Opinion · The exam economy
When the syllabus refreshes, who gets a new shopping list?
A syllabus update can put a new composer on a child’s music stand. It can also make a family look at a shelf of barely used books and reach for its wallet again.
For the 2027–28 piano cycle, ABRSM announced newly published exam-piece books and free multimedia resources. It says the 2025–26 repertoire can still be used through December 2027, subject to its overlap rules. A request to buy new materials deserves a concrete answer about what goes out of date and what keeps its use. A sonatina has years of things left to teach after it leaves a list.
The broader issue is purchasing by level. A student might enjoy one piece in the book and dislike the rest. In an ordinary lesson you can follow that piece to another work by the same composer or write something with the same rhythm.
Have the student make a short playlist from the current book, the old book and music heard outside lessons. Choose one piece for its musical challenge and one for sheer desire. The printed examination cycle can guide the assessment booking while that playlist guides much of the practice.