In the Royal Conservatory of Music program, written theory exams start to count at Level 5. Below Level 5, a student needs only the practical exam. From Level 5 to Level 8, each level has one matching theory exam. Levels 9 and 10 add history and harmony exams. The ARCT diploma adds three more.
A student who passes the practical exam and the listed written exams earns the comprehensive certificate for that level. This guide lists the exams level by level. The facts were checked against RCM’s published requirements in November 2026.
The chart
| Level | Written exams needed for the comprehensive certificate |
|---|---|
| Preparatory to Level 4 | None |
| Level 5 | Level 5 Theory |
| Level 6 | Level 6 Theory |
| Level 7 | Level 7 Theory |
| Level 8 | Level 8 Theory |
| Level 9 | Level 8 Theory, Level 9 History, and Level 9 Harmony |
| Level 10 | Everything for Level 9, plus Level 10 History and Level 10 Harmony and Counterpoint |
| ARCT | ARCT History, ARCT Harmony and Counterpoint, and ARCT Analysis |
At Levels 9, 10, and ARCT, a Keyboard Harmony exam can take the place of the Harmony exam at the same level.
What “co-requisite” means
RCM calls these written exams co-requisites. The word means “needed alongside.” The practical exam and the written exams are separate, with separate dates and separate marks. Both are needed for the comprehensive certificate.
A student who passes only the practical exam at Levels 5 to 10 still earns a practical certificate. Nothing is lost. The comprehensive certificate can follow once the written exams are done.
Preparatory to Level 4: no written exam
No theory exam is required at these levels. That does not mean no theory. A student still learns note names, rhythms, key signatures, and simple terms in the weekly lesson. RCM publishes theory books for these early levels, and many teachers use them.
The risk is leaving it too late. Level 5 Theory builds on the theory of the levels below it. A student who reaches Level 5 with no written work has a lot to catch up on. Starting a theory book around Level 2 or 3 spreads the load.
Levels 5 to 8: one exam for each level
Each of these four exams tests the basics of written music at a rising level: notes and rests, scales, intervals, chords, rhythm, and musical terms. Students also learn to read short passages of music and answer questions about them.
A student does not have to write every one. To earn the Level 8 comprehensive certificate, the rule asks for Level 8 Theory. A student who skipped the Level 6 practical exam does not need Level 6 Theory. Many teachers still teach the levels in order, because each one builds on the last.
Levels 9 and 10: history and harmony
The written side grows at Level 9. A student now needs three exams.
Level 8 Theory is the base. It carries forward from the intermediate levels.
Level 9 History covers the main periods of music history, their composers, and a list of works to study.
Level 9 Harmony covers how chords are built and how they move from one to the next.
Level 10 keeps those three and adds two: Level 10 History and Level 10 Harmony and Counterpoint. Counterpoint is the craft of writing two or more tunes that fit together.
Because the Level 9 exams count for Level 10 too, a student who plans to go to Level 10 loses nothing by doing them early.
The ARCT
The ARCT diploma has three written exams: ARCT History, ARCT Harmony and Counterpoint, and ARCT Analysis. Analysis means taking a piece apart to show how it is built.
A student also needs the Level 10 written exams before the performance ARCT, because the Level 10 comprehensive certificate is required first.
How the written exams are taken
Theory exams are held on set dates during RCM’s exam sessions. RCM offers them in person and in a digital format. Check the RCM website for which exams are offered in each format and for this year’s dates.
Marks work the same way as for practical exams. The pass mark is 60 out of 100. RCM says theory results take about six weeks.
A plan that avoids a pile-up
A common problem is a student who is ready for a Level 8 practical exam and has written no theory at all. Here is one way to keep the two sides close together.
Begin a theory book by Level 3. Aim to write Level 5 Theory in the same year as the Level 5 practical exam. From then on, keep theory no more than one level behind the instrument. Before Level 9, sit down with the teacher and map the history and harmony exams across two or three years.
Some students take theory in a group class, and some study it in the last part of a private lesson. Ask the teacher which they offer.
To look up one level, use the RCM certificate requirements tool. For the whole program, read RCM levels explained, from Preparatory to ARCT. For the marks, read RCM exam marks explained. Blank staff paper is handy for theory homework.
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 exam marks explained: pass, honors, and first class honors with distinction
What RCM exam marks mean: 60 to pass, 70 for Honors, 80 for First Class Honors, and 90 for Distinction. How to read the report and what to say to your child.
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.
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.