January 18, 2026
About the Author: Arwen
Picture this: you’re seated at the piano, the examiner’s stern and stoic face is right across from you.
Each note echoes into the four corners of the room when all of a sudden an unsettling feeling overcomes you – did I really choose the right piece?
Piano exams are always nerve-wracking, no matter how many hours you’ve invested into preparation.
Even professionals, who have years upon years of experience, get performance anxiety.
It is only natural to feel this way.
Yet, the devastating thoughts that question your choice of music pieces should be the least of your worries.
When those doubtful thoughts ring louder than security, you know you’ve made a mistake.
Choosing the perfect piece for your exam is crucial.
It not only affects your willingness to practice, but also determines how confident you’ll feel on exam day.
There should be a balance between personal enjoyment and exam requirements – you also don’t want to show up to the examination without even meeting the requirements.
Thus, this article is here to help students make a confident, informed choice.
Understanding the Exam Board Requirements
Before you sign up for piano lessons, you most likely want to know what syllabus they can offer and teach.
At the London Piano Institute, we do not follow a set syllabus, but rather adapt to each of our students as everyone is different and requires special attention.
Should you wish to sit a graded exam, our lessons are highly personalised and tailored for you to do ABRSM or Trinity.
Although there are various different exam boards in the UK, choosing the right board can significantly impact a student’s learning experience, motivation, development and ultimately, their music qualification.
Each exam board differs from the last due to structure, style and other factors.
Take note of how many pieces you need to play and how many in each category you’re allowed to choose from.
All exam boards make use of different syllabus, so you need to make sure you’re choosing the right one for your goals
Match the Piece to Your Skill Level
Overestimating your musical abilities can cause a lot of stress leading up to the exams, and can often be demotivating.
On the other hand, underestimating your abilities can prevent potential growth as a pianist.
You don’t want to be on either extreme, instead you want to find yourself in the middle.
Balance challenge with playability, choosing pieces that give room to grow, not drown.
Choose at least one piece purely based on the technical demands, disregarding your preference towards it – but it must still be plausible.
My music teacher always forced me to do at least one difficult piece for each exam.
I hated learning them, but I don’t think I would have progressed so much if I wasn’t pushed outside my comfort zone.
There’s a famous quote by Roy T. Bennett:
“It’s only after you’ve stepped outside your comfort zone that you begin to change, grow, and transform.”
If you truly want to grow as a pianist, you have to step outside of your comfort zone and take on pieces that you never would have otherwise.
Many pianists choose the easy route and only take on basic and simple pieces for their exam, just to get a good grade or pass.
The problem with this thinking is that it’s short term focused.
Always avoiding the challenges will eventually catch up to.
If you truly want to be successful in piano, treat it like an investment instead of a fleeting journey.
You might be able to get away with choosing the easier options in the start, but as the level gets higher, your building block choices will stick out like a sore thumb.
Listen Before You Commit
Some pieces might look appealing, but don’t sound as good as they look.
Listen to professional recordings of each piece, making notes on those that stick out to you.
In the end, you still want to be able to enjoy listening as well as playing the pieces you choose.
Consider Practicalities
To build on what’s said in the last point, it is important to know the constraints you might have, like time.
It’s impossible for everyone to quit their job or drop out to focus on piano – even though that would be a dream come true.
Many don’t have the time to put in hours each day into the piano.
So while I’ll always suggest taking on challenging pieces, it is not always possible for some who still want to sit a piano exam.
It might be due to commitments like school, work, or other things in life. It’s also important to consider how fast or slow you are at learning new pieces.
Although, I cannot emphasise enough that piano exams are not hurdles, but milestones.
If you cannot commit to practising – especially if you are in a higher skill level – how can you commit to an exam?
Not only will enough preparation for your exams bring stress relief, it will also save money that could be potentially lost due to poor planning and preparation.
Final Tips for Decision-Making
Always confirm your decisions with your piano teacher.
Piano teachers have experience and knowledge about things you have yet to learn.
It’s always a good idea to seek good counsel and input, thus make sure your teacher wants the best for you because then you know that their guidance on your decision is for your benefit.
Conclusion
When choosing the perfect piece, it is important to think about your goal and how it can be realised.
Goals without plans are just dreams, and dreams don’t exist outside of our minds.
Picture this: you’re seated at the piano, the examiner’s stern and stoic face is right across from you.
Each note echoes into the four corners of the room.
A smile crosses your face when the last note fades away and a warm, fuzzy feeling takes root in your stomach – I’ve chosen the right piece.
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