Graded exams in every performing art
Music, dance, drama and musical theatre each follow the same graded framework, delivered by their own awarding organisations. Start with your art form.
From first notes to concert standard
Graded music exams span orchestral instruments, piano, keyboards, singing and guitar, with a graded route for practical performance and, at many organisations, for theory alongside it.
- Practical performance assessed by an examiner, grade by grade.
- Technical work, repertoire and aural tests set out clearly per grade.
- Recognised progression towards higher education in music.
Technique and artistry, built step by step
Graded dance exams cover ballet, tap, modern jazz, ballroom and contemporary, among others, giving dancers a clear ladder of technical and performance standards.
- Genre-specific grades so a standard means the same across a style.
- Technique and performance assessed together by an examiner.
- A route into vocational training and higher education in dance.
Voice, presence and the craft of performance
Graded exams in drama and communication develop acting, speech and performance skills, building confidence and clarity that reach well beyond the stage.
- Acting, speech and communication assessed across the grades.
- Confidence and clarity that support learning in every subject.
- Solo and paired options depending on the awarding organisation.
Three disciplines, one performer
Musical theatre grades bring singing, acting and dance together into a single graded discipline, assessing the all-round performer the stage actually asks for.
- Singing, acting and dance assessed as one connected skill.
- Repertoire from the musical theatre canon chosen per grade.
- Strong preparation for auditions and vocational courses.
Designed to build, not to box you in
Every syllabus follows the same cumulative logic: the outcomes for each grade assume mastery of the grades before it, with clear components and no mandated coursework.
Cumulative outcomes
Each grade builds on the last, so progress is genuine and never skips a step.
Flexible delivery
Clear components for technical work, tests and theory, with no prescribed course to follow.
Transitional support
When a syllabus is revised, transitional arrangements help candidates move across smoothly.