A student is ready for an RCM practical exam when every part of it is ready, not only the pieces. The exam covers repertoire, technical requirements, ear tests, and sight reading. A plan that starts about twelve weeks out gives time for all four. The teacher’s plan comes first. This one shows the shape most plans share, so a parent knows what to expect.
What the exam covers
The split of marks depends on the level and the instrument. The Level 1 piano exam is a useful example. In the RCM Piano Syllabus, 2022 Edition, the marks are:
| Part | Marks |
|---|---|
| Repertoire: three pieces, with 6 of the marks for memory | 56 |
| Technical requirements: one etude and technical tests | 24 |
| Ear tests | 10 |
| Sight reading | 10 |
The pieces carry just over half the marks. The other 44 come from skills that are easy to leave until the end. RCM exam marks explained shows how the total turns into a standing.
Twelve weeks out
The pieces are chosen and the notes are learned. A student who is still learning notes at this point is short of time.
The exam is booked. RCM sets registration deadlines well ahead of each session. Check the dates on the RCM site with the teacher.
The books are in hand. RCM asks students to bring original copies of the music to the exam. Photocopies are not allowed unless the publisher permits them.
Ten to eight weeks out
Memory. Start playing each piece from memory, a section at a time. Memory marks are given for each piece played without the book.
Technical tests. Make a list of every scale, chord, and pattern for the level. Play a few each day, so that each one comes up several times a week. Use the metronome for kids and build toward the speed in the syllabus.
Ear tests and sight reading. Start now, with five minutes a day. These skills grow by small daily doses. They cannot be crammed. See RCM ear tests explained and RCM sight reading.
Six weeks out
The first mock exam. Run the whole exam at home, in order, with no stops and no second tries. The student walks in, sets the bench, and plays as if an examiner were there.
Record it. Listen together and write down two or three things to fix. Give the list to the teacher.
Four weeks out
Play for people. Play the pieces for a grandparent, a neighbor, or a class. Each performance takes some of the fear out of the next one.
Fix the weak spots. Work on the bars that went wrong in the mock exam, slow, with the metronome.
Check the speeds. Technical tests reach the speed the syllabus asks for.
Two weeks out
Full run-throughs. Do two or three more mock exams. Try them at different times of day, and on a different piano if one is available.
Practice starting. The first ten seconds of each piece matter. Practice sitting down, thinking of the speed, and beginning.
Paperwork. Fill in any program form RCM asks for. Mark the first page of each piece in the books with a sticky note.
The last week
Keep practice normal and a little lighter. Do not change fingerings, speeds, or pieces now. Play each piece through once a day and keep up the ear tests and sight reading.
Protect sleep. A rested child plays better than a child who practiced an extra hour.
RCM exam day covers what to bring and what happens in the room.
What a parent can do
Keep the calendar. Be the audience for mock exams. Clap at the end of each one. Ask the teacher which part needs the most help at home.
Keep the mark in its place. An exam is one performance on one day.
Print and play
Build a chart that lists pieces, technical tests, ear tests, and sight reading in the practice chart maker, so no part is skipped. To see what each level requires, use the RCM certificate requirements tool. For the whole system, read music exams for kids.
Sources: RCM Piano Syllabus, 2022 Edition and the RCM piano practical exam day checklist, both checked in November 2026.
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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.