Graded exams in drama and communication

Five awarding organisations offer graded exams in acting, speech and performance arts. LAMDA, founded in 1861, is the oldest awarding organisation of any discipline.

5organisations awarding graded drama

1861the oldest, founded

100%externally assessed

What a graded drama exam covers

Drama grades cover acting, speech and the performance arts, building confidence, clarity and stagecraft over time.

This is the discipline whose grades reach furthest outside performance. It is as much about communication as acting, and the transferable skills the grades develop apply across the curriculum: reading, reflection, working with others and using language with purpose.

Skills that travel beyond the stage

Research indicates the importance of creative training to other fields of study, including physical co-ordination, communication skills, individuality, self-discipline and mental application. In the drama grades specifically, that extends to reading, reflection and language across the curriculum.

Recognised by OfqualMany awarding organisations are recognised by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation, and by its partners in Wales and Northern Ireland.

On the RQF, Levels 1 to 4Graded exams sit on the Regulated Qualifications Framework in England, from Grade 1 through to the advanced vocational grades in dance.

Mapped to the EQFThe RQF is mapped to the European Qualifications Framework, which improves the understanding and portability of qualifications across Europe.

Who awards them