Operations
Q: How do I book an exam date?
A: Either give us a call or email us at
paa@rslawards.com with your proposed date, and we will look into availability and get back to you as soon as possible.
Q: How do I enter my candidates for an exam?
A: Once you have booked a date via email and completing our booking form, you can visit our secure online entry section and complete your booking. You can enter by the following link:
secure.rockschool.co.uk/sign-in Q: The link isn’t working on my device?
A: This site can sometimes be troublesome using Safari on Apple devices. If using an apple device, you should try following this link on another browser such as Google chrome.
Q: It is my first time doing PAA exams with RSL. Do I need to create an account?
A: Yes – you will need an account to be set up for you. When you submit your booking form to us by email, we will create an account for your school and send you the details to log in.
Q: Will the exams fit with my usual timetable?
A: We can start the exam day at your chosen time and can adapt to your timings accordingly.
Q: My candidate has lost their certificate. Can I get a replacement?
A: Yes. Please email us at
paa@rslawards.com giving full details of the candidate exam details and we can arrange a replacement for you. Replacement certificates cost £10.
Q: I have already completed my entries on the website. Can I add additional candidates?
A: Yes, as long as this is done in advance of the exam day. No entries can be added on the day.
Q: How do examiners identify candidates?
A: Candidates being assessed must wear a number on their front and back. Numbers must be provided by the School/Principal/Teacher and are not provided by RSL.
Syllabus
Q: Can I combine grades within the group performances?
A: Yes, that is no problem. If you are doing group exams, the length of performance must be at the minimum requirement for the highest grade in the group.
Q: Can I combine grades within the technical exercises and/or understanding and reflection discussion?
A: This is not advised, as the requirements for each grade varies. Groups should be split in to smaller groups to facilitate the technical skills demonstration and understanding and reflection discussion at each grade.
Q: It says on the syllabus that a maximum of 8 candidates can be in one performance. It is likely that I'll have somewhere between 16 -24 pupils take part so would this mean that we'll have to perform 2 or 3 times?
A: The syllabus guideline of 8 candidates is really just to show how many candidates can be examined at once within the timeframe specified in the syllabus for that grade. If you have larger groups, we will likely send more than one examiner so more than 8 candidates can be assessed at once within that time. Sometimes, examiners will ask that sections of the performance are repeated.
Q: At the moment we only have one student taking grade 2, should this stay the case, can we have another (non-examined) student come into the skills test to be their pair?
A: Yes, this is no problem. The candidate will wear a number on their front and back but the non-examined student will not wear any numbers.
Q: My teachers have asked me to clarify who chooses the scenarios/technicals for the exam? i.e whether they show dance, singing and/or drama to the examiner.
A: The teacher must choose the technical discipline for Grades 1 – 5 candidates, whereas candidates taking Grade 6 – 8 can choose which discipline they would like to demonstrate individually. At Grade 1 – 5 candidates in the same group demonstrate the same technical skill. If you have large numbers on your exam day, you can split these groups so that Grade 1- 5 candidates can demonstrate different technical skills but it is advised to keep them all the same for ease of teaching and facilitating on the exam day.
Q: Do candidates present a full production with costume and lighting etc?
A: It is not necessary to stage a high-tech production unless you want to or you are already planning to do this. Show Exams (where the whole school performs together) and Group Exams (where smaller groups, usually of similar age or grade, perform together) can be presented in school uniform or plain clothing in a rehearsal room/studio. Exam material can be short sections from published works, a mixture of songs/numbers from various different works or original work written specifically for your students. It is up to you.
Q: Can individual candidates take a PAA exam?
A: No, PAA exams are group exams and there must be a minimum of two candidates. Furthermore, there is a minimum half-day fee to cover the examiner coming to your venue so lower candidate numbers are expensive for schools to facilitate and are not advised.
Q: How do I select appropriate repertoire material for my candidates?
A: Firstly, take a look at the ‘Suggested Repertoire’ resource on the PAA webpage. This will offer repertoire suggestions and will enable you to more confidently select alternative repertoire. RSL does not provide compulsory repertoire lists because we want teachers to select repertoire suitable for their individual students depending on their strengths and what they love to perform!
Q: Who operates the music in the exam?
A: Principals/Teachers must operate the music in the exam and must provide all of the music tracks. However, for the Street Dance freestyle and the Jazz Dance improvisation, the RSL examiner will provide the music track because it must be an unknown track to the candidates. The compulsory music for the Musical Theatre Debut technical demonstration is available free of charge on the PAA webpage.
RSL Awards 