The examinations board RSL Awards has extended the range of music accepted for use in their examinations to accommodate students from other boards.
According to RSL, following communications received both directly and via social media, RSL became aware of a number of students currently unable to take graded music exams with a variety of examination boards. In some cases, this has meant they are unable to gain the UCAS points awarded at Grades 6-8 and progress to their chosen higher education course.
Building on RSL’s recent launch of video examinations, which has students to submit recordings, the extended the range of music accepted for use in their examinations. For Piano, Keyboard, Vocals, and Acoustic Guitar, music in genres other than popular music which is set for exams of other recognised boards will be automatically accepted as free choice pieces for the equivalent grade. Candidates will also be able to check the suitability of any wider repertoire in other genres through the established Free Choice Piece checking process.
Pieces will be assessed through examination in exactly the same way as RSL’s standard repertoire using published assessment criteria to ensure that rigorous academic standards are maintained.
The inclusion of this repertoire will allow candidates to play pieces they have prepared for other graded examination boards in their RSL Awards Graded Exam. However, the number of free choice pieces allowed in RSL Graded Music exams will not change, meaning that a proportion of the music performed will continue to be in popular music styles.
RSL Awards is taking this action in the context of measures proposed by the UK Government and the examinations regulators to ensure that as many students as possible are able to achieve qualifications this year, by means of adaption to normal examination processes where necessary. The board will continue this adaptation for a period of 1 year, or until the effects of Covid-19 materially change (whichever is sooner).
RSL is offering teachers a free digital grade book. Please visit the RSL Awards website to request a copy.
