Piano Accompaniment Exams | London College of Music Examinations

Piano Accompaniment

About LCME Piano Accompaniment exams

Piano Accompaniment is designed to encourage pianists to take part in ensemble playing from an early stage. Candidates accompany another instrumentalist or singer, building musicianship, sensitivity and an awareness of repertoire that extends well beyond solo piano playing.

Piano Accompaniment exams sit within the wider 2026 Piano syllabus and are open to all candidates, with no prerequisite qualifications.

The 2026 Piano Accompaniment syllabus is open for entries from 1 September 2026. Meanwhile, you can use the 2021 syllabus, which remains valid until 31 July 2027, giving candidates and teachers a full 12-month overlap to plan a smooth transition.

2026 Piano Accompaniment - graded exams

Available grades

• Grades 3, 5 and 7

Exam format

Each exam is made up of four components:

• Performance - candidates accompany two pieces, then perform one solo piece (or technical work) from the equivalent standard Piano grade.

• Discussion - as for the equivalent standard Piano grade.

• Solo Sight Reading or Keyboard Harmony Test - as for the equivalent standard Piano grade.

• Aural Tests - as for the equivalent standard Piano grade.

Accompaniment repertoire

Candidates accompany pieces chosen from a range of LCME syllabuses (for example, pieces set at Grade 1 may be used in a Grade 3 Piano Accompaniment exam). Alternative pieces can also be taken from listed publications that include solo parts for a number of different instruments, so candidates can pair up with violinists, flautists, singers and more. Solo parts may need to be purchased separately.

Download the 2026 syllabus (PDF)

How candidates are assessed

Candidates are marked using the same criteria as the standard Piano grades covering technical accomplishment, musical knowledge, musicality and communication, with the focus extended to how sensitively the candidate supports and responds to the other performer.