We have been training our students in gallery-guiding skills at the National Portrait Gallery since 2013, and our specially-designed exam tour enables them to develop a comprehensive understanding of London history from the time of Henry VIII to World War 1. In February, our Class of 2025-26 on the Art of Tour Guiding course rose to the challenge of their first practical exam.
The exam tour covers the following aspects of London’s history: Tudors, Civil War, Restoration, Georgians, Empire, Reformers, Regency, Inventors, Romantics, Palace of Westminster, Victorians and Suffragettes. Students select 12 portraits along this route and, for each portrait, research and prepare a five-minute talk. Then the exam gives them the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in public-speaking, storytelling, group management and more.
This assignment may appear daunting at first but our students are prepared for success by our expert tutor team, supported by a large group of peer mentors who are former students on our tour guiding course. We congratulate the Class of 2025-26 and say a big “thank you” to all the peer mentors!
If you are up for the challenge, too, then please request our course prospectus and get ready for applications opening for the 2026-27 course in May.