Rockschool Examinations

RSL’s founding ethos was to provide innovative and contemporary qualifications for music and the arts. In 1991, Rockschool transformed music education by introducing graded qualifications for contemporary musicians, covering the core instruments of electric guitar, bass, and drums.

Over time, RSL has expanded its syllabi to include teaching and performance diplomas, vocational qualifications (2005), and performance arts awards (2010), with a continued commitment to motivate and support students and teachers with practical, academically relevant, and personally rewarding qualifications.

Each syllabus is carefully developed with creativity, innovation, and industry relevance in mind. A typical Rockschool Drum Exam at every grade level (Debut – Grade 8) consists of three performance pieces, technical exercises, sight reading or improvisation and interpretation (Debut to Grade 5), stylistic studies and quick study piece (Grade 6-8), ear tests, and general musicianship questions.