[Latest] Nursery Teacher Exam Piano Set Pieces | Thorough Prep with 2023 Selections and Past Pieces!
After studying early childhood education and completing rigorous practical training, the final hurdle before becoming a certified childcare worker is the Nursery Teacher Examination.
Once you pass all nine written subjects, what awaits you is the practical skills test covering Music, Art, and Language.
Among these, the sing-and-play piano component can be a major source of anxiety for those with little instrumental experience.
In this article, we present a comprehensive collection of past nursery teacher exam repertoire pieces that you should practice—both as preparation for the exam and to build performance skills you can use in real childcare settings.
Of course, the latest assigned pieces are included as well.
This time, we have carefully selected easy arrangements that even those who feel unsure about piano can master without strain.
All sheet music is available for download, so give it a try!
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[Latest] Piano Pieces for the Nursery Teacher Certification Exam | Thorough Preparation with 2023 Selections and Past Pieces (1–10)
Song of a Little BirdAkutagawa Yasushi
The children’s song “Kotori no Uta” (Song of Little Birds) evokes the adorable image of little birds singing together in harmony.
It was a set piece for the 2022 Nursery Teacher Certification Exam.
In this very short piece—only seven measures of the sung section—the key points to watch are the dotted rhythms and the staccato! If the rhythm is loose or the articulation is dull, the bird-like quality is lost in an instant.
When practicing singing with accompaniment, focus on how to play so that children can sing energetically like little birds, and try playing with crispness and vigor—almost to the point where you wonder if it’s too much.
LullabyKusakawa Shin
The children’s song “Yurikago no Uta,” long cherished as a lullaby, was a set piece for the 2021 childcare worker certification exam.
It was performed by the male vocal group The Bonny Jacks in 1967, and later sung by Rimi Natsukawa in 2011, appearing on her cover album as well.
With its soothing, sleep-inducing character, both the accompaniment and melody have little movement, making it an easy song for self-accompanied performance.
If you’re starting piano practice for the childcare certification exam, be sure to give it a try.
Donguri KorokoroYariya Tei
“Donguri Korokoro,” which was also a set piece for the 2019 Nursery Teacher Examination, is a classic children’s song that virtually every Japanese person has sung at least once.
It became widely loved after being included in elementary school textbooks in 1947.
With easy-to-remember lyrics and melody, plus a straightforward chord progression, it’s great for singing and playing at the same time.
Although it includes syncopated rhythms, you’ll be fine if you hum the tune and play along with it.
Sparse arrangements can easily sound a bit plain, so aim for a bright, lively performance with clear tone.
[Latest] Nursery Teacher Exam Piano Set Pieces | Thorough Prep with 2023 and Past Pieces! (11–20)
motherNakata Yoshinao
“Okaasan” (Mother), composed by Yoshinao Nakada, a composer known for numerous children’s songs and nursery rhymes, was a set piece for the 2018 nursery teacher certification exam.
It’s a heartwarming work that pairs a gentle melody with lyrics depicting a tender scene: a child speaking to their mother—who is doing laundry and housework—saying, “Mom, you smell nice.” Because the tempo is relaxed and the number of notes is small, it’s also easy to perform as a sing-and-play piece.
Start by practicing singing along with the right-hand melody; once you’re comfortable, add the left hand on the first beat of each measure, and as you gain confidence, gradually increase the number of accompaniment notes.
aye-ayeUno Seiichirō
There are many nursery rhymes featuring animals, and one of the most representative is “Ai Ai”! It’s almost always sung in early childhood settings and was even chosen as a required song for the 2018 childcare worker certification exam.
Although it’s a Japanese-born nursery rhyme, the creature that appears in the song is the aye-aye—known for its round eyes and long tail—which lives far away in Madagascar.
If children ask, “What kind of monkey is an aye-aye?” the conversation might take off and you may have trouble getting to the singing practice.
Since it’s a classic, you’ll definitely want to master singing with piano accompaniment as well.
Let’s start by trying a simple arrangement!
When I Become a First GraderYamamoto Naozumi
You start wanting to sing “When I Become a First Grader” as graduation from kindergarten approaches.
It was a set piece for the 2017 childcare worker certification exam.
Even children who feel sadness or anxiety about saying goodbye to close friends and beloved teachers may feel their spirits brighten with anticipation for a new environment when they hear this song.
The key point of this piece is to perform it brightly and energetically so that children think, “I can’t wait to talk with new friends!” Keep the melody’s bouncy rhythm clear, and play the accompaniment lightly so it doesn’t get in the way.
There’s no such thing as ghosts.Mineharu
“Obake Nante Naisa” (“There’s No Such Thing as Ghosts”) is a children’s song themed around ghosts, which are scary figures for kids.
It was a set piece for the 2016 nursery teacher certification exam.
The adorable charm lies in the way it portrays the child’s inner struggle—being scared yet thinking, “I don’t want to see a ghost, but I’d like to try being friends with one.” When singing it with children to piano accompaniment, the key is to play triplets and dotted rhythms accurately to create a light, buoyant feel.
Let’s sing and play energetically so that by the end we can blow the fear away with, “I’m sure there’s no such thing as ghosts!”