How I Passed ABRSM Piano Performance Grade 8 5x Faster Than Average (Part 2): Skipping Grades — Is It Right for You?

The most common question I get: "How did you know you were ready to skip?"

Short answer? My teacher made the call, I trusted her, and we took calculated risks.

But here's what I wish someone had told me: Grade skipping isn't about being a genius. It's about honest assessment and understanding trade-offs.

I skipped five grades (1, 2, 3, 4, and 6). Each was a deliberate decision. Some were obvious. Others felt risky. All required careful thought.

Summary

This article breaks down the decision-making behind grade skipping. I explain ABRSM's policy, the honest pros and cons, and concrete readiness indicators to help you decide. I provide a practical decision framework with specific questions to ask yourself and your teacher, address common scenarios, and share my personal philosophy on when to skip versus when to take every grade. This is for students trying to determine if acceleration makes sense for their situation.

How ABRSM Skipping Works

The rule: You can skip lower performance grades and start at whatever level matches your ability.

The requirements for Grades 6, 7, 8:

• Must pass Performance Grade 5 first

• Must pass Music Theory Grade 5 first

• Only then can you take/receive certificates for Grades 6, 7, or 8

So, you can't jump straight from zero to Grade 8. You have to pass Performance 5 and Theory 5 as prerequisites.

But: You can skip Grades 1-4 entirely and start at Grade 5 (like I did). And you can skip Grade 6 and go from 5 to 7 (also like I did).

Most students do one grade per year because it's traditional, but if you're beyond that level, there's no reason to waste time on grades below your ability.

Honest Pros and Cons

Pros

1. Massive Time Savings - I saved ~5 years by skipping five grades.

2. Stay Challenged - Always working on pieces that pushed me = stayed motivated.

3. Faster Access to Advanced Repertoire - Playing Chopin and Rachmaninoff while peers were on simplified arrangements.

4. Momentum - Rapid progress fueled motivation for the next exam.

Cons

1. Potential Skill Gaps - Occasionally struggled with specific techniques (like double thirds) that would have been covered in skipped grades. Had to learn them myself.

2. Less Exam Experience - Fewer exams = fewer opportunities to get comfortable with pressure.

3. No "Easy Wins" - Starting at Grade 5 meant no confidence-building lower grades.

4. Higher Pressure - When you skip, there's expectation you'll do well. Merit on Grade 5 felt like underperforming.

5. Burnout Risk - Moving quickly through challenging material is exhausting.

How to Know If You're Ready

1. Can You Play the Repertoire?

Look at the actual syllabus for the grade you're considering.

• Can you play pieces at that level?

• Are they challenging but achievable?

• Or completely out of reach?

Pull up 3-4 pieces from that grade's syllabus. Try playing them.

If you can stumble through them and see yourself polishing them in 2-3 months: You're ready.

If you can't even get through one page: Drop down a grade.

2. Teacher's Honest Assessment

Ask directly: "Do you think I'm ready for [Grade X], or should I take [Grade X-1] first?"

They should give you specifics:

• "Your technique is already at Grade 7 level"

• "Your interpretation needs work before Grade 6"

• "You're playing repertoire beyond Grade 5"

Red flag: Vague hesitation without specifics—push for details!

3. Do a Mock Performance

Record yourself playing three pieces from the grade you're considering (as if it's the real exam—see Part 3 for format details).

Have your teacher watch and score it honestly.

75+ out of 100: Skip confidently

65-74: Borderline—could work but risky

Below 65: Take one grade lower

My Grade 5 mock: ~75-78. Not amazing, but enough.

4. Learning Pace

How fast do you learn new pieces?

Polish a piece to performance level in 2-3 weeks? → You can probably skip.

Takes 2-3 months for one piece? → Take every grade to build gradually.

5. Practice Commitment

Be honest: How much do you actually practice?

Skipping requires intensive work.

30 min/day feels like a lot? → Don't skip.

2+ hours/day and wanting more? → Skipping might work.

6. Timeline and Goals

Why are you doing ABRSM?

• College applications? → Skip aggressively to reach Grade 8 before apps

• Personal growth? → Take your time

• No deadline? → No rush!

Decision Framework

Step 1: Look at repertoire from several grades. Find the one where pieces are challenging but achievable in 2-3 months.

Step 2: Can you already play similar-level pieces? Yes → proceed. No → drop one grade.

Step 3: Do a mock. 75+ → skip. Below 65 → don't skip.

Step 4: Check timeline. Enough prep time? Yes → proceed. No → reconsider.

Step 5: If all signs point to ready: skip. If significant doubt: take one grade lower.

Common Scenarios

"I've played for years but never did ABRSM"→ Start at Grade 5 or 6 depending on your level

"I got Distinction on Grade X—should I skip the next?"→ Not automatically. Look at repertoire difficulty jump.

"I need Grade 8 for college apps in 18 months"→ Strategic skipping with aggressive timeline (what I did)

"My teacher says skip but I'm nervous"→ Do a mock. Score 75+? Trust them. Below 70? Discuss concerns.

"Want to skip because exams are expensive"→ Valid, but make sure you're actually ready. Failing costs more.

The Grade 5 Requirements

Here are your options for timing to fulfill the requirements to test higher than Grade 5:

1. Take Performance 5, then Theory 5, then move to Grade 6+

2. Take Performance 5 and Theory 5 simultaneously (what I did)

3. Space them out - just need both done before Grade 6+

My approach: Studied Theory 5 while preparing for Performance 5. Self-studied for 3-4 months using ABRSM workbooks and online tests. Took the theory exam a few months after Performance 5.

This is not difficult, just time-consuming. I'd suggest that you should get both done before moving to Grade 6 and beyond so you're not scrambling.

My Philosophy

Skip when:

• You're genuinely beyond the lower grade

• You have time to prepare properly

• Teacher supports it with specific evidence

• You're motivated to work

Don't skip when:

• Just trying to "go faster" without being ready

• You have technical gaps

• You're already overwhelmed

• Someone else is pushing you

Golden Rule: Skip grades that would be too easy. Don't skip grades that will teach you something valuable.

What's Next

In Part 3, I'll share my exact preparation strategy: how I structured practice for each exam, chose my four pieces, prepared efficiently, and dealt with the recorded video format. If you've decided which grade to take and need a concrete prep plan, Part 3 is your guide.

About the Author: I'm Jophy Lin, a high school senior and researcher. I blog about a variety of topics, such as STEM research, competitions, shows, and my experiences in the scientific community. If you’re interested in research tips, competition insights, drama reviews, personal reflections on STEM opportunities, and other related topics, subscribe to my newsletter to stay updated!