Grade 8 Pieces
Three pieces:
One chosen by the candidate from each of the three Lists A, B and C.

Please use the links below to find the titles recommended in the ABRSM Exam Syllabus.

Please note that the first three pieces in each list are found in:
ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces Grade 8 2025 & 2026

Grade 8 Scales & Arpeggios
Piano Scales & Arpeggios Grade 8

Grade 8 Sight-Reading
Piano Specimen Sight-Reading Grade 8

Grade 8 Aural
 Specimen Aural Tests, Grade 8

Additional Resources

Grade 8 Scales & Arpeggios
Manual of Scales, Broken Chords and Arpeggios

Grade 8  Sight-Reading
More Piano Sight-Reading Grade 8
Join the Dots Grade 8
Your Sight-Reading Grade 8
Your Sight-Reading! A piece a week Grade 7-8

Grade 8 Aural
Aural Training in Practice, Grade 6-8
Improve Your Aural Grade 7-8
Aural Test Survival Grade 8

Theory of Music
ABRSM Music Theory Exam Materials
Additional Music Theory Resources

Grade 8 2025 & 2026 List A

J. S. Bach Prelude and Fugue in G, BWV 884 J. S. Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Part 2 (ABRSM)
5. J. S. Bach Sarabande and Rondeaux (4th and 5th movts from Partita No. 2 in C minor, BWV 826) J. S. Bach: Partitas Nos. 1–3 (ABRSM)
6. Beethoven Allegro (1st movt from Sonata in E, Op. 14 No. 1) Beethoven: Sonata in E, Op. 14 No. 1 (ABRSM) or Beethoven: The 35 Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1 (ABRSM) or Beethoven: Complete Pianoforte Sonatas, Vol. 1 (ABRSM)
7. Handel Prelude and Allegro (Fuga) (1st and 2nd movts from Suite No. 8 in F minor, HWV 433) Handel: Eight Great Suites, Book 2 (ABRSM) or Handel: Keyboard Works, Vol. 1 (Bärenreiter)
8. Haydn Allegro con brio (1st movt from Sonata in D, Hob. XVI:37) Haydn: Selected Keyboard Sonatas, Book 3 (ABRSM) or Haydn: Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 3 (Wiener Urtext)
9. Haydn Allegro (1st movt from Sonata in E-, Hob. XVI:49) Haydn: Complete Piano Sonatas Volume III (Henle)
10. Stephen Hough Toccatina (5th movt from Suite R-B) Stephen Hough: Suite R-B and Other Enigmas (Weinberger)
11. Martínez Allegro/Moderato (1st movt from Sonata in A) Piano Music by Female Composers (4th revised edition 2011) (Schott) or Core Classics, Grades 7–8 (ABRSM)
12. Moszkowski Scherzino, Op. 77 No. 2 Moszkowski: Music for Piano (G. Schirmer)
13. Mozart Andante grazioso and Vars. 1–6 (1st movt from Sonata in A, K. 331) Mozart: Sonata in A, K. 331 (ABRSM) or Mozart: Sonatas for Pianoforte, Vol. 2 (ABRSM)
14. Rameau Les cyclopes (from Pièces de clavecin) Rameau: Les cyclopes / Les sauvages (Bärenreiter) or Rameau: Pièces de clavecin (Heugel)
15. D. Scarlatti Sonata in D, Kp. 443, L. 418 Pp. 4–7 from D. Scarlatti: Selected Keyboard Sonatas, Book 1 (ABRSM) or D. Scarlatti: 200 Sonatas, Vol. 4 (EMB Zeneműkiadó)
16. C. Schumann Un poco agitato (No. 2 from Quatre pièces fugitives, Op. 15) C. Schumann: Romantic Piano Music (Vol. 2) (Bärenreiter) or C. Schumann: Quatre pièces fugitives Op. 15 (Breitkopf & Härtel)

Grade 8 2025 & 2026 List B

4. Arensky Nocturne in D (No. 3 from 24 Characteristic Pieces, Op. 36) (Prhythm) or 24 Morceau characteristiques, Op. 36 (Alfred)
5. A. Beach A Hermit Thrush at Morn, Op. 92 No. 2 Piano Music of Amy Beach (Hal Leonard) or Amy Beach Piano Music (Dover)
6. Beethoven Adagio cantabile (2nd movt from Sonata in C minor ‘Pathétique’, Op. 13) Beethoven: Sonata in C minor, Op. 13 (Pathétique) (ABRSM) or Beethoven: The 35 Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1 (ABRSM) or Beethoven: Complete Pianoforte Sonatas, Vol. 1 (ABRSM)
7. Chopin Mazurka in A minor, Op. 17 No. 4 Chopin: Mazurkas (Henle)
8. Hensel Andante cantabile in D- Hensel: Selected Piano Works (Henle)
9. Ireland Columbine Ireland: The Collected Piano Works, Vol. 4 (Stainer & Bell)
10. Janáček Andante (No. 1 from In the Mists) Janáček: In the Mists (Bärenreiter)
11. Rachmaninoff Moment musical in D-, Op. 16 No. 5 Rachmaninoff: Six moments musicaux, Op. 16 (Simrock)
12. Schubert Impromptu in A- (No. 2 from Four Impromptus, Op. 142, D. 935) Schubert: Impromptus, Op. 142 (ABRSM) or Schubert: Impromptus and Moments musicaux (Henle) or Core Classics, Grades 7–8 (ABRSM)
13. Schumann Romanze in F+ (No. 2 from Drei Romanzen, Op. 28) Schumann: Drei Romanzen, Op. 28 (ABRSM)
14. Tailleferre Impromptu Tailleferre: Impromptu (Editions Jobert)
15. Tchaikovsky Janvier ‘Au coin du feu’ (No. 1 from The Seasons, Op. 37bis) Tchaikovsky: The Seasons (Henle)
16. P. E. Wolf Hiding Rainbow (Bujkáló szivárvárny) (No. 22 from Jazz Preludes Wolf-temperiertes Klavier 2) Jazz Preludes Wolf-temperiertes Klavier 2 (EMB Zeneműkiadó)

Grade 8 2025 & 2026 List C

4. Eleanor Alberga If the Silver Bird Could Speak Spectrum (ABRSM)
5. Bartók Dance in Bulgarian Rhythm No. 6 (No.153 from Mikrokosmos) Bartók: Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (Henle) or Bartók: Mikrokosmos, Vol. 6 (Boosey & Hawkes)
6. Chaminade Pierrette (Air de Ballet), Op. 41 Piano Music by Female Composers (4th revised edition 2011) (Schott)
7. Chen Peixun Thunder in Drought Season 100 Years of Chinese Piano Music: Vol. III Works in Traditional Style, Book II Instrumental Music (Shanghai Conservatory of Music Press)
8. Debussy Rêverie Debussy: Rêverie (Editions Jobert) or Night and Dreams (Schott)
9. Tim Garland Eco Warrior Nikki Iles and Friends, Book 2 (ABRSM)
10. Zoe Rahman Go with the Flow Nikki Iles and Friends, Book 2 (ABRSM)
11. Khachaturian Toccata Khachaturian: Toccata (Boosey & Hawkes)
12. Uwe Korn Caballos Españoles Tango Meets Jazz (Schott)
13. Cecilia McDowall Vespers in Venice (from Four Piano Solos) Cecilia McDowall: Four Piano Solos (Hunt Edition)
14. McHugh On the Sunny Side of the Street, arr. Iles Jazz on a Summer’s Day (OUP)
15. Trad. Irish Danny Boy, arr. Iles Jazz in Autumn (OUP)
16. Villa-Lobos O polichinelo (from A prole do bebê no.1) Villa-Lobos: O polichinelo (Eschig) or Beyond the Romantic Spirit, Book 2 (Alfred)

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