Some children learn from Faber Piano Adventures and then take Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) exams. Parents ask which RCM level matches their child’s Faber book. Faber publishes a chart that answers this. This page shows the chart and explains its limits.
The chart
Faber’s correlation chart is dated May 2017. It lines up each Piano Adventures level with RCM’s Celebration Series books, RCM exams, and ABRSM exams.
| Faber Piano Adventures | RCM Celebration Series book | RCM exam | ABRSM exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primer | No match listed | No match listed | No match listed |
| Level 1 | Preparatory A | Preparatory A | No match listed |
| Level 2A | Preparatory A and B | Preparatory A and B | No match listed |
| Level 2B | Preparatory B | Preparatory B | No match listed |
| Level 3A | Level 1 | Level 1 | Grade 1 |
| Level 3B | Levels 1 and 2 | Level 1 | Grades 1 and 2 |
| Level 4 | Levels 2 and 3 | Level 2 | Grades 2 and 3 |
| Level 5 | Level 3 | Level 3 | Grade 3 |
| Beyond Level 5 | Level 4 | Level 4 and above | Grade 4 and above |
The chart uses the word Grade for RCM exams. RCM now calls them Levels. The numbers are the same.
How to read the chart
The chart compares levels of difficulty. It does not check a child’s scales, ear, or sight reading. An exam does.
The exam column runs behind the book column. At Faber Level 4, the chart lists Celebration Series Levels 2 and 3 and RCM exam Level 2. At Level 3B, it lists book Levels 1 and 2 and exam Level 1.
All of Faber’s eight levels cover RCM Preparatory A to Level 3. A child who finishes Level 5 has about seven more RCM levels ahead.
The chart is from 2017. RCM published a new piano syllabus in 2022. Use the chart as a starting point, and let the teacher place your child.
What an RCM exam asks for that a method book does not
An RCM exam has five parts: pieces, etudes, technical tests, ear tests, and sight reading. A method book covers the first part well. The others need extra work.
Technical tests. This is the biggest gap. Compare Faber’s own list of concepts with RCM’s Level 1 requirements.
| Skill | Where Faber teaches it | What RCM Level 1 asks for |
|---|---|---|
| Scales in C, G, and F major | Level 2B | Two octaves, hands separately |
| Scales in A minor and D minor | Level 3B | Two octaves, hands separately, in two forms |
| Scale in E minor | Level 4 | Two octaves, hands separately, in two forms |
| Two-octave scales | Level 4 | Needed at Level 1 |
Faber’s chart matches Level 3A to RCM Level 1. A child in Level 3A has not yet met the minor scales or the two-octave scales in the Faber books. The teacher has to add them.
Ear tests. The examiner plays, and the child claps back a rhythm, names intervals, and plays back a short tune. Read RCM ear tests explained.
Sight reading. The child plays a short piece not seen before. Read RCM sight reading: how to practice at home.
Memory. RCM gives marks for pieces played from memory.
Etudes. From Level 1, RCM asks for one or two study pieces from its own lists.
For every level’s scales, read RCM piano technical requirements by level.
Can Faber pieces be used in an RCM exam?
In most cases, the exam pieces come from the RCM syllabus lists. There are two openings.
The Popular Selection List. RCM lets a student replace one etude with a piece from this list. An earlier edition of the list included arrangements from the Faber Popular Repertoire books. Ask the teacher to check the current list.
Teacher’s Choice. RCM allows one piece from outside the syllabus in certain lists. It has to match the level. Read how to choose RCM exam pieces.
A plan for moving from Faber to RCM
- Tell the teacher early. A year ahead is not too soon.
- Start the technical tests now. Add the RCM scales for the target level to daily practice. They take months.
- Add five minutes of ear tests and sight reading a day.
- Pick the level by the weakest skill. RCM’s advice to teachers is to look at the pieces first, then the technique, then the ear tests and sight reading. If the technique lags, RCM suggests the lower level.
- Choose exam pieces from the RCM book. Keep a Faber book going beside it for fun.
Preparatory A and B are gentle first exams. They have no etudes and short technical tests. They let a child learn how an exam day works. Read RCM Preparatory A and B piano exams explained.
One more check on the chart
A list handed out at a 2018 conference of the Music Teachers National Association shows where one well-known piece sits. Burgmüller’s “Ballade,” Op. 100, No. 15, appears in Faber Level 5 and in RCM Level 4. That agrees with the chart. The end of the Faber series reaches RCM Level 3 or 4.
Related pages
- Faber Piano Adventures levels explained for parents
- RCM levels explained, from Preparatory to ARCT
- RCM Level 1 piano: what the exam asks for
- Piano levels by age: is my child on track?
- Piano method books compared for parents
Sources
Checked in November 2026.
- Faber Piano Adventures. Piano Adventures correlation chart, May 2017. Hosted by Sheet Music Plus.
- Faber Piano Adventures. Correlation charts.
- The Royal Conservatory. Piano Syllabus, 2022 Edition.
- The Royal Conservatory. Popular Selection List, 2015 Edition.
- The Royal Conservatory. Certificate Program FAQs.
- Music Teachers National Association. Level up: conference handout, 2018.
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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.