Piano sight reading by grade
A grade-by-grade guide to piano sight reading. What examiners expect at each level, how to prepare for the test, and which pieces in Sight Reader sit at the right level for practice. Nine posts, one per grade from Initial through Grade 8.
Which exam board?
The major piano grade boards used around the world test very similar things at each level. ABRSM (UK), Trinity (UK), LCM (UK), RCM (Canada & USA), MTAC Certificate of Merit (USA) and AMEB (Australia) all run a graded ladder, and the sight-reading test at each level looks broadly the same: a short, unseen piece of music played at sight in a friendly key. The differences are in the detail: length, preparation time, key coverage, and whether the test is compulsory. Each post below covers the test from every board, side by side, so you can pitch your practice level wherever you are.
Initial Grade
Four bars in C major or D minor, hands separate, in a 5-finger position. The entry point: counting aloud, locking the hand position, reading both staves at once.
Grade 1
Adds G major, F major and A minor. Occasional accidentals in minor keys, mf and mp, slurs and hairpins. Hands still separate.
Grade 2
Hands play together for the first time. Adds D major, E minor, G minor. Tied notes, dotted rhythms, and pp arrive.
Grade 3
The hand moves outside the 5-finger position. 2-note chords, simple semiquaver patterns, 3/8 time. Adds A major, B♭ major, E♭ major and B minor.
Grade 4
Compound time arrives with 6/8. No new keys, but anacrusis, chromatic passing notes, pause signs and tenuto markings join the catalogue.
Grade 5
E major, A♭ major, F♯ minor, C minor. 4-part chord textures (2 notes per hand maximum), simple syncopation, ff. The first grade where modulation appears in the test.
Grade 6
Irregular meters (9/8, 5/8, 5/4), pedal markings, ornaments, triplet rhythms. Adds C♯ minor and F minor. Sight Reader Grades 6–8 are Pro-only.
Grade 7
Multi-voice textures, with three independent lines on two staves. All keys up to 4 sharps or 4 flats. Rubato markings, denser rhythmic writing, full ornament reading.
Grade 8
Around a page of music. 12/8 time, 3-part chords, spread chords, ornaments, tempo acceleration. All keys up to 5 sharps or 5 flats. The final grade.
Ready to practise?
Sight Reader's grade-aligned campaign runs from Initial through Grade 8. Forty short levels per grade, instant feedback on every note, and accuracy tracking that tells you when you are ready for the exam.
Open the grade campaign