RCM exam dates and deadlines: how the sessions work each year

The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) holds in-person exams in sessions. Each session has a date when registration opens, a registration deadline, written exam days, and a window for practical exams. This page shows how the sessions work and lists the dates for 2026 to 2027.

RCM sets new dates each year. Confirm on RCM’s dates page before you plan around any date here.

How a session works

1. Registration opens. Registration and payment happen through a MyRCM account.
2. The registration deadline passes. After this day, the regular registration for that session is closed.
3. RCM schedules the exam. RCM picks the day and time inside the practical exam window. Families do not choose it. RCM posts the details in the MyRCM account. For instruments other than piano, RCM says the schedule appears about three to four weeks before the session starts.
4. The exams take place. Written exams run on two set days, a Friday and a Saturday. Practical exams run across the window.

Canada: in-person sessions for 2026 to 2027

Session	Registration opens	Registration deadline	Written exams	Practical exams
August 2026	April 1, 2026	June 2, 2026	August 7 and 8, 2026	August 10 to 22, 2026
December 2026 and January 2027	September 9, 2026	November 3, 2026	December 11 and 12, 2026	January 18 to 30, 2027
April 2027, piano only	November 10, 2026	January 5, 2027	None	April 12 to 17, 2027
May and June 2027	January 12, 2027	March 2, 2027	May 14 and 15, 2027	June 7 to 26, 2027

In these four sessions, the deadline falls about 10 to 14 weeks before the first practical exam day. A family has to commit long before the exam.

The April session is for piano practical exams. It has no written exams.

United States: in-person sessions for 2026 to 2027

Session	Registration opens	Registration deadline	Written exams	Practical exams
August 2026	April 1, 2026	May 13, 2026	August 7 and 8, 2026	July 31 to August 6, 2026
November and December 2026	September 2, 2026	October 14, 2026	December 11 and 12, 2026	November 28 to December 10, 2026
May and June 2027	January 6, 2027	February 17, 2027	May 14 and 15, 2027	May 16 to June 6, 2027

The US calendar differs from the Canadian one. The deadlines are earlier and the practical windows fall on other weeks. For more on the US program, read RCM in the United States.

Written exam times in Canada

RCM lists each written exam on set days and times.

Exam	Friday	Saturday
Level 5 Theory	9:30 am	2:00 pm
Level 6 Theory	9:30 am	9:30 am
Level 7 Theory	9:30 am	9:30 am
Level 8 Theory	9:30 am	2:00 pm
Level 9 Harmony	9:30 am	9:30 am
Level 10 Harmony and Counterpoint	9:30 am	9:30 am
Level 9 History, May session only	2:00 pm
Level 10 History, May session only	9:30 am

In-person history exams run once a year, in the May session. Keyboard Harmony runs in the May and June in-person session.

Exams with no session dates

Some RCM exams do not follow the session calendar.

Online theory, Levels 5 to 8. RCM sells these exams on demand. There is no purchase deadline. Access opens within 24 hours of purchase. Read RCM Level 5 theory.

Remote practical exams. The student plays at home on a video call. At registration, the family gives three dates and times that work. RCM fills time slots in the order requests arrive. Read RCM remote exams: how they work at home.

Changes after you register

Moving an exam. RCM’s policy says an exam can be moved to another session that has space. For an in-person exam, the move is free before the registration deadline. RCM’s fee list shows a rescheduling fee of $52.

Registering late. RCM’s fee list shows a late application fee of $52. Late registration is not open for every exam. Ask RCM before you count on it.

Changing a piece. A piece from outside the syllabus rules needs a request form before the registration deadline. The fee is $32. Read how to choose RCM exam pieces.

How to pick a session

Each session has a trade-off.

• August. The summer is free for practice. Weekly lessons may pause in July, so ask the teacher about summer lessons first.
• January. The exam comes right after the winter holidays. Practice has to continue through the break.
• April. This session is for piano. It gives piano students a date between the January and June sessions.
• June. The exam ends the school year of lessons. It can land close to school exams for older students.

Count back from the first day of the practical window. A student is ready to register when the pieces are learned and the technical tests are underway. The teacher makes that call.

For a plan that counts down to exam day, read how to prepare for an RCM practical exam, week by week. Print the exam countdown chart for the fridge. For what the day is like, read RCM exam day: what to expect and what to bring.

Sources

Checked in November 2026.

• The Royal Conservatory. Examination dates, Canada.
• The Royal Conservatory. Examination dates, US.
• The Royal Conservatory. Registration terms and conditions.
• The Royal Conservatory. Examination information for intermediate theory, Levels 5 to 8.
• The Royal Conservatory. Examination and other service fees, Canada.
• The Royal Conservatory. Piano Syllabus, 2022 Edition.