The world's most trusted route for developing performers
Graded exams are a progressive series of qualifications, from first steps to a standard ready for higher education. One shared framework, four art forms, an independent assessment at every stage.
Graded exams across the performing arts
The same progressive structure runs through every discipline, so a grade means the same thing whether you sit at a piano, a barre, or under stage lights.
Music
Orchestral instruments, piano, keyboards, singing and guitar, assessed by an external examiner.
See awarding organisations
Dance
Ballet, tap, modern jazz, ballroom and contemporary, graded step by step from beginner upwards.
See awarding organisations
Drama & Communication
Acting, speech and performance, building confidence, clarity and stagecraft over time.
See awarding organisations
Musical Theatre
Singing, acting and dance drawn together into one graded, performance-ready discipline.
See awarding organisationsA benchmark understood around the world
The grades set clear, incremental standards that candidates, teachers, parents and employers can all read the same way, whether they are taken for education, for a vocation, or for the love of it.
Progressive by design
Motivational milestones from first steps to a standard of artistry appropriate for entry to higher education.
Independently assessed
Every grade ends in an assessment by an external examiner, so the result is objective and recognised.
Internationally recognised
An authoritative source of benchmarks understood in over 90 countries and by higher education worldwide.
Eight grades, one clear path
Each grade assumes mastery of the one before it. You can enter and leave the framework at any point, and progress at your own pace.
First steps
Core technique and the habit of performing to an examiner.
Building skill
Wider repertoire and more independence in preparation.
Real command
Assured technique, musicality and interpretation on show.
Ready for more
A standard of artistry suited to entry to higher education.
The grades give a young performer something rare: a clear next step, and proof from someone outside the studio that they have earned it.
A guide to graded examinations across the performing arts
Find the right exam for your discipline
Each syllabus is set by an awarding organisation. Start with your art form and we will point you to the right people.