LAMDA Exams: Qualifications With Impact by LAMDA

Qualifications With Impact

Communication & Performance Qualifications

Why LAMDA Exams?

LAMDA Exams focus on developing vital life and communication skills, enhancing creativity, and enabling learning in a fun and explorative way.

LAMDA Exams develops:

Start with the syllabi

Our syllabi include all the information required to teach LAMDA Exams, explain the structure of our qualification and marking criteria, and outline additional resources. These can be downloaded for free on the LAMDA website or purchased in paperback on our online shop.

Taking an exam

When a learner is ready, they can be entered for an exam at a Public or Private Centre, either in-person or online.

Public Centres

Found across the UK in over 30 locations, and open to learners from different teachers, schools or organisations. Often used by those who don’t have a suitable venue for private centre examinations, or have a smaller number of learners.

Private Centres

Register your school or business as a private centre. Available in the UK or internationally, private centres are the ideal solution if you have a larger number of learners needing examinations.

Online Assessments

Designed to mirror the in-person examination experience, offering the exact same value and integrity, with more flexibility for learners. Available in the UK or internationally via public or private centres.

Passing an exam

To officially gain a LAMDA qualification, a learner needs to take and pass the relevant LAMDA Exam. They will then receive a certificate to mark their achievement. Alongside their result, all learners receive a Learner Examination Report (LER) with feedback on what they’ve done well and what to work on for next time.

Through LAMDA Exams, a learner can:

Gain a Recognised Claim UCAS Points* Qualification

*Level 3 (Grade 6-8) Ofqual Regulated qualifications attract UCAS points.

Our Exams

Introductory

These qualifications are designed to build learners’ confidence and basic communication skills, and can act as a starting point before diving into our Communication or Performance syllabi.

Solo Introductory (Stages 1 – 3)

Solo Introductory qualifications are the perfect start for young learners who have never taken an exam before, and are shown to be valuable for those with English as an additional language and SEND learners. They will develop their ability to express themselves clearly by learning and performing a set poem and engaging in conversation.

Group Introductory (Stages 1 – 3)

Just like our Solo Introductory qualifications, these exams are the perfect starting point to the world of speech and drama. They focus on interaction between group members and building a supportive and collaborative environment to help learners grow as individuals.

Performance

For those interested in drama, we have a range of qualifications that promote communication, creativity and presence through performance.

Acting* (Entry – Grade

Our most popular qualifications, where learners develop their vocal, physical and interpretive skills, alongside producing authentic performances of dramatic texts. They also gain an understanding of character, context and writing style within their chosen scenes.

Devising Drama* (Entry – Grade 8)

For those with a creative flair, this qualification allows learners to

showcase their imagination, from ideas through to performance. Creating characters and writing scripts themselves, learners will develop their own scenes from scratch, growing an understanding of dramatic structure, staging and style as they go.

Miming* (Entry – Grade 8)

Using mime, learners work on coordination, control, physical awareness and precise movement of their body to articulate emotion and characterisation in their storytelling. They also evolve their physical theatre skills as they create their own scenes without using a single word.

Communication

A clear speaking voice, positive body language, enunciation and articulation can all be enhanced through our range of communication exams.

Speaking Verse and Prose* (Entry – Grade 8)

Perfect for creative individuals who want to stretch their memory skills and build a strong speaking voice, these qualifications support learners in their English literature studies. Learners explore speaking both verse and prose and use their imagination and expression to engage their audience.

Reading for Performance* (Entry

– Grade 8)

These qualifications explore the art of bringing writing to life. Learners build a performance around themes, selecting texts and forming them into an engaging recital by linking the works with their own words.

Speaking in Public* (Entry – Grade

Learners develop the confidence to deliver powerful speeches, building the foundations of effective public speaking. They’ll discover techniques to engage an audience by researching topics, writing speeches and presenting them from memory, using visual aids.

Group

Our Group qualifications are ideal for those who thrive on collaboration or want to build on their teamwork alongside their core communication, creativity and confidence skills. Designed for groups of three up to 10 - 15 learners. For more information on maximum group sizes, please view our syllabi and guidance documents.

Group Recital (Entry – Grade 3)

The group works together to create a recital made up of verse and prose selections, linked together by their own words. Speaking in unison or taking individual roles, learners will engage with the verse and prose pieces to discover creative ways of presenting them.

Choral-Speaking (Entry – Grade 3)

While exploring verse and prose pieces together, the group creates an imaginative performance that expresses the mood and themes of the text. All the members of the group speak in unison, as a chorus, breaking apart to recite lines or phrases.

Group Acting (Entry – Grade 8)

Learners work together in fun and creative ways on larger dramatic scenes. Pieces can be chosen to suit the number and specific needs of the learners involved, with every learner taking a speaking role.

Group Devising Drama (Entry – Grade 8)

Collaboration is the heart of drama. This qualification gives learners the opportunity to create their own work together, developing characters and writing their own scenes. At the higher grades, the group will explore ideas like physical theatre, the chorus and narration.

Group Musical Theatre (Entry – Grade 8)

These qualifications encourage learners to develop both their musical and acting skills as a group. Performing together as a full cast, learners build on their technical skills, deepen their understanding of the material, and bring creative responses to their scenes.

Other

Musical Theatre* (Entry – Grade 8)

Either solo or in a pair, learners will develop the skills to tell a captivating story through song with vibrant characterisation and strong acting techniques. They’ll learn how to convey mood and form a thoughtful interpretation of the songs.

Shakespeare for Performance* (Levels 1

– 3)

Designed for learners who wish to explore the iconic works of William Shakespeare, this qualification encourages a deep immersion in the Bard’s words and the particular skills required to perform them effectively.

PCertLAM*

The Level 3 LAMDA Certificate in Speech and Drama: Performance Studies combines a written assignment as well as a practical examination, and is a great next step for those who have already achieved Grade 8 in their Acting or Speaking Verse and Prose exams.

For certain examinations, Learners will need to access set pieces in LAMDA’s Acting Anthology Volume 5 or Verse and Prose Anthology Volume 20, available to purchase online, or as detailed in the Additional Set Piece list on our website. Learn more on the Our Exams page on the LAMDA website.

*The exams denoted with an asterix are regulated qualifications that are listed on the Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications and also regulated by Qualifications Wales and CCEA Regulation in Northern Ireland. Our Regulated Level 3 qualifications also attract UCAS points that can be used when applying for university.

Impact in Schools

Many schools use LAMDA Exams to help develop essential communication and oracy skills, build selfesteem and instil confidence amongst students. The engaging and fun format of the qualifications can be used to support the teaching of subjects across the curriculum, such as English, and provides the opportunity for students to participate in a rewarding arts environment.

We saw the tangible results of students getting more confident, their oracy improving, and so we embedded [LAMDA Exams] into the curriculum.

Ron Skelton,

Headteacher

at Broadway Academy

Using survey data and case studies, a recent report by the Centre for Education and Youth (CfEY) analysed the benefit of LAMDA Exams within state schools, and its broader impact on student outcomes, mental health, wellbeing and school advancement.

Builds communication, interpersonal and collaboration skills

Positive impact on mental health and wellbeing

Improved confidence and resilience in school

Encourages students’ academic development

Supports learners with special educational needs

Stronger engagement from parents

English and Literacy Success at Broadway Academy, Birmingham

Since integrating LAMDA into the curriculum at Broadway Academy, the school’s English results have gone from strength to strength. In 2019, supported by their whole-school approach to LAMDA qualifications, their students achieved a Progress 8 score of +0.45 in English, which placed the English department in the top 15% nationally for student progress. As part of this approach, every student takes a LAMDA Exam.

I’ve had a student who went on to do medicine that loved drama and LAMDA really benefited her. She was able to walk into the interview and confidently say what she wanted to do, and why, and what she was great at. Teacher

Teaching LAMDA Exams

Teachers across the world choose LAMDA Exams for their students, drawn by our world-class reputation and tangible effect on learners.

Finding a teacher

Many educational settings already have the skills to teach LAMDA Exams, with Drama or English teachers able to deliver LAMDA Exams lessons. However if you’re looking for a specialist teacher, we have a growing Directory of Teachers on the LAMDA website to enable schools and learners to find a teacher in their area. All specialist LAMDA Exams teachers are independent of LAMDA Exams.

Promote that you teach

Request leaflets and posters for your school, or access the ‘I/ We Teach LAMDA Exams’ graphic on our website. For those specialising in teaching LAMDA Exams, join the Directory of Teachers on the LAMDA website – a platform enabling schools and learners to find a teacher in their local area.

Support for teachers

From online and in-person training courses led by expert practitioners, through to free guidance resources – there are lots of opportunities to invigorate your teaching practice, boost your confidence, and help you understand the syllabi better. This includes free Additional Set Pieces lists and webinars, accessed via the LAMDA website, along with supplementary publications and anthology collections to purchase on the LAMDA online shop.

Need help with getting started?

Learn more with LAMDA

Whatever your learner’s skill-level or experience, our short courses are designed to meet different needs and audiences – whether they’re looking for their first taste of conservatoire actor training, or want to further grow their performance skills.

Explore our short courses

@lamdadrama

@LAMDAchannel

LAMDA

155 Talgarth Road

London, W14 9DA, UK

exams@lamda.ac.uk

+44 (0)20 8834 0530

Registered Office: as address.

Registered Charity No: 312821

LAMDA has been recognised as an awarding organisation by Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulations in England, and the corresponding regulatory authorities in Wales (Qualification Wales) and Northern Ireland (CCEA Regulation).