RSL Classical
Classical piano, violin, and guitar with a 21st-century repertoire - same grades, same exam types as Rockschool.
About RSL Classical
RSL Classical represents “classical music in all its forms” with syllabuses written for today’s learner: diverse repertoire that includes female composers and composers from the global majority, alongside the core canon.
It is currently available for Classical Piano, Violin, and Classical Guitar, and uses the same three exam types and marking as Rockschool - Grade Exam, Performance Certificate, and Graded Certificate.
- Levels
- Debut, Grades 1–8
- Exam types
- Grade Exam · Performance Certificate · Graded Certificate
- Total marks
- 100
- Pass mark
- 60
- Formats
- Face-to-face, live-stream digital, recorded digital
What you can be examined in
- Classical Piano
- Violin
- Classical Guitar
The grade ladder
Each rung, what it expects, and where it sits on the qualification framework.
Debut
RQF Entry Level 3A short time learningElementary skills, coordination, and musical understanding, with a first taste of improvisation.
Grade 1
RQF Level 16 months – 1 yearDebut skills secured with better technique and rhythm.
Grade 2
RQF Level 11 – 1½ yearsAdvanced beginner: improved coordination and a wider stylistic range.
Grade 3
RQF Level 11½ – 2 yearsThe final beginner stage - stylistic awareness and confident full-song performance.
Grade 4
RQF Level 22 – 3 yearsIntermediate: a sense of expression, complex rhythms, and genre-accurate feel.
Grade 5
RQF Level 23 – 4 yearsConfident intermediate musician able to handle demanding charts and improvise fluently.
Grade 6
RQF Level 3AdvancedAdvanced playing; Quick Study Pieces replace sight reading. First grade with UCAS points.
Grade 7
RQF Level 3AdvancedProfessional expectations of tone, control, and interpretation.
Grade 8
RQF Level 3AdvancedAdvanced improvisation, expressive phrasing, and professional-level performance - up to 30 UCAS points.
What is in the exam
Choose the format that suits you - the certificate is the same.
Grade Exam
The full exam: pieces, technical exercises, and unseen tests. Face-to-face or live-stream digital.
| Component | Marks | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Performance pieces | 60 | Three pieces from the grade book, up to two of which may be Free Choice Pieces. Each is marked out of 20 on command of instrument, sync/pulse, accuracy & understanding, and style & expression. |
| Technical exercises | 15 | Scales, arpeggios, chords, rudiments, or technical studies selected by the examiner from the grade’s list. |
| Sight reading or Improvisation & Interpretation | 10 | Your choice at Debut–Grade 5. At Grades 6–8 this becomes a Quick Study Piece prepared in the exam. |
| Ear tests | 10 | Two tests - typically melodic recall and harmonic or rhythmic recognition. |
| General musicianship questions | 5 | Five questions about the music you have just played and your instrument. |
| Total | 100 | |
Performance Certificate
Performance only - no technical work or unseen tests. Face-to-face, live-stream, or recorded digital. Premiere to Grade 8.
| Component | Marks | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Five performance pieces | 100 | Each piece is marked out of 20; up to three may be Free Choice Pieces. |
| Total | 100 | |
Graded Certificate
Recorded digital only, in one continuous take. Debut to Grade 8.
| Component | Marks | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Three performance pieces | 75 | From the grade book, up to two Free Choice Pieces. Each marked out of 20 then scaled. |
| Technical exercises | 25 | All the technical exercises listed for the grade, performed in full. |
| Total | 100 | |
Marks and result bands
UCAS points at Grades 6–8
| Grade | Pass | Merit | Distinction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 |
| Grade 7 | 12 | 14 | 16 |
| Grade 8 | 18 | 24 | 30 |
How to progress
From first lesson to the top grade - the steps most Artium students follow.
Begin at Debut
A short first exam after a few months of lessons.
Build repertoire and technique together
Each grade book pairs pieces with scales, arpeggios, and studies at the same level.
Add sight reading early
Reading fluency is central to classical playing and becomes a Quick Study Piece at Grades 6–8.
Grade 8 and UCAS points
RSL Classical Piano, Violin, and Guitar all carry UCAS points at Grades 6–8.
Courses that prepare you
Live, 1-on-1 classes following this syllabus.
Figures on this page are from the official RSL syllabus ↗. Boards update syllabuses periodically - check the official page before booking an exam.