The Music Stem / Exams and Auditions
Exams and Auditions
Practice papers and audition guides
Each practice paper follows the sections of the board's exam. Each audition guide follows what the school asks for.
Exams
Practice papers by board
Practice papers
Questions in the format of your examStudy mode explains every answer. Exam mode is timed and scored at the end.See every exam →- ABRSMAssociated Board of the Royal Schools of Music
- AP Music TheoryCollege Board
- TrinityTrinity College London
- RCMThe Royal Conservatory of Music
- AMEBAustralian Music Examinations Board
- RIAMRoyal Irish Academy of Music
- Gandharva MahavidyalayaAkhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal
- CBSECentral Board of Secondary Education
- ISCCouncil for the Indian School Certificate Examinations
- Cambridge IGCSECambridge International
- Eduqas GCSEWJEC Eduqas
- AQA GCSEAQA
- OCR GCSEOCR
- Qualifications ScotlandQualifications Scotland
- UGC-NET MusicNational Testing Agency
- PraxisEducational Testing Service
- State music teacher testsPearson licensure tests in US states
- All examsPractice exams from all the boards
Aural tests
ABRSM Aural TestsYou hear the music and then clap, sing or answer, as you would for the examiner.Auditions
Audition guides by school
Audition practice
Prepare for your music auditionPractice sight-reading, rhythm, ear skills and interviews. Then take a full mock audition.See every audition →- Berklee College of MusicUnited States, International, Undergraduate→
- Texas All-State EnsemblesTexas→
- UK ConservatoiresUnited Kingdom, International→
- National Youth OrchestrasUnited States, United Kingdom→
- Musical Theater AdmissionsUnited States, United Kingdom→
- Juilliard and Peer ConservatoriesUnited States, International→
- Central Conservatory of MusicChina, Beijing→
- China provincial music arts examChina, Henan, Guangdong→
- Conservatorium van AmsterdamNetherlands, International→
- Tokyo University of the ArtsJapan, Tokyo→
- Royal Academy of MusicUnited Kingdom, London, International→
- Royal College of MusicUnited Kingdom, London, International→
Ear tests
Ear tests for your auditionPractice the ear tests that schools give. Answer each one and see your result.Ear tests
Train for the aural tests
Ear Training
Ear LabHear a cadence or a drone. Then find the step of each new note.
Singing
Hear a tune and write it downHear a short tune and write it on the staff.
Jazz Ear
Jazz chords by earHear chord qualities and the ii–V–I on piano and bass.
Ear lessons
Meter, tala and guide tones by earFollow a diagram while you listen.About exam and audition practice
Each practice paper follows the sections and the question types of the board's exam. Each audition guide sets out what the school asks for and links to the school's own pages.
Who it is for
Students who take graded exams with ABRSM, Trinity or the Royal Conservatory practice here. So do school students in AP Music Theory, GCSE or CBSE music. Teachers who take a certification test such as Praxis can use the same papers. Students who apply to a conservatory or a music college can prepare each part of their audition.
How to use a practice paper
Choose your board and your grade. Study mode explains each answer as you work. Exam mode is timed, and you see your score at the end. Start a new topic in Study mode. Move to Exam mode when you can answer most questions without help.
How to prepare an audition
Read the guide for your school first. It lists the pieces, the tests and the recordings that the school asks for. Practice each part on its own: sight-reading, rhythm, the ear tests and the interview. The practice audition in each audition guide takes you through the whole audition in order.
How to prepare for the aural tests
Most graded exams and many auditions include tests by ear. Candidates clap a rhythm, sing back a short melody or identify a chord. The Ear Lab and the ABRSM aural papers train these skills. The Ear Training page describes each drill.
Where to check the current requirements
Exam syllabuses and audition requirements change. Check the board's current syllabus or the school's own page before your exam or audition.
Each board publishes its own syllabus. Here are three of them.
- ABRSM Music Theory Grades Qualification Specification
- Trinity College London Theory of Music Syllabus
- College Board AP Music Theory page
The page for each practice paper links to its own syllabus. Each audition guide links to the school's own requirements. The full list of papers is on the music theory practice tests page. Separate pages describe the route to a music degree in the United States and in the United Kingdom.