Grade 1 piano sight-reading: what to expect and how to practise
Short, one hand at a time, in a handful of keys. What the ABRSM Grade 1 test involves, the half-minute preparation and a 4-week routine.
Key points
- ABRSM Grade 1: short test, each hand separately, keys C, G, F major and D, A minor.
- Half a minute to look through and try it out first.
- Sight-reading is 21 of 150 marks; keep the pulse.
The Grade 1 sight-reading test is short, and it is designed to be manageable. Below is what the ABRSM Grade 1 piano test involves under its current syllabus, how to use the preparation time and a daily routine for the weeks before.
Details below summarise ABRSM's published piano syllabus (2025–26 onwards) as we read it in October 2026. Check the current syllabus on abrsm.org before your exam; other boards such as Trinity College London set their own requirements.
What the ABRSM Grade 1 test involves
| Feature | Grade 1 |
|---|---|
| Length | Very short: for example 4 bars in 4/4 or 6 bars in 2/4 |
| Time signatures | 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 |
| Keys | C, G and F major; D and A minor |
| Hands | Each hand separately, in a five-finger position (hands together starts at Grade 2) |
| Rhythms | Including dotted minims, quavers and rests |
| Markings | f, p, mf, mp, slurs, staccato, accents, hairpins; occasional accidentals in minor keys |
The preparation time
ABRSM gives candidates half a minute to look through the test and, if they want to, try out any or all of it before playing it for assessment. Use it:
- Key and time signature. Put your hand in the five-finger position.
- Count the rhythm of the trickiest bar silently.
- Try that bar quietly.
- Choose a tempo you can keep all the way through.
The same routine in more detail is on the 30-second scan. Fingering printed on the test is guidance only.
How much it is worth
In ABRSM graded piano exams sight-reading is marked out of 21, of a total of 150. A steady pulse, correct notes and rhythm, and keeping going matter most; dynamics and articulation add the rest.
A 4-week routine (10 minutes a day)
| Week | Daily |
|---|---|
| 1 | Note quiz (3 min) + one five-finger melody per hand from a beginner book, no stopping |
| 2 | Add rhythm clapping: tap the rhythm before playing each piece |
| 3 | Exam-style practice: 30 seconds' preparation, then play once, no second try |
| 4 | Two mock tests a day in different keys; include D and A minor |
Where to find practice examples
- ABRSM publishes sample sight-reading tests for each grade (you do not need to buy them, but they match the format).
- Beginner method books and easy duet books are good five-finger material.
- Treble or bass melodies from hymn books, one hand at a time.
Preparing for a later grade? See sight-reading in piano exams.
