RCM Level 9 Piano Exam: Requirements, Marks, and Preparation Plan

RCM Level 9 is the first advanced piano certificate. Its four-piece repertoire program is only one part of the work: technique, two etudes, ear tests, sight reading, and three theory corequisites all belong in the plan.

This guide sets out the current Level 9 piano requirements and then turns them into a practical preparation sequence. The requirements below were checked against the Royal Conservatory’s current syllabus page, the Piano Syllabus, 2022 Edition, its published errata, and the Theory Syllabus, 2016 Edition.

The preparation advice is just that: advice. RCM specifies the examination requirements, but it does not prescribe one preparation timetable for every pianist.

Written and reviewed by Jean-Pierre Calitz, an RCM Certified Teacher with a doctorate in piano performance and 20 years of teaching experience. View his RCM teacher profile.

RCM Level 9 piano requirements and marks

The Level 9 practical examination has 100 possible marks. The distribution is worth understanding before lessons become dominated by repertoire.

A mark of 60 is required to pass. In practice, planning for the minimum is risky. A secure student needs enough margin to cope with a different piano, an unsettled opening, or a sight-reading passage that feels less comfortable than usual.

The four-piece repertoire program

Level 9 requires four contrasting selections:

• List A: Baroque repertoire, worth 14 marks
• List B: Classical repertoire, worth 16 marks
• List C: Romantic repertoire, worth 14 marks
• List D: post-Romantic, 20th-, and 21st-century repertoire, worth 12 marks

The complete repertoire program must not exceed 15 minutes. All four selections are to be memorized; the syllabus assigns a one-mark deduction for each repertoire selection performed with the music.

The unequal weighting is easy to overlook. List B carries 16 marks, but this is not a reason to choose the most imposing sonata available. The better question is whether the student can sustain its structure, pacing, articulation, voicing, and physical demands under examination conditions.

Program selection deserves a trial period. Before committing, check the fit of each work at the keyboard, the likely learning load, and the balance of the program as a whole. Four individually appealing pieces can still make a poor program if they place the same strain on the hand or leave too little time for technique and musicianship.

The syllabus does permit limited repertoire and etude substitutions, but the rules are specific. Teacher’s Choice repertoire substitutions at Level 9 apply only to Lists C or D; other substitution routes have their own level and category conditions. The current RCM syllabus and errata page should be the final check before a substituted work is registered or prepared.

Two etudes and a substantial technical program

The technical requirements are worth 24 marks. Two etudes account for 12 marks in total, and the technical tests account for the other 12.

The technical-test table includes four-octave scales, formula patterns, a chromatic scale, octaves, four-note chords, dominant and diminished seventh chords, and arpeggios. Each item has prescribed keys, formats, note values, and metronome speeds. Rather than copying that table into a practice notebook from memory, work directly from page 80 of the current Piano Syllabus and record the requirements exactly.

All technical patterns are played from memory. The syllabus also provides alternatives for candidates with small hands: broken legato octaves may replace solid or blocked octaves, and a broken alternate-note pattern may replace solid or blocked four-note chords. These are published options, not informal concessions.

Technique becomes dependable when it is practised for more than speed. A weekly rotation can examine fingering, evenness, rhythm, tone, release of tension, and random recall. Closer to the examination, the student should be able to respond to requests in an unpredictable order rather than relying on a rehearsed sequence.

The two etudes should present contrasting technical problems. They also need to sound like finished music. An etude that merely reaches tempo but loses line, character, or control is not ready.

Ear tests and sight reading: use the piano syllabus

Level 9 ear tests are worth 10 marks: intervals 2, chords 2, chord progressions 2, and playback 4. Sight reading is also worth 10 marks: rhythm 3 and playing 7.

There is an important source detail here. RCM’s 2024 Musicianship Addendum explicitly states that it does not apply to piano. Piano candidates should use the musicianship requirements in the 2022 Piano Syllabus.

For the standard playback task, the examiner identifies the key and time signature, plays the tonic chord, and then plays a two-part phrase three times. After the second hearing, the student claps the rhythm or sings the upper part; after the third, the student plays the upper part. The Piano Syllabus also describes an improvised alternative.

For sight reading, the rhythm task requires the student to establish and maintain a steady beat while performing the printed rhythm. The playing task uses a passage comparable to Level 6 repertoire, in major or minor keys up to five sharps or flats, with a maximum length of sixteen measures. The syllabus also provides a lead-sheet reading alternative with its own requirements.

These skills respond to frequency. Ten attentive minutes on several days of the week is usually more useful than a long session just before a lesson. For a repeatable structure, see the weekly RCM sight-reading practice plan.

The three Level 9 theory corequisites

For a single checklist of completed credits, remaining subjects, and weekly study time, use the Level 9 and 10 theory corequisite planning guide.

Passing the practical examination is not, by itself, enough for the comprehensive Level 9 certificate. The current syllabi list three theory corequisites:

• Level 8 Theory
• Level 9 Harmony or Level 9 Keyboard Harmony
• Level 9 History

Level 9 Harmony is a three-hour examination. Level 9 Keyboard Harmony may be used in its place; that examination is 20 minutes long and includes 20 minutes of preparation at the piano. The written Level 9 History examination is three hours long and covers required concepts, composers, works, and thematic excerpts across the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras.

For a listening and writing routine, see the RCM History weekly study plan. It also explains how the online and written exam formats differ.

The choice between written and keyboard harmony should be made deliberately. Keyboard harmony is not simply the written paper played aloud: it tests the material through prepared and live keyboard tasks. The better route depends on the student’s fluency at the keyboard, written skills, and longer-term goals.

Theory and history should begin while the practical work is still developing. Harmony makes cadences, phrase structure, modulation, and memory more intelligible; history sharpens decisions about style and interpretation. Students who need separate support can take RCM theory and history lessons without changing practical teachers.

A realistic Level 9 preparation plan

RCM does not set a required number of preparation months. For a student learning the complete program from a secure Level 8 foundation, it is more sensible to think in terms of a full academic year than a short exam sprint. Some students will need longer; others may begin with one or more suitable works already learned. The sequence matters more than pretending that one calendar fits everyone.

1. Establish the starting point before choosing a session

Review recent repertoire, technical fluency, sight reading, ear skills, memory, practice consistency, and the status of all three corequisites. Trial several repertoire choices and at least one etude. An intended exam window can be discussed at this stage, but registration should wait until the workload is visible.

2. Build the program without allowing repertoire to take over

In the main learning phase, settle fingering, rhythm, editions, technical solutions, and broad musical ideas. Technique, sight reading, ear work, harmony, and history continue every week. If every lesson is consumed by the newest repertoire crisis, the plan is already becoming unbalanced.

3. Move from learning to continuity

As the notes become secure, practise longer spans and complete movements without losing the detailed work. Build memory from structural landmarks rather than relying only on muscular repetition. Record single takes and listen for the musical question chosen in advance: balance, tempo stability, pedalling, articulation, or continuity.

4. Use the final 10 to 12 weeks for examination conditioning

Begin with component mocks. Test the four repertoire works in order on one day; technique and etudes on another; ear and reading scores across several lessons. Each mock should produce a short repair list. Full mock examinations are most useful after the separate components can already be completed reliably.

In the final weeks, play unfamiliar pianos when possible, confirm program timing, practise formal starts and endings, and rehearse recovery after a slip. Major changes should solve a clear problem, not express general anxiety.

How to judge exam readiness

A date on the calendar is not evidence of readiness. More useful evidence includes:

• the four memorized repertoire selections fit within the 15-minute limit;
• each piece can begin from several structural points, not only from the first bar;
• both etudes remain controlled in single-take performances;
• technical tests can be produced accurately in random order;
• ear-test and sight-reading results are reasonably stable across several weeks;
• the student can continue musically after a mistake;
• the theory and history corequisites have a credible completion plan;
• practice remains physically comfortable and mentally sustainable.

If several of these are missing, postponement is often the more musical decision. The broader article on how long it takes to prepare for an RCM piano exam explains how starting point and workload affect the timetable.

Questions students and parents ask

How many pieces are required for RCM Level 9 piano?

Four repertoire selections are required, one from each of Lists A, B, C, and D. Students also prepare two etudes. The four repertoire works must be memorized and must fit within a 15-minute program.

What theory is required for the Level 9 certificate?

The comprehensive certificate requires Level 8 Theory, Level 9 Harmony or Keyboard Harmony, and Level 9 History, in addition to the Level 9 practical examination.

Can the Level 9 practical examination be split into two parts?

No split format is provided for Level 9 in the current Piano Syllabus. The split practical-examination provision applies to Level 10.

Does the 2024 Musicianship Addendum change Level 9 piano?

No. The addendum states that it does not apply to piano and directs piano candidates to the Piano Syllabus, 2022 Edition.

Is Level 9 preparation suitable for online lessons?

Yes. Repertoire, technique, aural work, sight reading, theory, history, and mock performances can all be taught online when the camera and sound allow a clear view of the student and keyboard. In-person lessons are also available in Vancouver.

Official sources

• RCM syllabi and syllabus errata
• RCM Piano Syllabus, 2022 Edition
• RCM Piano Syllabus, 2022 Edition, Errata
• RCM Theory Syllabus, 2016 Edition

Continue learning

• Read the RCM Level 10 requirements and timeline guide
• Use the weekly RCM sight-reading plan
• Practise difficult passages without reinforcing mistakes

Lesson options

Plan Level 9 around the whole student

Dr. Jean-Pierre Calitz teaches the complete RCM practical, theory, and history pathway. Level 9 planning can be provided online worldwide or in person in Vancouver, with repertoire, technique, musicianship, written studies, and performance preparation treated as one connected course of study.

Written and reviewed by Jean-Pierre Calitz. Fact-checked September 2026 against the RCM Piano Syllabus, 2022 Edition; its published errata; and the RCM Theory Syllabus, 2016 Edition. RCM requirements may change, so consult the current official documents before registering.