Nervous candidates with their equally nervous teacher and some eager parents gather outside the examination room. Students tiptoe in, one at a time, while others try and listen to what is going on inside. At regular intervals the door opens and a flushed face emerges, arms flailing with success, or shoulders hunched over a not-so-good rendering. But one person is always cheered: "The examiner is so nice!" Five hundred thousand candidates go through this every year at TRINITY GUILDHALL examinations all over the world, and India has the highest number of candidates (well over 15,000)-second only to the UK.
"TRINITY GUILDHALL is a leading international examinations board with a difference. Our reputation rests on our continuing ability to provide respected qualifications both in the English language and across a growing range of disciplines in the performing arts. But what sets us apart is our focus on the learner, every learner. Our exams and assessments are designed to help students and trainees progress; to mark an achievement at each stage of their development, and at all levels of competence, on a journey towards fulfilment of their own individual talents and abilities."
TRINITY GUILDHALL combines the resources of London's Trinity College Drama and Speech and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama to offer assessment across a range of performance and communication skills-encompassing all aspects of Speech and Drama, Acting Skills, Musical Theatre, Communication Skills and Performance Arts for candidates of any age and any level.
Recognised in England by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), highly qualified examiners with the backing of leading specialists and academics, assess candidates in a free choice of repertoire, encouraging them to explore the literature and the art of our own cultural roots, and that of the US and other English speaking countries.
Trinity Guildhall does not insist on a successive progression of grades. Nor does the system suggest an ideal age for a select grade, which opens up possibilities of seeking a qualifying certificate even after retirement.
| Trinity Examinations | U.S. academic equivalent for Drama & Speech |
|---|---|
| Graded Examinations | |
| Initial | No generally accepted equivalence exists in the U.S. educational system |
| Grade 1 | |
| Grade 2 | |
| Grade 3 | |
| Grade 4 | Reflects proficiency equivalent to that obtained by completion of a secondary school gifted and talented class or program. Equivalent to 1 High School Credit in a gifted course in the subject matter. |
| Grade 5 | |
| Grade 6 | Equivalent to obtaining an A Level Pass at the Undergraduate level (up to 10 Freshman Undergraduate college credits in the examined subject). Completing Grade 8 represents achievement equivalent to substantial progress towards an undergraduate diploma or degree. |
| Grade 7 | |
| Grade 8 | |
| Performer's Certificate | |
| Professional Diplomas | |
| Associate (ATCL) | Equivalent to at least an Undergraduate Performance Diploma from an American conservatory in the examined subject. The ATCL is equivalent up to 60 advanced undergraduate credits from an accredited conservatory, college or university. |
| Licentiate (LTCL) | Reflects proficiency equivalent to 3 years of graduate studies or a Graduate Performance Diploma from an American conservatory or university in the examined subject. |
| Fellowship (FTCL) | Measures proficiency equivalent to an Artist Diploma in Performance or a Masters Degree in non-performance subjects, i.e. FTCL in Education Studies (Musical Theatre). |
*Please note that in the decentralised system of education found in the United States there is no standard admissions policy; each college determines its own.
