Founded in 1889, the ABRSM was first governed by Sir Alexander MacKenzie and Sir George Grove. The former was the principal of the Royal Academy of Music and the latter the director of the Royal College of Music and they came up with idea of uniting both institutes through a single examining body.
The purpose of the theory exams set out by the ABRSM is to aid the students' understanding of music so that they can become a more versatile and knowledgeable musician. Through the study of music theory, students can approach musical compositions with confidence they wouldn't necessarily have without this knowledge.
Because of its affiliations with leading musical associations such as the Royal College of Music, it is commonly thought that the ABRSM theory exams are only for those with exceptional proficiency in music. This is not the case as the ABRSM offers graded exams for all skill levels starting at first grade.