RAD Examination Information

Royal Academy of Dance Examinations 2026

We are pleased to announce that Royal Academy of Dance entries for 2026 are now open, with a closing date of Friday 27th March. Estimated date of exams is Friday 4th and Saturday 5th September but these dates are subject to RAD confirmation.

The RAD exams offer a wonderful opportunity for goal setting and a sense of achievement as well as providing direction and purpose to a student’s ballet journey for the year.

The page below contains all relevant information on extra lesson requirements, costings for each grade, the booking link to enter students into the exams and a small fun video from previous examination sessions.

We have also included the link to the Royal Academy of Dance Autumn Intensive which is held between Monday 13th April to Thursday 16th April (inclusive) at McDonald College in North Strathfield. We highly recommend this extra training to all our students, as the classes are taught by experienced RAD Examiners and Mentors.


For further information regarding private lessons please get in touch by emailing your class teacher at: teachers@teresajohnsonballet.com


What to expect on the Exam Day

On examination day, entrants perform their prepared syllabus exercises and dances, in small groups (maximum 4), in front of a Royal Academy of Dance examiner. All Examination and Class Award participants receive a report and certificate approximately six weeks after the Examination. All graded examination entrants receive a medal for results of Pass or higher.

The result classification for the examinations are as follows:

Preparation

To participate in the Examination process students are required to attend a minimum of two ballet classes per week for grades and three ballet classes a week for vocational grades. They are also required to attend the compulsory examination preparatory classes and mock examination. 

Students preparing for Examinations and Class Awards must ensure regular and punctual attendance to all classes.

Failure to attend these classes and mock Examinations will result in the Examination or Class Award entry being withdrawn and the fees forfeited.

This may sound harsh but the Examination and Class Awards are both an individual and team effort. Failure to attend classes does not only affect the individual but also the other members of the team and thus, adherence to this is vital.

Important Dates

Entry Closing Date – Friday 27th March

Mock Examinations – Saturday 25th July and Saturday 1st of August

Exam Week – Friday 4th and Saturday 5th September (to be confirmed by RAD)

Extra Exam Preparation Timetable

Tuesday 21st April – 4.00 – 5.00 pm, St Georges Church Paddington

Thursday 23rd April– 4.00-5.00 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Tuesday 21st July – 4.00 – 5.00 pm, St Georges Church Paddington

Thursday 23rd July – 4.00-5.15 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Monday 20th April – 1.00 – 2.00 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Thursday 23rd April – 5.00 – 6.00 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Monday 20th July – 1.00  – 2.00 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Thursday 23rd July – 5.15 -6.30 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Monday 20th April –  2.00 – 3.15 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Wednesday 22nd April –  4.00 – 5.15 pm , St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Monday 20th July –   2.00 – 3.15 pm , St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Wednesday 22nd July –   4.00 – 5.15 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Monday 20th April –   3.15 – 4.15 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Tuesday 21st April – 5.00 – 6.15 pm, St Georges Church Paddington

Monday 20th July –  3.15 – 4.15 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Tuesday 21st July – 5.00 – 6.15  pm, St Georges Church Paddington

Monday 20th April –  4.15 – 5.30 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Wednesday 22nd April –  5.15 – 6.30 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Monday 20th July –  4.15 – 5.30 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Wednesday 22nd July – 5.15 – 6.30 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Tuesday 21st April – 4.00 – 5.15 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Friday 24th April – 4.00 – 5.15 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Tuesday 21st July – 4.00 – 5.15 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Friday 24th July – 4.00 – 5.15 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Tuesday 21st April – 5.15 – 6.30 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Thursday 23rd April –  5.15 – 6.30 pm, RAD Studios  Darlinghurst

Tuesday 21st July – 5.15 – 6.30 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Thursday 23rd July – 5.15 – 6.30 pm, RAD Studios  Darlinghurst

Monday 20th April – 5.30 – 6.45 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Friday 24th April –  5.15 – 6.30 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Monday 20th July – 5.15 – 6.30 pm, RAD Studios  Darlinghurst

Friday 24th July – 5.15 – 6.30 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Monday 20th April –  5.15 – 6.30 pm, RAD Studios Darlinghurst

Tuesday 23rd April –  6.00 – 7.15 pm, St Johns Church Darlinghurst

Examination Entry fee

These fees include RAD entry fees, extra lessons for examination preparation, hire of studio, teacher’s fees for Mock Exams and examination day and Examination uniform (leotard, waist elastic/skirt, tights/socks and for boys shirt and shorts/leggings).
This fee excludes ballet shoes, character shoes, character skirts, RAD membership fees for Advanced Foundation and above, and private lesson fees.

FAQ's

The examination fee includes a new leotard, waist elastic (grades 1-5), Skirt (Vocational levels), tights/socks and for boys shirt and shorts/leggings. These will be given out to students the week before the mock exam. Students should arrive at the studio wearing their exam uniform with their ballet school tracksuit over the top.

As part of the examination experience, female students will have their hair styled in a bun by the teachers on the day. We ask that students arrive with their hair in a neat high pony tail and bring along a hair brush, hair elastic, bobby pins and clips and a hair net (that matches the colour of the student’s hair).  The ballet school will provide the hair accessories (ribbons or flowers) as appropriate. Male students should bring their own hair brush and comb.

We recommend that students buy new shoes for their examination.

Having clean shoes is not only important for neat presentation but can also affect the line of the legs and feet which is part of the marking criteria in every section of the examination.

We suggest purchasing new ballet shoes through the TTJBS website and our teachers can fit each student accordingly. If new shoes are not possible you can attempt to put them in a cold wash to ensure they are clean. We ask that this is done at least a week before the exam and brought in for your child’s teacher to inspect.

Examinations are held at ST John’s Anglican Church Hall in Darlinghurst. 

To ensure each examination entrants feel confident and prepared on the day of the examination, regular attendance of weekly classes as well as the extra scheduled examination preparation classes is imperative. The examination process is both an individual as well as a team commitment. One child’s lack of attendance will have an impact both on their own confidence and that of the other student’s in their examination group.

If you don’t feel you are able to commit to the the extra scheduled rehearsal dates and weekly classes PLEASE DO NOT ENTER YOUR CHILD INTO THE EXAMINATION PROCESS .

The only examinations of Royal Academy of Dance that are required to be completed before the subsequent exams are Intermediate and Advanced One (these are vocational examinations). Whilst each child is encouraged to participate in the examination process, there is an understanding that examinations may not suit everyone. The RAD offers the gentler approach of a Class Award which can be discussed with your class teacher. If your child chooses not to partake in either the examination or the class award, they can still progress to the next grade with their classmates.

If a student desires extra tuition leading up to the exam day, private lessons can be arranged. The extra cost of these can be shared amongst fellow classmates if preferred. Please book your private lessons early to avoid disappointment. The cost of private lessons are as follows: individual 30 minutes – $60.00, 30 minutes shared by 2 students – $38.50 each, 30 minutes shared by 3 students – $33 each, 30 minutes shared by 4 students – $30 . 60 minute private lessons can be arranged at double the price of the half hour rates. PLEASE NOTE THAT WE REQUIRE 48 HOURS NOTICE OF CANCELLATION OF ANY PRIVATE LESSONS.

The Royal Academy of Dance is an awarding body recognised by the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (Ofqual) in England, the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) in Wales and the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland. This means that RAD qualifications are part of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and are included in the National Database of Certificate Qualifications (NDAQ).

RAD examinations are open to all candidates. We recognise that some candidates with a permanent or temporary disability or physical condition may require special arrangements or aids to enable them to perform to the best of their ability. Teachers wanting to enter candidates with any disabilities or conditions, whether temporary or permanent, should complete the Reasonable Adjustment Form. It should be noted however, that all candidates will be assessed against the same criteria in order to safeguard the integrity of the award.