Royal Conservatory of Music exams are marked out of 100. A mark of 60 to 69 is a Pass. A mark of 70 to 79 is Honors. A mark of 80 to 89 is First Class Honors. A mark of 90 to 100 is First Class Honors with Distinction. The same scale applies from the Preparatory levels to Level 10, for practical exams and for theory exams.
This guide explains each standing, how a practical mark is built, and how to read the report with your child. The facts were checked against RCM’s published information in November 2026.
The four standings
| Standing | Mark out of 100 |
|---|---|
| First Class Honors with Distinction | 90 to 100 |
| First Class Honors | 80 to 89 |
| Honors | 70 to 79 |
| Pass | 60 to 69 |
In Canada the word is spelled “Honours” on the report. The meaning is the same.
Pass, 60 to 69. The student met the standard for the level. The certificate is earned.
Honors, 70 to 79. A solid result. The student was prepared, with some parts stronger than others.
First Class Honors, 80 to 89. A strong result. RCM describes playing at this standing as engaging and polished. RCM also lists students with marks of 80 or more on its First Class Honor Roll.
First Class Honors with Distinction, 90 to 100. The top standing. RCM publishes national averages, and they show that a small share of candidates earn it.
The ARCT diploma works differently. The pass mark for the ARCT performance exam is 70.
How a practical mark is built
A practical exam has several parts, and each part has its own share of the 100 marks. The split differs by level and by instrument. The syllabus for each instrument shows it.
A Level 4 piano report is a useful example. The repertoire section carries 56 marks, including 6 for playing from memory. Technical work carries 24: 12 for technical tests, such as scales, and 12 for two etudes. Ear tests carry 10. Sight reading carries 10.
The lesson for a parent is in those numbers. More than half the mark comes from the pieces. The rest comes from skills that are easy to leave until the last month. A student who knows the pieces well but skips ear tests and sight reading gives away marks.
How to read the report
The report shows the mark for each part beside the most that part could earn. Start there. A child who earned 9 out of 10 on ear tests and 5 out of 10 on sight reading has a clear job for next year.
Then read the examiner’s comments. RCM says the comments are there to recognize what the student did well and to point to areas for growth. Examiners write them during the exam, in short notes. Your child’s teacher can explain any that are unclear.
RCM says practical results usually take four to six weeks to arrive. Theory results take about six weeks.
What a mark does not tell you
A mark is one performance on one day. A child with a cold, a strange piano, or a bad night’s sleep can drop several marks. A child can also have a great day.
A mark does not compare your child with the child next door. Two students at the same level may have played different pieces for different examiners.
A mark is also not a forecast. A 72 at Level 2 says nothing about where a student will be at Level 8.
What to say to your child
Read the report alone first. Then sit down together.
Start with what went well. Name it. “You got full marks for memory” lands better than “good job.”
Then pick one thing to build, and let the teacher lead the plan. One goal is enough.
Keep the number in its place. A child who hears only the mark learns that music is a score. A child who hears about the playing learns that the work matters.
If the mark is under 60, the student did not pass this time. A student can prepare again and retake the exam. Talk with the teacher about whether the level was the right one.
Awards for high marks
RCM gives gold medals each year. A gold medal goes to the student with the highest mark in a province or region for each instrument and level. To qualify, a student needs a practical mark of at least 85 and the theory exams for that level.
Most students never win a medal, and that is fine. The First Class Honor Roll, which starts at 80, is the award more families see.
Where the theory marks fit
Theory exams use the same four standings. From Level 5 up, a student needs the theory exams as well as the practical exam to earn the comprehensive certificate. A pass in each is enough. Read RCM theory requirements by level to see which exams go with which level.
For the whole ladder, read RCM levels explained, from Preparatory to ARCT. To look up one level, use the RCM certificate requirements tool.
More from this guide
This article is part of Music exams for kids: how RCM, ABRSM, and other graded exams work.
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.
RCM levels explained: from Preparatory to ARCT
The Royal Conservatory of Music levels in plain words: Preparatory A and B, Levels 1 to 10, and the ARCT. What each stage asks for and how the exams work.
RCM theory requirements by level: which written exams go with each certificate
Which RCM theory exams a student needs at each level, from Level 5 Theory to the ARCT. A plain chart for parents, checked against RCM in November 2026.
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.