Preparing for a performance exam is one of those experiences that can feel exciting, nerve-wracking, and motivating all at once. So many emotions are in the mix as students reach these milestone moments. At SYNERGY, our piano students work through the RCM curriculum, which covers several distinct areas of study:
Repertoire naturally gets the most attention. Pieces are longer, more challenging, and simply more fun to work on. But what often happens as exam time approaches is that everything else — technique, ear training, sight-reading — isn't quite ready. Cram mode sets in.
This post focuses on the technical requirements specifically: how to approach them systematically from the start so that exam day doesn't catch you off guard.
Start early — technique is not a last-minute task
The most important piece of advice is also the simplest: don't wait. Make technique part of your regular practice plan from the beginning of the year, not something you scramble to learn in the weeks before the exam.
Rather than working through the technique book from start to finish, I recommend organizing practice around Key Sets. Work through all the requirements for a single key together before moving on to the next. Here's an example from RCM Level 7:
- Scale
- Tonic Four-Note chord
- Dominant 7th — broken and solid
- Arpeggios — tonic and dominant 7th
Working this way familiarizes the student with the key as a whole and builds skill across all patterns simultaneously. When you study patterns one at a time across all keys, earlier ones tend to be forgotten by the time you circle back. Key Sets prevent that.
The three-step review process
Once all keys have been learned, it's time to review — and this is where having a system really pays off.
Step 1 — Full review with the metronome
Some keys may not have been played in weeks or months. Start by playing through everything: all scales, then minor harmonic, then minor melodic. Note anything that poses a challenge and give it extra attention. Do this with every section of the technical requirements — not just scales.
Step 2 — The colour-coding test
Pull out the technique requirements chart (downloadable below, or found at the back of your RCM Technical Requirements book). You'll need three colours. Put the metronome on and play through each requirement — only once, no reviewing first. Then colour-code each one honestly:
Step 3 — Work the chart
Now you have a clear practice map. Start with red — work those until they reach green. Then address yellow. Finally, run through everything. The stricter you are with yourself, the better this system works. Don't pass off a yellow as green just because you "sort of" have it. When nerves kick in during the actual exam, that near-ready skill can easily slip back to yellow or red.
Tips to sharpen your technique further
Vary your articulation. Practice scales and arpeggios all staccato, all legato, or with combinations of slurs and staccatos. Displacing accents is also a great challenge.
Vary your rhythm. Try swing feel, or combinations of 16th notes and 8th notes. Hold the first note longer, or hold the last note longer. These variations expose weaknesses you wouldn't catch in a straight run-through.
Use the Metronome Ladder technique (described by Nicola Cantan) when tempo is a challenge — start well below the required speed and move up incrementally.
The Accent Exercise (especially effective for Levels 8–10)
This is one of my favourite tools for building speed in arpeggios and scales at the upper levels:
- Set your metronome to the minimum required tempo for the exam.
- Play in 8th notes, accenting every other note.
- Play in triplets, accenting every 3rd note.
- Play in 16th notes, accenting every 4th note.
- Once all of the above feel comfortable, turn the metronome off and play through fluidly at tempo.
Download the technique charts
Use these charts to track your colour-coded progress through the technical requirements. Print one out and work through it honestly in the weeks leading up to your exam.