Shakespeare
About the Shakespeare exam
LAMDA’s Shakespeare qualification is designed for learners who wish to explore the work of the world’s most famous writer in the English language.
With a syllabus based around the plays and sonnets of William Shakespeare, these exams encourage a deep immersion into Shakespeare’s words and the development of the technical skills required to perform them confidently and creatively.
At Levels Two and Three, learners can either take the exam by themselves (solo) or in a pair (duologue).
Teaching the Shakespeare exam
Find Teacher Support Materials for this examination on our Download Centre.
LAMDA is recognised to award qualifications on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) in England by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), in Wales by Qualifications Wales (QiW), and in Northern Ireland by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA).
All Solo Shakespeare exams are available online. Find out how to book here.
What does the exam involve?
Type of exam: Solo
Time allowance: 15 minutes
- Performing one speech from memory, taken from a play by William Shakespeare
- Answering questions about the performance
Please see the syllabus for full details.
Type of exam: Solo or Duo
Time allowance: Solo: 20 minutes, Duologue: 30 minutes
- Performing two scenes from memory, taken from different plays by William Shakespeare, as detailed in the syllabus
- Answering questions related to the performance
Please see the syllabus for full details.
Type of exam: Solo or Duo
Time allowance: Solo: 30 minutes, Duologue: 40 minutes
- Two scenes from memory, taken from different plays by William Shakespeare
- One sonnet as detailed in the syllabus
- Answering questions about the performance
Please see the syllabus for full details.
The Shakespeare exam structure really supports academic studies, as well as acting as a useful bridge between other syllabi grades.
Requirements
Full details of the requirements, assessment criteria and regulations can be found in the LAMDA Shakespeare Examinations Syllabus.
Resources
All our syllabi are available for download, or you can purchase our full range of publications from our online shop.
You will need:
- Shakespeare Examinations Syllabus
These might also be useful:
- Teacher support material graded examinations in Shakespeare
- Knowledge Matters Volume 3
