Should We Switch to the New ABRSM 2027 Piano Syllabus?

The new ABRSM Piano 2027 and 2028 syllabus was published on 4 June 2026. From January 2027, your child can sit a Grade exam using the new repertoire books. From 1 January 2028, the new syllabus is the only option. In between, there is a twelve-month overlap window where both old and new pieces are valid.

If you are reading this, you are probably one of the parents trying to work out the obvious next question. Do we switch now, wait until the new syllabus takes over, or do something in between? This is the practical, term-by-term answer.

The headline facts in thirty seconds

• Syllabus published: 4 June 2026.
• First valid exam date with new pieces: 1 January 2027.
• Last valid date for the current (2025 and 2026) pieces: 31 December 2027.
• From 1 January 2028: only the new 2027 and 2028 syllabus pieces can be used.
• The no-mix rule: all three of your child's exam pieces must come from the same syllabus. You cannot pick two from the current syllabus and one from the new one.
• What stays the same: scales, arpeggios, sight reading and aural tests have not changed. If your child has done that work, it carries over.

That last point is the one most parents miss. The 2027 syllabus changes the pieces. It does not change the technical work, the sight reading, or the aural. Everything your child has done on those is still relevant. We will come back to this.

Your exam booking window decides everything

The honest answer to "should we switch?" is "it depends on when you are sitting the exam". The rule is simple and you only need to know which window you are in.

If you are sitting the exam before January 2027

You cannot use the new pieces. The 2027 syllabus only becomes valid from 1 January 2027 onwards. Carry on with the current pieces and book the exam as planned.

If you are sitting between January and December 2027

You have a choice. Both syllabuses are valid in this overlap year. You can stay with the pieces your child has already learned, or you can switch to the new pieces. The right choice depends on how much work has already gone in. Detail below.

If you are sitting from January 2028 onwards

You will be using the new syllabus. The current syllabus is no longer valid. Start working from the 2027 and 2028 books.

The no-mix rule: the most important thing to know

ABRSM is explicit about this. All three of your child's exam pieces must come from the same syllabus. You cannot combine a piece from the 2025 to 2026 syllabus with a piece from the 2027 to 2028 syllabus, even during the 2027 overlap year.

This matters more than parents realise. Some teachers will tell families "we will just pick the best piece from each book". That is not allowed in the exam. The exam booking form asks which syllabus year your three pieces come from, and the examiner checks. If even one piece is from the wrong syllabus, the exam result is at risk.

If you are mid-way through learning, say, two pieces from the current syllabus and you want to switch, you start the third piece from scratch in the new syllabus and drop the first two. There is no in-between.

Term by term: when to actually switch

Here is the honest decision tree, mapped to the school terms most families work around.

Autumn term 2026 (September to December)

If your child is sitting an exam this term or in early spring 2027, stay with the current syllabus. The new pieces are not valid yet, and switching to them now means delaying the exam.

If your child is not booked for an exam this term, this is the ideal point to look at the new pieces. The books are out, recordings are available, and there is no rush. You can start exploring whether one of the new pieces appeals to your child without committing to a switch.

Spring term 2027 (January to April)

The overlap year begins. From now until 31 December 2027, both syllabuses are valid.

For students who have already been working on current-syllabus pieces and are close to exam ready, stay where you are. Sit the exam on the current syllabus and finish what you started. There is no advantage to switching mid-preparation.

For students just starting Grade work this term, lean towards the new syllabus. The current pieces have a one-year shelf life and your child cannot use them in 2028 or beyond.

Summer term 2027 (May to July)

This is the cleanest moment to switch families across. Many students sit exams in May or June; whatever syllabus you used for that exam is now finished. Start the next phase of teaching on the 2027 syllabus.

If you are not sitting the summer exam window and are aiming for autumn or beyond, switch now. There is no reason to keep using a syllabus that is in its final months.

Autumn term 2027 (September to December)

The last term in which the current syllabus is valid. We strongly recommend everyone is on the 2027 syllabus by now. The risk of trying to squeeze a late-2027 exam onto the old syllabus is that the booking date or the examination date slips into January 2028 and the work is wasted.

From January 2028 onwards

The current syllabus is no longer valid. Use the new books. No decision to make.

Four real-life scenarios and what to do

Your child is mid-syllabus and confident

Your child has been working on Grade 4 pieces from the current syllabus since the new year. They like the music, they are progressing, and they are aiming for a summer 2027 exam. Stay where you are. Finish the work, sit the exam, then move to the 2027 syllabus for Grade 5.

Your child is just starting Grade 1 pieces

Your child just sat Initial Grade or is starting Grade 1 in the autumn term 2026. Start on the new 2027 syllabus. The current Grade 1 pieces only have a window until December 2027. Anything they learn now in the new book will still be valid for an exam in 2028, 2029 and beyond.

Your child loves pop music and the new syllabus has the songs they want

Several of the headline new pieces are arrangements of contemporary pop. Billie Eilish's What Was I Made For? is in Grade 1 List C, Taylor Swift's Enchanted is in Grade 3, Rihanna's Lift Me Up is in Initial Grade. If the music your child genuinely wants to play is in the new book, there is a strong motivational case for switching. Be honest about exam timing. If you can sit the exam from January 2027 onwards, the switch is straightforward. If your booking is earlier, you cannot use these pieces yet.

Your child is preparing for Grade 5 theory or Grades 6 to 8

A reminder, not a switch question: Grade 5 theory is still a prerequisite for the practical Grades 6, 7 and 8. The 2027 syllabus does not change that. If your child is aiming for Grade 6 or above in 2027, the theory work is the bottleneck, not the new pieces. Build the theory in alongside whichever piece syllabus you choose.

What stays the same: the bigger half of the exam

The 2027 syllabus is a piece syllabus. The rest of the practical Grade exam has not changed:

• Scales and arpeggios are the same.
• Sight reading is the same.
• Aural tests are the same.
• The marking structure is the same.
• The exam format (face to face or recorded) is the same.
• Grade 5 theory prerequisite for practical Grades 6, 7 and 8 is the same.

If your child has been quietly building their scales, sight reading and aural skills, none of that work is lost. The 2027 syllabus is about which three pieces sit at the centre of the exam. Everything around the pieces carries over.

What actually changes: the differences worth knowing

The 2027 syllabus brings new piece selections across every grade, with a notable expansion into contemporary popular music alongside the classical, jazz and world repertoire ABRSM has been steadily widening. From what has been announced so far:

• More arrangements of recent pop hits across the lower grades.
• Continued representation of global piano traditions and film music.
• New compositions from a broader pool of composers, with a clear push on diversity and accessibility.
• The Initial Grade is fully refreshed.

The published difficulty calibration is the same as the current syllabus. ABRSM does not move the goalposts between syllabuses on what counts as Grade 3 versus Grade 4 work. The new pieces sit at the same standard. They just sound different.

Frequently asked questions

Can I mix old and new syllabus pieces in one exam?

No. ABRSM requires all three pieces to come from the same syllabus. The exam booking form asks which syllabus year and the examiner checks. Mixing pieces across syllabuses puts the result at risk.

Are the new pieces harder than the old ones?

No. ABRSM calibrates each syllabus to the same Grade standard. A 2027 Grade 1 piece is at the same level as a 2025 Grade 1 piece. The actual notes, rhythms and difficulty profile of any individual piece will vary, but the band of difficulty for the Grade is unchanged.

Will my child be at a disadvantage choosing one syllabus over the other?

No. Both are equally valid in the overlap year. Examiners do not award fewer marks for "choosing the old syllabus" or "choosing the new". The choice is logistical, not strategic.

What if we book a 2027 exam now with the old pieces?

That is fine if the exam date falls on or before 31 December 2027. If the exam is rescheduled into January 2028 for any reason (illness, postponement, centre availability), the old pieces are no longer valid and the family would need to learn new pieces fast. Bear this in mind if you are aiming for a late-2027 exam.

When does the current syllabus actually expire?

31 December 2027. After that, you cannot sit an ABRSM piano practical exam using pieces from the 2025 and 2026 syllabus.

What happens to scales, sight reading and aural?

Nothing. They are not part of the syllabus change. Whatever work your child has done on the technical side continues to be relevant.

Where can I see the actual new pieces?

The 2027 and 2028 piece books are available from ABRSM Shop and from major UK music retailers. Some pieces have been previewed via the ABRSM announcement materials. We will be publishing a piece-by-piece walkthrough of the new Grade 1 book shortly.

The honest answer for most families

For nine out of ten families, the rule is this. If your child is mid-preparation for a current-syllabus exam to sit before December 2027, finish what you started. Do not switch mid-stream just because new books are out. If your child is starting a new Grade, especially Grade 1, switch to the 2027 syllabus. Anything they learn now stays valid for years.

The decision is rarely close. It hinges entirely on where in the journey you are when the question comes up. Knowing the no-mix rule and your exam booking window is enough to make the call yourself.

Want to talk it through with a teacher?

If you are not sure which window you are in or which path makes sense for your child, that is a conversation we have most weeks in the studio. Book a trial lesson and we will walk through the situation, look at where your child is right now, and give an honest read on whether to switch, when to switch, and which pieces would fit the strongest from the new syllabus.

We teach conservatoire-trained piano lessons in Harrow and across HA1 to HA8, and online from anywhere in the UK. Over 90 per cent of our students pass ABRSM with merit or distinction, and we have been guiding students across syllabus changeovers for years. Whatever the answer for your child, we will give it to you straight.