The Digital Diplomas in drama are available for all of our Performing Diplomas at ATCL and Communications Skills (Public Speaking) Diploma at ATCL. They enable candidates to record their performance at a place and time of their choice and then submit the video recording via our online platform to be assessed by our examiners. The exams have the same academic rigour as our face-to-face exams, and candidates gain full recognition for their achievements, with the same certificate as for the face-to-face exams.
Designed for digital
Responsive to a changing world, these exams have been designed to support teaching, learning and assessment through a digital medium.
Your performance, your choice
Sitting alongside our face-to-face diploma exams, digital exams provide even more choice and flexibility in how a regulated graded qualification can be achieved.
Digital support content
Comprehensive online resources provide support to candidates and teachers throughout their digital exam journey.
Exam requirements
At this time Digital Diplomas will be available for ATCL Performing in all subjects, and for the ATCL Communication Skills (Public Speaking). To understand how the digital exams compare to face-to-face exams, and to help candidates identify what they need to record on their video, please see the table below. Please see the syllabus specifications for full information.
Exam Element
Face-to-face Graded Exams
Digital Graded Exams
Performance
The candidate performs their prepared pieces
The candidate performs their prepared pieces
Reflection/
Discussion
The candidate has a discussion with the examiner about their performance work
The candidate reflects on their performance work using set questions
Key Skills Tasks
Candidates are presented with stimuli in the exam to respond to
The candidate(s) accesses prescribed stimuli from the Trinity website to respond to in their exam.
This stimuli is changed every two weeks. Note that the stimuli are updated on a Thursday and so the validity period is Thursday through to Wednesday of the second week. During the two-week validity period of the stimulus, the candidate(s) must do the following: access the stimulus; use that stimulus for the task; film their performance; and upload the video of their whole exam for assessment. (This only applies to ATCL Performing (Speech and Drama.)
Syllabus specification documents
Download Digital Drama Diploma Exams syllabus specification
To understand the exam requirements, you will need to read:
- The ATCL Performing Diplomas syllabus specification
- The fortnightly Key Skills Task - this only applies to ATCL Performing (Speech and Drama)
- The Reflection Task questions which are listed in the ATCL Performing Diplomas syllabus specification
- Guidance for candidates with special needs and disabilities (if applicable)
There are further support and guidance materials on the website, including instructions on how to film, upload and submit.
What you need to do next
- Select your performance pieces according to the relevant syllabus specification
- Access your key skills task from the Key Skills Tasks page - this only applies to ATCL Performing (Speech and Drama)
- Access the relevant set questions and guidance for the Reflection Task – detailed in the Guidance pages of the syllabus specification
- Download and complete your submission information form (not required for exam entries made after 16 November, this will be completed in the platform itself)
*Key Skills Task
Digital ATCL Performing Speech and Drama exams require candidates to respond to a stimulus in the Key Skills Task. For these Digital Diplomas, this stimulus is refreshed on a fortnightly basis. To find example tasks and this week's key skills tasks for this week's exams go to the Key Skills Task page.