AP Music Theory

Who takes this exam

Students who plan to study music take AP Music Theory to build skills in listening, reading and harmony before college. At some colleges, a high score earns college credit or lets you start in a later theory class.

What the exam tests

• Section I is multiple choice. Questions are based on recorded music and on printed scores.
• Section II is free response. Students write melodic and harmonic dictation and harmonize a melody. They also write parts from figured bass and from Roman numerals. Last, they sight-sing two melodies, which are recorded.

What the exam leads to

Colleges set their own rules for AP credit and placement. Some give credit or place students in a later theory course. Others give neither. The College Board offers a search of each college's AP policy.

The same skills appear in musicianship tests at US music schools. Juilliard piano finalists, for example, take a written musicianship exam.

How it compares with other exams

AP Music Theory is a single exam. Its content runs from basic theory to four-part harmony, which ABRSM spreads across several grades. Its sight-singing and dictation make it close to a conservatory musicianship test.

Practice on The Music Stem

AP Music Theory practice examThe AP Music Theory practice exam covers listening, score analysis, dictation, part writing and sight-singing.Open →Melodic dictationIt builds the dictation answers.Open →

• Sight-reading and the Cantus Room train sight-singing and singing back.