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I run a stage school and I encourage all my students to take exams in ballet tap and modern as well as musical theatre. I just wondered if anyone had any examples of when they have found its been worth having these qualifications? X

I wonder that too, as a mum paying for lessons and exams.I only know one person who has gone to drama school and she struggled with auditions as she only did ballet for a short while as a child.I expect it is the quality of the training that counts? I hope you get some more replies.

For younger children I think exams are only really useful when it comes to applying for summer schools, workshops etc as it helps to place the child in the relevant level. Though obviously they are a goal or motivator for a child as well so that they can see that they are progressing. Swimming, gymnastics, reading in school all are structured on levels so they are constantly aiming to improve so why not dance aswell?

For older students, exams are not needed for entry into vocational schools where the offer of a place is based on the audition. However, some of the grades do offer UCAS points and having the proof in the form of an exam certificate can, with the personal statement, help gain places at university. One of DDs friends studies Drama and the other Dance & Theatre Studies at different universities - both involved auditions and interview and both were asked to provide copies of exam certificates for dance styles. The one doing Drama was told at the audition interview that when it came to choosing between 2 candidates with the same predicted grades, who they had liked at audition, that they would always go for a candidate who could prove all the extra curricular activity as they knew how much time and effort went into passing the grade exams and they were looking for that level of commitment from their students.

Final point - for subjects like ballet, you need to pass intermediate if you wish to be able to teach and enter students into exams yourself. A couple of my friends have done RAD teaching courses by distance learning when their children were younger and now teach part time - a job they enjoy that fits easily with family life. A friends daughter did this in a gap year before starting university and taught while at university to earn extra money.

As 2dancersmum says, the higher grade exams with RAD and ISTD (possibly other examining bodies too) are awarded UCAS points, so can be used when applying for future higher education courses in the performing arts.

Quite a lot of the application forms for workshops and holiday courses ask for grades too, as it helps them place applicants in the right level on the course if they know what level the student is working at.

Then there are things like West End shows, Matilda, Billy Elliot and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory where they often give a required grade of dance for audition purposes.