Devising Drama
Qualification Suite
Performance
Levels
Entry Level, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3
Regulatory Status
Ofqual, Qualifications Wales and CCEA Regulation
Assessment Format
Available in-person and online
About the exam
Transform an idea into a performance. Ideal for those with an abundance of imagination, Devising Drama encourages learners’ artistry and creativity as they discover how to build their own scenes from scratch.
Provided with a list of themes to select from, learners are in charge of every step of the process, creating the characters and writing the scripts themselves.
As they progress to the higher grades, they develop an understanding of dramatic structure and staging, using movement and mood, style and space, with the opportunity to perform short improvised scenes for Level 3 – unplanned and unscripted.
Exam structure
Learners can either take their exam by themselves (solo) or in a pair with a fellow learner (duologue). For a larger number of learners, visit the Group Devising Drama qualification to allow a group to take the exam together.
Please note, Devising Drama is not available as a remote online assessment (ROA) at Level 3.
Type of exam:
Solo or Duologue
Time allowance:
Solo: 10 minutes
Duologue: 15 minutes
The exam involves:
- Devising and performing one scene as detailed in the syllabus
- Answering questions related to their performance
For full details, use the Performance Graded Exams Syllabus (2024).
Type of exam:
Solo or Duologue
Time allowance:
Solo: 15 minutes
Duologue: 25 minutes
The exam involves:
- Devising and performing two scenes as detailed in the syllabus
- Answering questions related to their performance
For full details, use the Performance Graded Exams Syllabus (2024).
Type of exam:
Solo or Duologue
Time allowance:
Solo: 20 minutes
Duologue: 30 minutes
The exam involves:
- Performing two scenes devised by the learner, as detailed in the syllabus
- Answering questions related to their performances
For full details, use the Performance Graded Exams Syllabus (2024).
Type of exam:
Solo or Duologue
Time allowance:
Grades 6 & 7: Solo: 25 minutes, Duologue: 35 minutes
Grade 8: Solo: 30 minutes, Duologue: 40 minutes
The exam involves:
- Performing two scenes devised by the learner as detailed in the syllabus
- Performing one short, improvised scene based on a stimulus provided by the examiner
- Answering questions related to their performances
For full details, use the Performance Graded Exams Syllabus (2024).
