A Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) piano student can end up with five books for one level. This page explains what each book is for, which ones a student needs, and where a family can save money.
The books at a glance
| Book | What is in it | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Piano Repertoire | The exam pieces, sorted into lists | Preparatory A to Level 10 |
| Piano Etudes | The study pieces for the exam | Levels 1 to 10 |
| Technical Requirements for Piano | The scales, chords, and arpeggios, written out | Preparatory A to Level 8 |
| Four Star Sight Reading and Ear Tests | Daily practice for the two musicianship tests | Preparatory A to Level 10 |
| Celebrate Theory | The theory workbook | Preparatory to ARCT |
The repertoire and etudes books together are called the Celebration Series. The current one is the Sixth Edition, from 2022. RCM describes it as a series of 22 books. It matches the RCM Piano Syllabus, 2022 Edition.
Piano Repertoire
This is the main book. It holds a choice of pieces for each list at that level. A student plays three pieces in most exams, so most of the book is extra music for lessons and recitals.
Each repertoire and etudes book comes with an access code for online recordings of the pieces.
Piano Etudes
An etude is a short piece that trains one skill. The etudes book starts at Level 1. Levels 1 and 2 ask for one etude in the exam. Levels 3 to 10 ask for two. Preparatory A and B have no etudes.
Technical Requirements for Piano
This book writes out every scale, chord, and arpeggio for the level, with fingering. The exam asks for these from memory. For the list by level, read RCM piano technical requirements by level.
Four Star Sight Reading and Ear Tests
This book has short daily exercises for the ear tests and the sight reading test. Those two tests are worth 20 marks at Levels 1 to 10. Read RCM ear tests explained and RCM sight reading: how to practice at home.
Celebrate Theory
Celebrate Theory is RCM’s theory workbook series. There is no required theory exam before Level 5. From Level 5, each certificate needs a written exam, and the workbook for that level covers it. Read RCM Level 5 theory.
The syllabus
The Piano Syllabus, 2022 Edition, is the rule book for the exams. It lists every piece and every test for each level. RCM posts it online at no cost. A parent does not have to buy it.
Does a student have to buy the RCM books?
No. The syllabus says students may choose pieces from the Celebration Series or from other published books that the syllabus lists. A piece by Bach is the same piece in another publisher’s book.
The RCM books are the simple route. All the choices for one level sit in one place.
What to buy at each stage
| Stage | Books most students use |
|---|---|
| Preparatory A and B | Piano Repertoire. Technical Requirements. Four Star. |
| Levels 1 to 4 | Piano Repertoire. Piano Etudes. Technical Requirements. Four Star. |
| Levels 5 to 8 | The four books above, plus Celebrate Theory for the level |
| Levels 9 and 10 | Piano Repertoire. Piano Etudes. Four Star. Harmony and history books, which the theory teacher chooses. |
Ask the teacher before you buy. Some teachers lend the technical book or teach ear tests without Four Star.
What the books cost
RCM’s shop lists the Level 8 Piano Repertoire book at $26.95. It lists the Level 2 set at $71.80. That set holds Piano Repertoire 2, Piano Etudes 2, Technical Requirements Level 2, and Celebrate Theory 2. We checked these prices in November 2026. Music stores set their own prices.
For exam fees, read RCM exam fees: what each level costs.
Ways to save
- Borrow. Ask the teacher and families with older students. Some public libraries lend the books. The Regina Public Library catalog lists them, for example.
- Compare the set. RCM’s shop sells sets, such as the Level 2 set. Compare the set price with the books your child needs.
- Skip what the teacher does not use. Buy the repertoire book first. Add the others when the teacher asks for them.
- Check a used book’s edition. See the next section.
Can a student use an older edition?
The edition before this one came out in 2015. Some pieces carried over to the 2022 books, and some did not. A piece counts for an exam when it is on the list in the current syllabus. Before your child learns a piece from an older book for an exam, ask the teacher to check it against the 2022 syllabus.
The access code for recordings comes with a new book. With a used book, ask the seller whether the code still works.
Related pages
- RCM levels explained, from Preparatory to ARCT
- How to choose RCM exam pieces from Lists A, B, and C
- Piano method books compared for parents
- Faber Piano Adventures and RCM levels: how they line up
- RCM Level 1 piano: what the exam asks for
Sources
Checked in November 2026.
- The Royal Conservatory. Piano Syllabus, 2022 Edition.
- The Royal Conservatory. Publications catalog, 2024 to 2025.
- The Royal Conservatory. Piano sampler, 2022. Hosted by the Music Teachers National Association.
- The Royal Conservatory. Piano Repertoire Level 8. RCM shop.
- The Royal Conservatory. Celebration Series Level 2 set. RCM shop.
- Regina Public Library. Celebration series: piano repertoire, Level 2. Catalog record.
- Da Capo Music Studio. RCM piano etudes: full list of pieces.
More from this guide
This article is part of Music exams for kids: how RCM, ABRSM, and other graded exams work.
ABRSM Grade 1 piano: what the exam asks for
What ABRSM Grade 1 piano asks for: three pieces, scales and arpeggios, sight-reading, and aural tests, with the marks and ways to practice at home.
ABRSM Grade 5 theory: what parents need to know
Why ABRSM asks for Grade 5 theory before Grade 6, what the online exam covers, how it is marked, and when to start preparing.
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.
ABRSM piano syllabus 2027 and 2028: what changed
What is new in the ABRSM piano syllabus for 2027 and 2028, what stayed the same, the dates that matter, and which book to buy for an exam in 2027.
ABRSM Practical vs Performance Grades: how to choose
The two kinds of ABRSM grade exam compared: what a child plays, how each is marked, how a Performance Grade video works, and which one fits.
AMEB grades explained for parents
How AMEB music exams work in Australia: Preliminary to Grade 8, the Certificate of Performance, the diplomas, the kinds of exam, results, and theory.
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.