Academics and progressiveness, two words that at times seem to repel each other faster than Dillon Francis and a fork. But when those two words do successfully collide forces, intriguing and exciting results sometimes follow. One instance of the latter are the possible changes taking place with the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) music exam in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The AQA, which is Britain’s biggest exam board, is looking to allow DJing as an acceptable artform for the performance section of the qualification.
According to The Independent, “They will be asked to demonstrate their technical skills and show how they would prepare for a DJing set at a club – including using the technique of “scratching”, which is associated with hip-hop music and involves producing different sounds by moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable. They can use a vinyl record, CDs or a laptop for their performance.”
It’s a huge step forward for the GCSE music exam, which previously required solely the performance of a musical instrument or vocal number. The final decision regarding the inclusion of DJing falls in the hands of exams regulator Ofqual, and if approved will be set into action by September 2016. Here’s to hoping “Sandstorm” gets dropped at a GCSE exam next fall. 
