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Exam practice
RIAM Grade III music theory practice test
Timed practice for RIAM Grade III Music Theory, set out in the board's own sections. Every answer comes with an explanation.
About the exam
Theory and Harmony Grade III is a written theory exam from the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM).
This practice test covers Grade III: note values, time signatures, the stave, scales and intervals, composition and a short piece to read.
Listening on this test
Fifty questions with one answer each, as in the onscreen exam, and one melody ending to write and check against a model answer.
The sections
- Section 1 · Note and rest valuesThis section has 7 questions.
- Section 2 · Time signaturesThis section has 8 questions.
- Section 3 · StaveThis section has 8 questions.
- Section 4 · Scales and intervalsThis section has 15 questions.
- Section 5 · CompositionThis section has 4 questions.
- Section 6 · ObservationThis section has 4 questions.
Timing
Exam mode runs a clock of 2 hours for the whole practice test.
The full practice test holds 46 questions.
Study mode has no clock. It checks each answer as you go.
Sample questions
Sample 1
Which single note lasts as long as a crotchet tied to a crotchet?
- dotted crotchet
- dotted minim
- minim
- semibreve
The answer is C, minim.
In crotchets, the notes come to one and one. Their sum, two, matches a minim.
Sample 2
In 2/2, the second half of a bar is silent. Which rest is written?
- A minim rest
- A crotchet rest
- A semibreve rest
- A dotted minim rest
The answer is A, A minim rest.
Half a bar of 2/2 is one minim beat. A silent second beat takes a minim rest at the bar's midpoint.
Sample 3
Which notes form the ascending scale of F major?
- F, G, A, B, C, D♭, E and F
- F, G, A, B♭, C, D, E and F
- F, G, A♭, B, C, D, E and F
- F, G, A, B, C, D, E♭ and F
The answer is B, F, G, A, B♭, C, D, E and F.
Every letter appears once, and the steps follow the pattern of a major scale. That gives F, G, A, B♭, C, D, E and F.
Questions and answers
How long is the RIAM Grade III Music Theory practice test?
Exam mode gives 2 hours for the whole practice test. It holds 46 questions. Study mode has no clock.
What sections does the RIAM Grade III Music Theory practice test cover?
It follows the board's order in six sections, from Note and rest values to Observation.
Are the answers explained?
Yes. Each answer comes with an explanation of why it is correct.
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