Exams
ABRSM exam guide for Macau students: Initial to Grade 8
What each ABRSM grade tests, when to enter, how to prepare sight-reading and aural — and why we recommend one grade every 12–18 months.
Published 15 September 2026 · 1 min read · KARON Education
In one sentence: ABRSM grades run from Initial to Grade 8; each exam has three pieces, scales, sight-reading and aural tests (150 marks; 100 pass, 120 merit, 130 distinction). In 2026 Macau had two sessions (July–August and November–early December); see the 2027–2028 piano syllabus; KARON handles entries and runs mock exams.
Suggested timeline (piano)
| Age | Grade | Focus | |---|---|---| | 5–6 | Initial | Reading, rhythm, posture | | 7–8 | 1–2 | Hand coordination, scales | | 9–10 | 3–4 | Pedal, phrasing, tempo | | 11–12 | 5 + Grade 5 Theory | Common secondary-school admission threshold | | 13–15 | 6–7 | Style and interpretation | | 16+ | 8 | Diploma preparation |
How KARON prepares students
- Graded syllabus built into every lesson plan
- Five minutes of sight-reading and aural every lesson
- Mock exam marked by a different teacher
- Quarterly concerts for stage experience
