Rockschool music qualifications are tailor-made for the contemporary musician.
Piano
Grade 8
The Grade 8 Piano exam is for candidates who have typically been learning for five years or more and have now consolidated their playing to a high level. They have mastered the key skills up to Grade 7 and developed heightened technique, use of expressive devices, rhythmic complexity, fluency, coordination and musical understanding. Candidates will be able to improvise to an advanced level with effortless assurance and personality, plus demonstrate seamless musical form and structure. There will be an innate stylistic conviction and distinctive musicality with strong individuality. Communication will be commanding.
Estimated Examination Time:
- Grade Exam & Certificate: 30 minutes (approx.)
- Performance Certificate: 28 minutes (approx.)
Purchase Your Book & Exam Entry
The essential syllabus for the aspiring, contemporary pianist. Piano Grade 8 will provide you with everything you need for your Grade 8 exam, including a diverse range of repertoire, a truly innovative range of supporting tests and a vast array of professionally recorded backing tracks and audio examples.
Piano Grade 8
To reflect the versatility of the instrument, we have included the widest variety of genres ever ...
Graded Music Exam: Grade 8
All instruments - General guidance: Graded Music Exams Overview - How to book an exam UK / Republ...
Performance Pieces
The pieces in the grade book can be used for both the Grade Exam and Performance Certificate. The expectation and length of pieces are designed so candidates can demonstrate complete ownership of notation accuracy, values, evenness of sound, tone quality/ consistency, technical control, articulation, style awareness and sync at an advanced level. There will be instinctive presentation of musical structure with effortlessly fluent, maturely expressive communication.
Featured Repertoire:
- Paranoid Android – Radiohead
- I Got Rhythm – George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin
- Rêverie – Claude Debussy
- Cabin Capers – Florence Price
- Where We Begin – Rockschool Original
- Urban Mirage – Rockschool Original
- Piano Man – Billy Joel
- Allegro from Piano Sonata No. 9, Op. 14, No. 1 – Ludwig van Beethoven
- Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence – Ryuichi Sakamoto
- Torre Bermeja – Isaac Albéniz
- Breathing Underwater – Hiatus Kaiyote
- Copenhagen – Rockschool Original
Exam Structure
There are three types of exam available, a Grade Exam, Graded Certificate, or Performance Certificate.
Grade Exam
| 3 Performance Pieces (two of which may be Free Choice Pieces) | Candidates choose to play either Performance Pieces or Technical Exercises first | These account for 60% of the exam mark |
| Technical Exercises (Section A, B, C and D for Level 3 qualifications) | Candidates choose to play either Performance Pieces or Technical Exercises first | These account for 15% of the exam mark |
| Sight Reading or Improvisation & Interpretation (Debut to Grade 5); Quick Study Pieces (Grade 6 to Grade 8) | Candidates are given an unseen test to prepare and perform | This accounts for 10% of the exam marks |
| 2 Ear Tests | Candidates respond to 2 aural tests. | These account for 10% of the exam marks |
| 5 General Musicianship Questions | Candidates answer 5 questions based on one of the pieces performed | These account for 5% of the exam marks |
Graded Certificate
| 3 Performance Pieces (two of which may be Free Choice Pieces) | Candidates choose to play either Performance Pieces or Technical Exercises first | These account for 75% of the exam mark |
| Technical Exercises | Candidates choose to play either Performance Pieces or Technical Exercises first | These account for 25% of the exam mark |
Performance Certificate
| 5 Performance Pieces only (three of these can be Free Choice Pieces) | These account for 20% of the exam mark each. |
Assessment Criteria
(Please note: Graded Certificates consist of just Performance Pieces and Technical Exercises. Please see the exam structure tab for more info)
Performance Pieces
| Attainment Band | Distinction | Merit | Pass | Below Pass | Below Pass 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Range | 18-20 | 15-17 | 12-14 | 6-11 | 0-5 |
| Command of Instrument | Consistently clear production of sound and even tone quality throughout | Mostly clear production of sound and even tone quality overall | Some clear production of sound and generally even tone quality | Sound produced is unclear with uneven quality of tone produced | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
| Sync or Pulse | Performance consistently synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance mostly synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance sometimes synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance not synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse not maintained | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
| Accuracy & Understanding | all of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills demonstrated throughout. Understanding of musical structure shown all of the time. | Most of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills demonstrated overall. Understanding of musical structure shown most of the time. | Some of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills generally demonstrated. Understanding of musical structure shown some of the time. | Written music not accurately performed or equivalent skills not demonstrated. Understanding of musical structure not evidenced. | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
| Style & Expression | Consistently convincing projection of the music. | Mostly convincing projection of the music. | Some convincing projection of the music. | Music not convincingly projected. | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
Technical Exercises
| Attainment Band | Distinction | Merit | Pass | Below Pass | Below Pass 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Range | 13–15 | 11–12 | 9–10 | 4–8 | 0–3 |
| Command of Instrument | Consistently clear production of sound and even tone quality throughout | Mostly clear production of sound and even tone quality overall | Some clear production of sound and generally even tone quality | Sound produced is unclear with uneven quality of tone produced | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
| Sync or Pulse | Performance consistently synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance mostly synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance sometimes synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance not synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse not maintained | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
| Accuracy & Understanding | all of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills demonstrated throughout. Understanding of musical structure shown all of the time. | Most of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills demonstrated overall. Understanding of musical structure shown most of the time. | Some of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills generally demonstrated. Understanding of musical structure shown some of the time. | Written music not accurately performed or equivalent skills not demonstrated. Understanding of musical structure not evidenced. | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
Ear Tests
| Attainment Band | Distinction | Merit | Pass | Below Pass | Below Pass 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Range | 9-10 | 7-8 | 6 | 3-5 | 0-2 |
| Accuracy & Understanding | All of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills demonstrated throughout. Understanding of musical structure shown all of the time. | Most of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills demonstrated overall. Understanding of musical structure shown most of the time. | Some of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills generally demonstrated. Understanding of musical structure shown some of the time. | Written music not accurately performed or equivalent skills not demonstrated. Understanding of musical structure not evidenced. | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
Supporting Tests
| Attainment Band | Distinction | Merit | Pass | Below Pass | Below Pass 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Range | 9-10 | 7-8 | 6 | 3-5 | 0-2 |
| Command of Instrument | Consistently clear production of sound and even tone quality throughout | Mostly clear production of sound and even tone quality overall | Some clear production of sound and generally even tone quality | Sound produced is unclear with uneven quality of tone produced | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
| Sync or Pulse | Performance consistently synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance mostly synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance sometimes synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance not synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse not maintained | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
| Accuracy & Understanding | All of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills demonstrated throughout. Understanding of musical structure shown all of the time. | Most of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills demonstrated overall. Understanding of musical structure shown most of the time. | Some of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills generally demonstrated. Understanding of musical structure shown some of the time. | Written music not accurately performed or equivalent skills not demonstrated. Understanding of musical structure not evidenced. | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
General Musicianship Questions
| Attainment Band | Distinction | Merit | Pass | Below Pass | Below Pass 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Range | 5 correct responses | 4 correct responses | 3 correct responses | 2 correct responses | 0-1 correct responses |
Performance Certificate
| Attainment Band | Distinction | Merit | Pass | Below Pass | Below Pass 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Range | 18-20 | 15-17 | 12-14 | 6-11 | 0-5 |
| Command of Instrument | Consistently clear production of sound and even tone quality throughout | Mostly clear production of sound and even tone quality overall | Some clear production of sound and generally even tone quality | Sound produced is unclear with uneven quality of tone produced | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
| Sync or Pulse | Performance consistently synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance mostly synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance sometimes synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance not synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse not maintained | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
| Accuracy & Understanding | All of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills demonstrated throughout. Understanding of musical structure shown all of the time. | Most of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills demonstrated overall. Understanding of musical structure shown most of the time. | Some of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills generally demonstrated. Understanding of musical structure shown some of the time. | Written music not accurately performed or equivalent skills not demonstrated. Understanding of musical structure not evidenced. | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
| Style & Expression | Consistently convincing projection of the music. | Mostly convincing projection of the music. | Some convincing projection of the music. | Music not convincingly projected. | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
