ARCT diploma explained: what it is and who takes it

The ARCT is the diploma that comes after Level 10 in the Royal Conservatory of Music program. The letters stand for Associate of The Royal Conservatory. RCM calls the ARCT and the LRCM, the diploma above it, the highest standings in its certificate program. A piano student can earn an ARCT as a performer or in pedagogy, which means teaching. The performer exam is a recital of six pieces played from memory, and the pass mark is 70.

The kinds of ARCT

Kind	Offered for
Performer	All instruments
Pedagogy	Piano and violin
Teacher	Strings, winds, brass, and voice

This page covers piano. Each instrument has its own syllabus with its own rules.

Who can enter for the performer diploma in piano

A student needs three things first.

• The Level 10 Piano comprehensive certificate. That means the Level 10 practical exam and its five written exams.
• A Level 10 practical mark of 75 or more, or at least 70 percent in every section of that exam.
• Time. RCM recommends at least two more years of study after Level 10.

The piano syllabus gives no minimum age for the performer exam.

A student who passed Level 10 below the entry mark can retake sections. Read RCM Level 10 piano for that rule.

What the student plays

The student plays six pieces, one from each of six lists.

List	Marks
List A	20
List B	25
List C	15
List D	15
List E	15
List F	10
Total	100

The whole mark comes from the pieces. There are no technical tests, ear tests, or sight reading in this exam.

Three rules set it apart from the levels below.

• Memory. All six pieces are played from memory. A piece played with the music gets a mark of zero.
• Length. The examiner may stop the performance if it runs past 60 minutes.
• Pass mark. A student needs 70 to pass. At Levels 1 to 10 the pass mark is 60.

Pieces on the ARCT lists include these.

• Bach, Italian Concerto
• Bach, Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue
• Beethoven, the “Pathétique” Sonata and the “Moonlight” Sonata
• Chopin, Ballade in G Minor
• Debussy, “Reflets dans l’eau”
• Ravel, “Jeux d’eau”
• Bartók, “Allegro barbaro”
• Prokofiev, Sonata No. 3

List F holds concert etudes by composers such as Chopin and Liszt.

To hear the composers behind these pieces, read Bach for kids, Beethoven for kids, Chopin for kids, and Debussy for kids.

The written exams

The written exams come in two groups.

Needed before the performer exam. These are the five Level 10 written exams: Level 8 Theory, Level 9 Harmony, Level 9 History, Level 10 Harmony and Counterpoint, and Level 10 History.

Needed for the diploma. These are ARCT Harmony and Counterpoint, ARCT Analysis, and ARCT History. A Keyboard Harmony exam may take the place of a harmony exam.

That makes eight written exams from Level 8 Theory to the diploma. RCM theory requirements by level shows where each one fits.

The pedagogy diploma in piano

The ARCT in Piano, Pedagogy is for people who want to teach. It has three stages. Each stage covers the teaching of one group of levels.

Stage	Covers the teaching of	Piano exam needed	Parts
Elementary	Beginners to Level 4	Level 9 comprehensive certificate	Online course and spoken exam
Intermediate	Levels 5 to 8	Level 10 comprehensive certificate	Online course and spoken exam
Advanced	Levels 9 and 10	Level 10 with 75, or 70 percent in every section	Online course, spoken exam, and practical exam

RCM calls the spoken exam an interactive, or viva voce, exam. It lasts 45 minutes. The pass mark for each course and each spoken exam is 70.

The Advanced practical exam asks for five pieces: one from the Level 9 lists, two from Level 10, and two from the ARCT performer lists. It also has technical tests, ear tests, and sight reading. Each section has its own pass mark. Memory is encouraged for the pieces, and it is not required.

A student can begin this route before Level 10. The first stage asks for the Level 9 certificate, and RCM advises having Level 8 before registering.

RCM awards the pedagogy diploma when a candidate has finished all three stages and the ARCT written exams and is at least 18 years old.

One rule changed on September 1, 2024. The online course at each stage is now required, and RCM no longer offers the written pedagogy exams.

After the ARCT: the LRCM

LRCM is the Licentiate Diploma. RCM offers it to performers in piano and violin. A pianist needs the ARCT performer diploma first. The exam is a recital of 60 to 75 minutes, played from memory, with music in at least three styles. The pass mark is 70.

Convocation

RCM holds convocation ceremonies for its ARCT and LRCM graduates. In 2024 the ceremonies took place in Toronto and Vancouver.

Who takes it

The performer diploma fits a student who has finished Level 10 with strong marks and wants to keep going as a player. The pedagogy diploma fits a person who wants to teach piano.

The ARCT is a diploma from RCM’s certificate program. It is not a university degree. A student who plans to study music at a university can ask the school what it wants to see at the audition.

How a parent can help

• Ask the teacher whether the Level 10 marks meet the entry rule
• Map out the eight written exams on a calendar, with the teacher’s help
• Arrange two or three chances to play the whole program for listeners before the exam
• Read the current syllabus before you register, since RCM can change its rules

For the whole ladder, see RCM levels explained. For the marks, see RCM exam marks explained.

Sources

Checked in November 2026.

• The Royal Conservatory. Piano Syllabus, 2022 Edition.
• The Royal Conservatory. ARCT/LRCM diploma requirements.
• The Royal Conservatory. Associate Diploma in Piano, Pedagogy: an addendum to the Piano Syllabus, 2022 Edition.
• The Royal Conservatory. Details of the updated ARCT in Piano, Pedagogy requirements.
• The Royal Conservatory. News release on the 2024 convocation ceremonies.