Roughly how long does it take to prepare for an RAD exam?

[Guest]

Completely agree Legseleven. My dd has encountered some criticism at school for not being sufficiently engaged in extracurricular activities. Not easy to explain how all consuming dance can be. But dance exam certificates do help here and it came as a very pleasant surprise to discover that you get points. But we do like exams best when they are over.

[sarahw]

Speaking personally in non dancing areas for me and for my kids in dance/gym/music - exams do provide a motivation to really work hard and perfect skills before moving onto the next stage. Passing does give a positive feeling of attainment and success. (Quite an expensive way to get it!)

 

Of course exams aren't everything and I know some are terrified/don't want/ can't afford to take them and they shouldn't be disadvantaged.

[BadBallerina]

I took about a year on 2 hours a week ( 1 un-set class ) to do my Grade 3 but I've recently done my Grade 6 in 5 months also on 1 hour of that syllabus class and still got a high distinction but I take other classes as well. I agree that exams aren't always the best option as it is a limited range of movement, I've learned a lot of moves out with the set classes but (I don't know if it's already been said but) once you are at the higher levels it is worth taking the exams to get UCAS points in Britain anyway because if you get high marks, it is worth almost the same as an A in A-Levels!

[Yorkshire Pud]

If you achieve a Distinction in the RAD Advanced Foundation exam you will earn 70 UCAS points which falls midway between a Grade C and D at A2 level.

 

From September 2017 a distinction at Advanced Foundation will be worth 24 points, which will equate to a Grade D at A2 level.

Edited June 20, 2015 by Yorkshire Pud

[Guest]

Silly question - are credits the same thing as points? IF certificate says its worth 28 credits.

[BadBallerina]

Oh! I live in Scotland and so they're equivalent to an A at National 5 at least, I've probably got confused translating it into the English School System but it's still worth having

[Picturesinthefirelight]

No, credits are not the same as points.

 

Credits show the size of the qualification & are awarded from Level 1 to Level 8. One credit is roughly 10 hours of learning.

 

Only Level 3 qualifications attract UCAS points - how many points depends on both the size of the qualification & the grade achieved.

 

Grades 6-8, Intermediate & Advanced Foundation are Level 3 qualifications.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

IF is a Level 2 qualification, the same level as a GCSE so does not attract UCAS points

[Guest]

Thank you - so something to look forward to next exam.

[goodtoes]

Gosh, this is interesting to read.  And a bit worrying really...

 

My daughter only started studying RAD in January this year - she has had 2 lessons a week, but one is 45 minutes and the other around 30 (in her lunch break at school) and during term time only.  She has her Grade 3 exam a week today.  Her teacher seems quite confident about her, and she *does* know all the exercises (and practises most days at home) but I am now concerned that this is not going to be a positive experience for her... :s

[Harwel]

I doubt there is any reason to be concerned goodtoes. I'm sure her teacher wouldn't put her in if she didn't feel she was ready.

[goodtoes]

I hope you are right.  Messing it up would probably knock her confidence somewhat...

[sarahw]

It's not usually in a teacher's interest (reputation wise) to enter children who aren't ready. I'm sure your dd will be fine - let us know how she gets on.

[MumToTu]

Good luck too to your DD, mine also has her grade 3 this Thursday actually, after one year of lessons 1 hour a week, but she does do 2 associate programmes to compliment them. She looked lovely and very well prepared in her parent viewing class and is very excited :-)

[Pups_mum]

I think that there is a huge amount of variation as to what the "right" amount of time is, and it will vary from student to student and grade to grade. I don't think my Dd ever did the "recommended" hours for any of the graded exams, and she got comfortable distinctions for them all. (She's taken the vocational grades rather more slowly though - both because they are obviously more demanding and because she has been doing other things.)

I think it depends on personality, and learning style as well as ability. DD is a quick learner initially, and gets to be pretty competent fairly fast. But then she plateaus and, left long enough on the same thing probably starts to get worse at it! Another student may well take longer to get to grips with the same work initially, but might continue to steadily improve and ultimately reach a higher standard. So it's probably best not to compare too much. A good teacher will neither push too hard or hold a student back I'm sure.

[taxi4ballet]

Yes, I agree about some students staying too long doing the same thing. My dd would stagnate, get bored, lose motivation and consequently stop trying. She gave up modern for exactly that reason - the teacher wouldn't move her up until she improved, but she'd been doing the same grade for so long (nearly 3 years with 2 teacher changes) she was sick of it and really didn't want to be there any more.

[Cara in NZ]

My DD was moved up from RAD Gr 3 last year, into IF this year. She was one of the oldest in Gr 3, but it seemed like a big jump. She was supposed to have 18 months before the exam but now has been told to enter in Sept, ie with 8 months of syllabus work. She has been doing four lessons a week (1 hour each) plus a private lesson to help work on her 'gaps'. I got worried about her passing but you can look at RAD exam pass rates for around the world and the UK on the RAD website. I found it very reassuring that (through the grades AND vocational) you see the same spreads of results – about 25-30% get Distinction; 60-65% get Merit, and only 5-6% get Pass. The fail rate is tiny (0.1-0.2%). So now I figure that I just won't worry about it as it's pretty hard to do badly!

[taxi4ballet]

Cara, 18 months is probably about right for 1-2 classes a week at that level, but since your dd is doing a lot more than that I'm sure she will do well. Teachers don't tend to enter their students for exams unless they think they will be ready, she will be fine - don't worry!

[Guest]

Cara, I think the results speak for themselves - that around 95% of RAD exam candidates are getting a merit or better. Your d's teacher must think well of her to have moved her up to IF, and it sounds like she's working really hard - so best of luck to her

[Cara in NZ]

Thanks taxi and mnemo! I know she is doing well – it may sound ungrateful but I just wish they had moved her up earlier on, ie missing Gr 2 or 3 rather than making the jump from Gr 3 to vocational. It's been very good for her though, going from being one of the oldest and best to being one of several talented kids in with teenagers (who must feel slightly invaded by all these 11 and 12 yr olds doing the exam in their first year when they are on their second year of IF!)

[Haggis]

I remem BBC er asking if grades were important when my son was auditioning for Yr 7 entry. Some of the other candidates were preparing inter foundation and he had only done grade 2. True to their word, it didn't make a difference.

[Haggis]

Lol...don't know what the BBC have to do with it !!

[munchkin16]

I feel I should point out as someone who has been through the UCAS system, that the value of these points varies dramatically depending on where you wish to apply to. For example, a high level Russell group university will not accept the points at all. They ask for A level grades only to base acceptance on, such as 3 A's. any points from a grade 8 ballet exam isn't going to be taken into account as they simply don't look at UCAS points as far as I am aware.

 

For some universities they ask for say 240 UCAS points but specify that they can only come from 3 a levels so again essentially the equivalent of 3 B grades or something. They won't allow you to include additional points in this.

 

I have not yet come across a university that has stated in it's requirements that the UCAS points can come from elsewhere. I'm sure they exist but if you are looking at a competitive university this will not be the case.

 

That does not mean the exams are wasted. You can mention them in your personal statement as an example of achievements outside of school but again the grades aren't necessary. Simply stating you have studied ballet at a high level and what skills it has given you such as dedication, time management will be beneficial at demonstrating a good student who is well rounded.

 

Not to be pessimistic just thought I'd try and point out that sometimes ballet teachers push exams because 'ooh you get UCAS points' when that isn't necessarily all that beneficial and that ballet can help you with your application but you don't need to push for the exams just to get that benefit.

[taximom]

UCAS points will come into play if you are considering a dance degree. You include the details in the qualifications section, mention it in your Personal Statement and the university concerned will usually make you a lower offer however it is entirely at their discretion and I have not heard of anyone considering a non dance degree where their dance exams have had an impact on their offer.

 

Heather

Aka Taximom

[Legseleven]

I absolutely agree, munchkin16. Although DD wouldn't want to try to 'use' the points she holds due to her ballet exams and wouldn't be able to do so for the universities and courses she is considering , she is pleased that she can refute all those casual comments about ballet at a high level not being hard work/being a waste of time/being worthless because she doesn't want to make dance her career, etc etc by confirming that her ballet exam results have given her a recognised number of points. 

 

It's worthwhile noting that DD's ballet teacher once received a phone call from the head of a leading university's medical admissions panel (and this was before RAD exams were accredited) to let her know how impressed they were with her student's explanation of what she had gained by studying ballet for years and how those skills and that dedication, persistence even in the face of difficulties and in pain, teamwork, time management etc would assist her with a medical degree. She was at RAD Advanced level. Apparently she went straight to the top of their 'acceptances' list. 

[munchkin16]

Of course yes, I was only referring to those who maybe do ballet as a recreational activity and are looking at non danced based university courses. My ballet teacher kept trying to push the grades for us even though we were looking at academic courses so I just wanted to make sure no one is being misled in thinking grades in ballet will be a significant advantage in applying for university. Possibly when they are being taken at the same time as A level exams and I know there are a lot of time pressures

[munchkin16]

[quote name="Legseleven" post="136040" timestamp="

 

It's worthwhile noting that DD's ballet teacher once received a phone call from the head of a leading university's medical admissions panel (and this was before RAD exams were accredited) to let her know how impressed they were with her student's explanation of what she had gained by studying ballet for years and how those skills and that dedication, persistence even in the face of difficulties and in pain, teamwork, time management etc would assist her with a medical degree. She was at RAD Advanced level. Apparently she went straight to the top of their 'acceptances' list.

 

That's sort of what I was trying to highlight in the highly competitive nature of university admissions these days, making yourself seem different, interesting and stand out is important especially when looking at two people with the same grades. If you can make ballet seem like an extra advantage through your personal statement it could give that little extra bonus in getting you an offer over someone else.

[munchkin16]

[quote name="Legseleven" post="136040" timestamp="

 

It's worthwhile noting that DD's ballet teacher once received a phone call from the head of a leading university's medical admissions panel (and this was before RAD exams were accredited) to let her know how impressed they were with her student's explanation of what she had gained by studying ballet for years and how those skills and that dedication, persistence even in the face of difficulties and in pain, teamwork, time management etc would assist her with a medical degree. She was at RAD Advanced level. Apparently she went straight to the top of their 'acceptances' list.

 

That's sort of what I was trying to highlight in the highly competitive nature of university admissions these days, making yourself seem different, interesting and stand out is important especially when looking at two people with the same grades. If you can make ballet seem like an extra advantage through your personal statement it could give that little extra bonus in getting you an offer over someone else.

[2dancersmum]

Almost all of DD's friends from school that she danced with up to the age of 16 did A levels and went onto university for academic degrees. Ballet had always been recreational, even those that did advanced grades. Several of them went for degrees in law and medicine and all of them were questioned about their ballet in their interviews. Two of them were actually told in the interview (different courses and unis) that they liked students that had showed commitment to dance to such a level because it showed them that the students were hard workers, good at managing their time and that they could still achieve good grades while still having a life outside of academic study.

[Legseleven]

It was lovely to hear about the medical admissions panel's view, which proves that extracurricular activities can and do make the difference in making a candidate a more attractive overall proposition than another candidate who may have achieved identical grades but has little, if anything, else to set them apart. DD has friends who do nothing outside school except for their homework - and these are academic students - because they believe that high grades alone will get them onto competitive courses at competitive universities. I hope they are right but when so many students seem to achieve straight A*s I'm not sure how university admissions tutors will decide between them, unless it's by considering other achievements and skills.

[Dance*is*life]

I have just got back from an evening in memory of a dear friend, who died of cancer last week.  He was a ballet dancer, teacher and company admin, who fought cancer for years.  There was a short video shown of him and in it he said that the discipline of ballet kept him going.  He continued taking class, performing in character roles and coming to the office as long as he was able to and ballet was his life line.  This is not something I would wish on anyone, but there is indeed something about that "the show must go on" attitude, which I find gets me through difficult times too.

[aileen]

You have to get high grades for medicine (GCSE onwards) but that is not enough. An extra-curricular activity pursued to a high level will make a difference but relevant volunteering or work experience is also very important. 'Good' and aspiring schools encourage their students to pursue extra-curricular activities but the importance of extra-curricular activities is often over-stated. For most competitive courses and universities it's grades and evidence of a genuine enthusiasm for the subject that matter.

[Guest]

It starts to sound like the 'What did the Romans ever do for us' speech  . What do you need to succeed with Oxbridge or Russell group applications? well nothing, except; very high grades in a wide range of subjects, evidence of extracurricula excellence (sport music and dance all good) evidence of volunteering and work experience (DoE etc, part time job, summer intern) serious passion for the subject, a USP subject (latin and greek are all the rage) - oh and out of the box original thinking that rises to difficult concepts. My d (age 15) was invited to an Oxford experience day and was treated to inter alia a lecture on 'The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle' which I am pretty sure I did not do until 1st year undergrad. Who would be a teenager in 2015???