RCM piano technical requirements by level: scales, chords, and arpeggios

Every Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) piano exam has a part called technical tests. The student plays scales, chords, and arpeggios from memory. This page puts the technical tests for every level in one chart, from Preparatory A to Level 10.

The chart follows the RCM Piano Syllabus, 2022 Edition. The syllabus is the rule book. Check it with the teacher before an exam.

What the technical tests are

Technical tests are short patterns. They are not pieces. Each one trains the hands in one key.

The examiner asks for a selection of the patterns for that level. The student does not play all of them. The student does not know which ones the examiner will pick, so every pattern has to be ready.

The syllabus says technical tests are played from memory at every level. It also sets a metronome speed for each pattern. Ask the teacher for the speeds.

How many marks they are worth

Level	Marks for technical tests	Marks for the whole exam
Preparatory A and B	14	100
Levels 1 to 10	12	100

From Level 1, etudes add 12 more marks. An etude is a short study piece that trains one skill.

The chart by level

Level	Keys	Scales	Chords and arpeggios
Preparatory A	C, G, and D major. A minor.	Five-finger patterns, hands separately. Each ends with a chord.	Triads in C major, broken and solid.
Preparatory B	C and G major. A minor.	Five-finger patterns in more keys. One-octave scales, hands separately. A C major scale in contrary motion.	Broken triads in the three scale keys.
Level 1	C, G, and F major. A, E, and D minor.	Hands separately, two octaves. Minor scales in natural and harmonic forms. Contrary motion in C major. Chromatic scale on C.	Triads, hands separately, one octave, broken and solid.
Level 2	G, F, and B-flat major. E, D, and G minor.	Hands separately, two octaves. Minor scales in harmonic and melodic forms. Formula patterns in C and G major. Chromatic scale on G.	Triads, hands separately, one octave, broken and solid.
Level 3	D, F, and B-flat major. B, D, and G minor.	Hands together, two octaves. Formula pattern in D major. Chromatic scale on D.	Triads, hands separately, two octaves, broken and solid.
Level 4	D, A, B-flat, and E-flat major. B, G, and C minor.	Hands together, two octaves. Formula pattern in C minor. Chromatic scale on C.	Triads, hands together, two octaves. Arpeggios, hands separately, two octaves.
Level 5	A, E, F, and A-flat major. A, E, and F minor.	Hands together, two octaves. Formula patterns in A major and A minor. Chromatic scales, hands together.	Triads that end with a short chord pattern. Dominant 7th chords, hands separately. Arpeggios, hands separately, two octaves.
Level 6	G, E, B, and D-flat major. G, E, B, and C-sharp minor.	Hands together, two octaves. Formula patterns. Chromatic scales, hands together, two octaves.	Triads, hands together. Dominant 7th and diminished 7th chords, hands separately. Arpeggios of all three chords, hands separately.
Level 7	C, D, F, A-flat, and G-flat major. C, D, F, G-sharp, and F-sharp minor.	Hands together, two octaves. Formula patterns. Chromatic scales.	Four-note chords, broken, with a short chord progression. Dominant 7th and diminished 7th chords, hands together. Arpeggios, hands together, in root position and inversions.
Level 8	C, D, E, B-flat, E-flat, and G-flat major. C, D, E, B-flat, E-flat, and F-sharp minor.	Hands together, four octaves. Formula patterns over four octaves. Chromatic scales, two octaves.	Four-note chords, broken. Dominant 7th and diminished 7th chords, broken and solid. Arpeggios over four octaves.
Level 9	C, D-flat, D, E-flat, E, and F major. C, C-sharp, D, E-flat, E, and F minor.	Hands together, four octaves. Formula patterns. Chromatic scales. Scales in octaves.	Four-note chords, broken and solid. Dominant 7th and diminished 7th chords. Arpeggios over four octaves, in root position and inversions.
Level 10	G-flat, G, A-flat, A, B-flat, and B major. F-sharp, G, G-sharp, A, B-flat, and B minor.	Hands together, four octaves. Scales a 3rd apart and a 6th apart. Scales in octaves. A chromatic scale in octaves.	Four-note chords. Dominant 7th and diminished 7th chords. Arpeggios over four octaves, from any inversion.

What changes as the levels go up

Hands separately, then hands together. Scales are played one hand at a time in Levels 1 and 2. From Level 3, both hands play at once.

Two octaves, then four. Scales cover two octaves up to Level 7. From Level 8, they cover four.

New chords. Arpeggios arrive at Level 4. The dominant 7th chord arrives at Level 5. The diminished 7th chord arrives at Level 6. Four-note chords arrive at Level 7.

More keys. The keys change at each level. With the keys of Level 9 and Level 10, a student has played every major and minor key.

Words in the chart

Hands separately. One hand plays at a time.

Hands together. Both hands play at once.

Octave. The distance from one note to the next note with the same name, such as C up to the next C.

Contrary motion. The two hands start on the same note and move in opposite directions.

Formula pattern. The hands play in the same direction, then in opposite directions, and back.

Chromatic scale. A scale that uses every key in order, black and white.

Triad. A three-note chord.

Broken and solid. A broken chord is played one note at a time. A solid chord is played with all its notes at once.

Inversion. The same chord with a different note on the bottom.

Dominant 7th chord. A four-note chord built on the fifth note of the key.

Diminished 7th chord. A four-note chord built on the seventh note of the key.

Four-note chord. A triad with its bottom note repeated at the top.

Arpeggio. The notes of a chord played one at a time, up and down the keyboard.

For more on scales and keys, read major and minor scales explained for kids and key signatures explained for parents and kids.

Where to find the notes

RCM publishes a book called Technical Requirements for Piano for each level from Preparatory A to Level 8. It writes out each pattern with fingering. The syllabus lists the patterns for every level, and RCM posts the syllabus online at no cost.

How to practice technical tests at home

Play a few each day. Rotate through the list so every pattern comes up each week.

Start slow. Set a slow beat on the metronome for kids. Raise the speed a little once the pattern is even and correct.

Keep a list. Write every pattern for the level on one page. Tick each one after a clean play. A weekly practice chart works for this.

Play examiner. Write each pattern on a slip of paper. Your child draws three slips and plays them from memory. This is how the exam feels.

Say the key first. Ask your child to name the sharps or flats before playing. The circle of fifths shows the order.

More on RCM piano exams

• RCM levels explained, from Preparatory to ARCT
• RCM Preparatory A and B piano exams explained
• RCM Level 1 piano: what the exam asks for
• RCM Level 5 piano: what the exam asks for
• RCM Level 8 piano: what the exam asks for
• How to prepare for an RCM practical exam, week by week

Sources

Checked in November 2026.

• The Royal Conservatory. Piano Syllabus, 2022 Edition.
• Morin, J. RCM 2022 technical requirements charts, Preparatory to Level 10. Color in My Piano.
• The Royal Conservatory. Publications catalog, 2024 to 2025.