ISTD exam results

[Primaballerina1]

DD was 10 when she last did a ballet exam (grade 2) she got 82 out of 100 which means she got a distinction. Is this "easy" to get or is this something that not many dancers achieve?? He is taking her G3 in Christmas as she was ill last year when she was meant to take it and DDs teacher says she will probs get distinction with a higher mark out of 100 compared to g2.

[hfbrew]

Your daughter got a fabulous mark and no, it is not easy to get.

 

However don't be disappointed if this doesn't get replicated in grade 3, remember that an exam is just the examiner's view on that occasion. It's great to get distinctions and I hope your daughter achieves this again but if she doesn't it won't affect future career prospects!

[Primaballerina1]

Thanks Hfbrew, yes I agree on what you said about the examiners view and surely it must be harder to get distinction in G3 compared to G4??

[drdance]

It might be worth looking at the ISTD website or at different dance schools' websites/social media pages to see what percentage of kids get each results etc. I don't know much about ISTD ballet as I don't teach it or follow it very much but I know that a large majority of students in good quality dance schools get distinctions in ISTD modern and tap exams, and RAD grade exams. That is by no means a comment on how 'easy' it is, but more about the quality of teaching in some schools versus others.

 

Distinctions are achievable for a lot of students with good teaching/training.

[PrincessandtheFrog]

I now go to two dance schools, one is ISTD and one is Russian. In my last ISTD exam which I got my results back, I think about a year ago, I got a merit with 79 marks (although I did trip up and had a coughing fit in the fiddle of a solo Lol ) however in my most recent Russian ballet exam I got 91 marks and got distinction. There was also a medal exam in the Russian ballet which was just a couple of months before my grade exam where every one in the class got eighty something however in my ISTD class when we have exams we all get in the sixties or seventies and distinctions are rare. It could be the people in my class or the teaching or the exam board. Although still awaiting the results for the ISTD exam which I did a week after the Russian exam but to compare wouldn't be accurate because I was ill on the day of the ISTD exam and the examiner was a bit funny. Hope who ever is reading this is still following its a bit confusing! Well done for your DD getting a distinction Primaballerina1!

Edited July 22, 2015 by PrincessandtheFrog

[PrincessandtheFrog]

* not fiddle of a solo I meant middle! I forgot how to edit posts. Arrrgggghhh!!!!

[Primaballerina1]

Thanks for the replies, have helped a lot!!

[Dance*is*life]

Princess - you reminded me of when we used to do both RAD exams and Russian Ballet exams.  We would all just pass our RAD Vocational and be grateful for doing so and then we'd pass the Russian exams with 98%!  I think it was also a question of style actually - we were not really RAD-ish as it was then!