In accordance with guidance received from the British & International Federation of Festivals (BIFF), of which Springboard is a longstanding member, we have broadened the range of marks and descriptive categories available to the adjudicator in their feedback.
| New descriptive categories | Marks | Sticker colour |
| Advancing | <75 | Cream |
| Merit | 75–79 | Yellow |
| Commended | 80–84 | Orange |
| Honours | 85–89 | Magenta |
| Outstanding | 90+ | Purple |
Performances in non-competitive classes will continue to receive general feedback only, with no mark or category assigned.
The main changes to note in the new scheme are:
- The requirements for a Merit have not changed, but a Merit performance that would previously have received marks in the low 80s will now receive marks in the high 70s.
- Performances that do not meet the requirements for a Merit will receive a mark below 75, in the “Advancing” category.
- There is an additional category for Outstanding performances.
Descriptors and criteria
The adjudicators are provided with guidance on the criteria that need to be met in each descriptive category. Those for Speech and Drama can be accessed here. Those for Musical Theatre, Classical Singing, Piano, Guitar, Strings and Woodwind & Brass can be accessed here.
Descriptive categories only – no marks
The committees running the Classical Singing, Guitar, Strings, and Woodwind & Brass sections have decided to ask the adjudicator not to assign a specific mark for a performance but simply to indicate which descriptive category it falls into. We feel that this will keep the focus on the performance and feedback rather than on the competitive element. A winner will still be announced in competitive classes.