Validated Awarding Organisations

Validated Awarding Organisations

ABRSM, Tian Williams

CDMT Validates many of the world’s leading awarding organisations offering graded, vocational and diploma examinations in dance, drama, music, musical theatre and the related performing arts, ensuring excellence in provision by carrying out quality assurance inspections and annual comparability studies of assessment standards.

These organisations operate in 100+ countries globally and, pre-Covid, had an approximate combined:

  • Turnover of more than £175M each year, of which £120M is directly related to examinations activity in the performing arts. The proportion of income generated in the UK compared to overseas is in the order of 55% to 45% respectively
  • Annual examination entries in the UK of 1.1M* and 0.75M overseas. Out of a total 1.85M, 725,000 entries are in dance (39%), 925,000 in music (50%), and 200,000 in drama (11%)
  • Number of examination venues approaching 12,000 in the UK and 17,000 overseas
  • Engagement with 80,000 teachers in the UK and 100,000 overseas
  • UK staff of over 1,000 along with 2,500 examiners.

* The figures above include regulated and other provision.

This paints a thriving picture of interest in, and engagement with, the performing arts. To find out more about Graded Examinations in dance, drama, music and musical theatre, click here. The following awarding organisations have successfully undertaken the inspection process and are Validated members of the CDMT: