Student 2 – Brief | La piccola tartaruga | 21 | Brief 2 | | 2023 | T24 Student 2 – Free | Willow tree | 18 | Free | | 2023 | T24 Student 3 – Brief | One Text Way | 29 | Brief 3 | | 2023 | T24 Student 3 – Free | Fiesta De Las Rosa | 22 | Free | | 2023 | T24 Student 4 – Brief | Sing the Sea | 36 | Brief 3 | | 2023 | T24 Student 5 – Free | Runnin’ Around the Blues | 30 | Free | | 2019 | T21 S1A – Brief | Give Me Rock n Roll | 36 | Brief 2 | | 2019 | T21 S1B – Free | Enlightenment | 33 | Free | | 2019 | T21 S2A – Brief | Song for a musical | 5 | Brief 2 | | 2019 | T21 S2B – Free | Baka | 8 | Free | | 2019 | T21 S3A – Brief | Fanfare for Hepworth | 19 | Brief 4 | | 2019 | T21 S3B – Free | The 3rd Parade | 18 | Free | | 2019 | T21 S4A – Brief | Shapeless | 29 | Brief 4 | | 2019 | T21 S4B – Free | Groove Shaker | 28 | Free | | 2019 | T21 S5A – Brief | Odyssey | 22 | Brief 3 | | 2019 | T21 S5B – Free | Out of the blue | 21 | Free | | 2019 | T21 S6A – Brief | Subtle sax | 12 | Brief 1 | | 2019 | T21 S6B – Free | HK | 10 | Free | | 2019 | T21 S7A – Brief | Tangosnap | 24 | Brief 3 | | 2019 | T21 S7B – Free | Compo Chicken | 25

FAQs

What is the main purpose of this T-OLS index for GCSE Music?

It helps centres standardise internally assessed Composition 3 work before submitting marks for moderation. The examples also demonstrate a range of marks from the mark scheme.

Which parts of Component 3 are covered in the index?

It covers Composition 1: composition to a brief and Composition 2: free composition, with marks shown as marks out of 36 for each.

Why do current-year pieces not include marks in this document?

To enable centres to standardise without having seen marks in advance. The marks and commentaries for those pieces are available on T-OLS after you input your mark.

Oct 20, 2026

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