Using a selection of examination books that I have this is what I have observed.
1955
All of the grades had a particular name as follows.
Grade One – Primary
Grade Two – Elementary
Grade 3 – Transitional
Grade 4 – Lower
Grade 5 – Higher
Grade 6 – Intermediate
Grade 7 – Advanced
Two sets are given, A and B and a candidate who chooses on of the sets must play all of the pieces in that particular set with the exception of the third piece in the list. The Grade 3 syllabus contains Thomas Dunhill’s Study in F, Bach’s Minuet from French Suite No. 6 in E and Dorothy Pilling’s Snowflake. There are four alternatives that can be played and these are included in Graded Pianoforte Pieces Grade 3. These are from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic Periods. There are a number of British composers featured in this syllabus.
1961
This syllabus is in the same format as the 1955 one. Again there are a number of British composers represented in the syllabus. For example in the Grade 1 syllabus there are no Baroque pieces at all. List B contains Alec Rowley’s The Rivulet, Mozart’s Allegro in B flat and Thomas Johnson’s The Desolate Farmhouse. The alternative pieces are in The Highway of Progress series. These pieces are from the 20C and Romantic Periods.
1974
Again, this syllabus is similar to the ones described as above. There are fewer British composers represented in this syllabus. Lists A and B include a range of pieces with the third piece being from the 20C Period. List A in Grade 1 is interesting, it contains a Bach Minuet, Bartok’s Children at Play and Sarauer’s Rikaldo. The third piece could be interchanged with a Romantic or Classical Period piece however the Bartok piece cannot be changed. And, there are only two alternative pieces for the third piece in each set and these are included in the series, Classic and Romantic. In the Grade 1 syllabus for example, the two alternative pieces were from the Classical and 20C Periods.
1975
There is no change in the syllabus in regards to the sets however the two alternative pieces are included in the series,Graded Pianoforte Pieces.
1977
Again there is no change and the alternative pieces are included in the series, Pleasure in Progress.
1987 & 1990
By this time individual grades have lost their category names. Apart from that there are no other changes and the two alternative pieces are included in Short Romantic Pieces for Piano.
In Lists A and B the pieces came from the Baroque and Classical Periods. List C pieces came from the 20C and as above; the alternative pieces came from the Romantic Period.
1996
Again the same format is used and the two alternative pieces are included in More Romantic Pieces for Piano.
In Lists A and B the pieces came from the Baroque and Classical Periods. List C pieces came from the 20C and as above; the alternative pieces came from the Romantic Period.
1999 – 2000
1999 saw a change in the piano examination syllabus. A candidate was require to prepare three pieces from the syllabus, one each from List A, B and C. However, there were no restrictions on which ones from each set the candidate was required to select. Each List contained six pieces, the first three of each were published in an examination book.
The A List contained pieces from the Classical and Baroque Periods and List B contained pieces from the Classical and Romantic Periods. The pieces in List C were chosen from 20C compositions. This meant that a candidate would play a 20C piece, and the other two pieces could be from the Baroque, Classical or Romantic Periods. Obviously, the candidate would have been wise to not choose two pieces from the same Musical Period.
A new piano syllabus was published every two years rather than every year.
2021 – 2022
In this new syllabus each List now has more pieces to choose from and each grade has 30 pieces in its syllabus. A new grade has been added, Initial. The list structure is not based on Musical Periods but on musical characteristics. And, there is a duet option from Initial to Grade 3.