ABRSM released its piano syllabus for 2027 and 2028 on June 4, 2026. The pieces changed. The scales, sight-reading, and aural tests did not. This page explains what is new and which syllabus a student can use.
The dates that matter
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| June 4, 2026 | ABRSM released the 2027 and 2028 piano syllabus |
| January 1, 2027 | The new syllabus can be used in exams |
| December 31, 2027 | The 2025 and 2026 syllabus stops being valid |
In 2027, both syllabuses are valid. A student who is partway through the old pieces can still take the exam that year.
What the new syllabus covers
It covers the Initial Grade and Grades 1 to 8. It applies to both kinds of ABRSM piano exam: Practical Grades and Performance Grades. Read ABRSM Practical vs Performance Grades.
What changed
The pieces. Each grade has a new book called Piano Exam Pieces 2027 and 2028. Each book holds nine pieces chosen from the syllabus lists.
Free learning resources for every piece in the books. This is the main change. Each piece in the books has a QR code. The code opens free online material for that piece. ABRSM lists audio recordings, videos filmed from above the keys, practice exercises, and notes on the story behind the piece.
More music for one hand. ABRSM already listed one-hand pieces for Performance Grades 1 to 5. The new syllabus adds them for Performance Grades 6 to 8.
New names and popular music. ABRSM’s press release names these.
- “The Voyager” by Santosh Baynes at Grade 1. He is a composer from India who is new to ABRSM.
- An arrangement of “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish, from the film Barbie
- An arrangement of “Enchanted” by Taylor Swift. Pianist magazine places it at Grade 3.
- An arrangement of “Popular” from the musical Wicked. Pianist magazine places it at Grade 5.
- An arrangement of “Day One” by Hans Zimmer, from the film Interstellar
- New pieces written for the syllabus by Nikki Yeoh and Nahre Sol
- Traditional music from Namibia, China, and Ireland
Classical music is still there. The release names Bach, Handel, Haydn, Clara Schumann, Florence Price, Prokofiev, and Bartók. Beethoven appears at Grade 1 and at Grade 8. The year 2027 marks 200 years since his death. Read Beethoven for kids.
What stayed the same
- Scales and arpeggios
- Sight-reading
- Aural tests
- The way the exams run
A student who has learned the scales for a grade has nothing new to learn there.
Which syllabus to use
| When the exam is | Which pieces count |
|---|---|
| In 2026 | The 2025 and 2026 syllabus |
| In 2027 | Either syllabus |
| In 2028 | The 2027 and 2028 syllabus |
ABRSM posts its rules for the overlap year on its site. Ask the teacher before mixing pieces from the two syllabuses in one exam.
What to buy
Buy the Piano Exam Pieces book for your child’s grade and syllabus. The cover shows the years. A book marked 2025 and 2026 is the old syllabus.
The scale books did not change with this syllabus, so a scale book bought for the last one still works.
ABRSM says its Piano Practice Partner app has the new pieces, and that digital sheet music is available from licensed platforms from September 2026.
What teachers have said
Reviews have been mixed. Pianist magazine’s reviewer welcomed the film and pop arrangements and the online material. The teacher and writer David Barton wrote that he was underwhelmed by the new syllabus, and he asked what a graded exam is for.
A family does not have to pick a side. The syllabus lists more pieces than the nine in each book, and a student plays three. A child who wants Bach and a child who wants Taylor Swift can both find a program.
What this means for your child
- Mid-grade with old pieces? Take the exam by December 31, 2027.
- Starting a new grade now? Use the 2027 and 2028 book. It stays valid longer.
- Starting at Grade 1? Read ABRSM Grade 1 piano: what the exam asks for.
Related pages
- ABRSM grades explained for parents
- ABRSM Grade 5 theory: what parents need to know
- Trinity vs ABRSM: how the two exam boards differ
- RCM vs ABRSM: how the two systems compare
Sources
Checked in November 2026.
- ABRSM. Press release: Piano Syllabus 2027 and 2028, June 4, 2026. Hosted by Music Mark.
- Music Mark. ABRSM launch new piano syllabus, June 8, 2026.
- Music Junction. ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces 2027 and 2028, Initial Grade, for the note that scales, sight-reading, and aural tests did not change.
- Barton, D. ABRSM Piano Syllabus 2027-28: tradition, trend, or both? David Barton Music.
- Thompson, W. ABRSM: an exam board of choice. Pianist.
- ABRSM. Piano Practical Grades syllabus 2025 and 2026: qualification specification. Copy hosted by Caswell’s Strings.
More from this guide
This article is part of Music exams for kids: how RCM, ABRSM, and other graded exams work.
ABRSM Grade 1 piano: what the exam asks for
What ABRSM Grade 1 piano asks for: three pieces, scales and arpeggios, sight-reading, and aural tests, with the marks and ways to practice at home.
ABRSM Grade 5 theory: what parents need to know
Why ABRSM asks for Grade 5 theory before Grade 6, what the online exam covers, how it is marked, and when to start preparing.
ABRSM grades explained for parents: from Initial Grade to Grade 8
How ABRSM music exams work: the Prep Test, Initial Grade, Grades 1 to 8, Practical and Performance Grades, the marks, and the Grade 5 theory rule.
ABRSM Practical vs Performance Grades: how to choose
The two kinds of ABRSM grade exam compared: what a child plays, how each is marked, how a Performance Grade video works, and which one fits.
AMEB grades explained for parents
How AMEB music exams work in Australia: Preliminary to Grade 8, the Certificate of Performance, the diplomas, the kinds of exam, results, and theory.
ARCT diploma explained: what it is and who takes it
What the RCM's ARCT diploma is, the performer and pedagogy kinds, what a piano student plays, the written exams, and what comes after it.
Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.