Comparison

MTB Exams vs Brass Practice Partner

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

MTB Exams

Record and submit instrumental music exams with audio or video. This app facilitates the submission process for qualifications from grades 1 to 8, offering flexibility and convenience for learners and teachers.

Highlights
  • Record audio and video exams
  • Review and delete recordings
  • Scan and submit free choice music
  • Submit exams for marking
  • Save exams for later submission
  • Access guidance and help
  • Recording safety features
Features
Read full description

Record and submit your MTB instrumental exam using this app. This is the newest version of the MTB app and should be used for submission of all exams from February 2021 onwards. The Music Teachers’ Board are a UK based exam board providing an exciting new way to access instrumental qualifications from grades 1 to 8 in over 25 different instruments. Our exams are recorded by either the teacher or learner, submitted online and marked by our specialist examiners. As there is no visiting examiner, unlike other boards, our exams offer: - Complete flexibility over exam dates - Reduced stress levels for pupils and teachers - Optimised rate of progress - Lower costs - Specialist examiners - Convenience Visit www.mtbexams.com to learn more and find recording advice. This app is for use by both audio and video MTB centres and self-learners. To sign up as an approved MTB centre you will need to have signed up as an ‘Individual Music Teacher’ or ‘Organisation’ on our website: https://www.mtbexams.com/sign-up/. Exams can be conducted in video without a teacher or centre present. App Features: - Record in both audio and video: Using your phone or tablet you can use this app to record your MTB exam. MTB will assign you video or audio exams based on whether you centre is an audio or video centre, exam type (practical/performance) and whether you have a teacher overseeing the exam. - Review: You can listen to or watch your recording and either delete the recording or save the exam for submission. - Scan: You can scan/photo your free choice music to submit alongside your exam. - Submit: You can submit your exam recording directly to MTB for marking. You will receive your result & marksheet within 2 weeks by email and a certificate will follow in the post. - Save for later: You can save your exam for later submission. (To retake the exam, you will need to delete this saved exam). - Guidance & help: The app includes useful information and guidance before you start the exam and has a range of information to help teachers/learners with the exam process. - Recording safety features: You will be able to check your recording quality, that you have sufficient space available on your device and place your phone on to airplane mode for the duration of the exam recording to ensure your exam is not interrupted. You will also be able to add additional clips should your exam be interrupted. - Identity verification: Video exams will require you to photo the candidates ID with the MTB app during submission. - Share: Share submitted exam recordings.

About

Brass Practice Partner

Features
Read full description

Discover a new way to practise! The official ABRSM Brass app gives you the flexibility found in our Practice Partner technology. Offering over 35 piano accompaniments from Grades 1 to 5 featured in the new Brass Mix and well-known Shining Brass series, you can download the tracks you need and play them in your chosen key, at your chosen speed! With the app, you can: • Choose from accompaniments in Bb, Eb and F • Change the speed without altering the pitch and practise at a tempo that suits you • Repeat tricky passages by setting loops around them Brass Practice Partner comes with an example piece to demonstrate the app functionality. In app, you can purchase: • Individual pieces • Graded bundles containing all available pieces To use the accompaniment tracks in Brass Practice Partner, the audio must be downloaded within the app. Due to the technology used, the app does not support tracks uploaded outside of Brass Practice Partner.

Screenshots

MTB Exams4 screens
Brass Practice Partner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MTB Exams at none against Brass Practice Partner's 11. MTB Exams also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). Brass Practice Partner's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Brass Practice Partner sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. MTB Exams asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MTB Exams ships an update every 2 weeks, Brass Practice Partner every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on August 3, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 5 level
MTB Exams versus Brass Practice Partner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMTB ExamsBrass Practice Partner
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.113.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMTB Exams LtdThe Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (Publishing) Limited

In-app purchases

None

MTB Exams

No in-app purchases

11 purchases

Brass Practice Partner

One-time11
  • Jam Bouree$1.99
  • Broken Dreams$1.99
  • Open Plains$1.99
Show 8 more
  • Cumbianita para ti$1.99
  • Bragtime$1.99
  • Jiggedy Jig$1.99
  • By the River$1.99
  • Grade 4 Selection$6.99
  • Grade 2 Selection$6.99
  • Grade 3 Selection$7.99
  • Grade 5 Selection$8.99

Questions

Is MTB Exams free?
MTB Exams is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Brass Practice Partner free?
Brass Practice Partner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do MTB Exams or Brass Practice Partner have ads?
Neither MTB Exams nor Brass Practice Partner shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MTB Exams or Brass Practice Partner?
MTB Exams ships an update every 2 weeks, and Brass Practice Partner every 3 months. Most recently, MTB Exams was updated on August 3, 2026 and Brass Practice Partner on September 10, 2026.

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