RSL Awards
Rockschool and RSL Classical graded exams - contemporary and classical pathways from Premiere and Debut to Grade 8.
What is RSL?
RSL Awards (formerly Rockschool Ltd) is a UK awarding body founded on “an ethos to provide innovative, contemporary qualifications for the creative industries”. It is regulated by Ofqual, Qualifications Wales, CCEA, and Qualifications Scotland, examines more than 100,000 candidates a year through 1,500+ centres in over 50 countries, and has been running for over 35 years.
Its music qualifications come in two families - Rockschool for contemporary instruments and RSL Classical for piano, violin, and guitar - plus Popular Music Theory and Music Production. Every graded exam can be taken as a full Grade Exam, a five-piece Performance Certificate, or a recorded Graded Certificate.
- Regulated by
- Ofqual, Qualifications Wales, CCEA, Qualifications Scotland
- Levels
- Premiere → Debut → Grades 1–8 → Diplomas
- Results
- Pass 60, Merit 74, Distinction 90 (out of 100)
- Formats
- Face-to-face, live-stream digital, recorded digital
- UCAS points
- Grades 6–8 across instruments, theory, and production
RSL certifications
Each syllabus has its own page with the grade ladder, exam structure, marks, and a step-by-step path.
Rockschool
The original contemporary syllabus: guitar, bass, drums, vocals, piano, keys, ukulele, and horns from Premiere to Grade 8.
Explore Rockschool →RSL Classical
Classical piano, violin, and guitar with a 21st-century repertoire - same grades, same exam types as Rockschool.
Explore RSL Classical →Popular Music Theory
Theory for band musicians - notation, harmony, band knowledge, and analysis, taken online from Debut to Grade 8.
Explore Popular Music Theory →How results are graded
Every graded exam is marked out of 100 and reported in these bands.
UCAS points at Grades 6–8
Grades 6 to 8 sit at Level 3 on the UK Regulated Qualifications Framework and count towards UK university applications.
| Grade | Pass | Merit | Distinction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 |
| Grade 7 | 12 | 14 | 16 |
| Grade 8 | 18 | 24 | 30 |
| Grade | Pass | Merit | Distinction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Grade 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Grade 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
Artium courses that prepare you for RSL
Live, 1-on-1 classes that follow the syllabus - your teacher picks the grade and Artium’s exam team handles enrolment.