Lorraine Liyanage – Page 19 – SE22 Piano School ~ East Dulwich

The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College: Music Aptitude Test

Applicants to the school wishing to apply for a place under the 5% music allocation of criterion 7 will need to take a Music Aptitude Test.

The test will consist of 60 multiple choice questions, 15 on each of the following areas of musical awareness:

 pitch
 rhythm
 melody
 texture

Applicants will listen to the questions on a CD, the running time of which is approx. 35 minutes. Parents are, however, advised to allow an hour overall for the test’s completion.

Whilst no previous musical experience is required in order to take the test, it is expected that applicants wishing to apply under this criterion have an interest in music, and would wish to participate fully in the musical life of the school should they gain a place.

Please note: The Bishop’s Stortford High School, The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and The Leventhorpe School are arranging music aptitude tests in common. You may be applying to both The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and The Leventhorpe School under the music aptitude criterion but you will only sit one test which will be arranged at one of the three schools irrespective of the school(s) to which you are applying.

If you would like any assistance preparing for the test see our resources below plus details of 1-to-1 online lessons.

How we can help you with the Music Aptitude Test

Music Aptitude Tests & 1-to-1 Training

Can you really be awarded a Music Scholarship place at Secondary School without any Musical Experience or Knowledge?

Music Scholarship Preparation at the SE22 Piano School

Whilst browsing the Admissions Criteria for several popular UK state secondary schools each year, I see time after time the statement that children do not need any prior musical experience to sit the Music Scholarship entrance test.

Here is the criteria that one school uses for their Music Aptitude Test which presumes that you have passed the Round 1 Multiple Choice listening test.

The highest scoring students will be invited to come into school for Round 2 assessment. They will be given a series of aural tests during which time they will be required to clap or play back various rhythms and pitches using classroom instruments. They will also listen to some recordings and identify the instruments being used. This will take approximately 20 minutes.

This sounds very much like a test that would require some prior musical preparation in order to succeed with a bias for students that already understand pitch-based instruments.

Many parents are booking 1-to-1 lessons for students with little to no experience of any instrument and whilst certain schools do not ask you to perform at Round 2, the vast majority will expect you to play two pieces for the audition.

If you have time to prepare then we do recommend booking one or two sessions in Year 4 or 5 so that you know what to expect from the test. Then keep working towards these goals with your teacher in your music lessons. By the end of Year 5 you will be in a good position to sit the test and hopefully at a level on your instrument that will enable you to succeed at Round 2.

For assistance with any aspect of the Music Aptitude Test please book a 1-to-1 lesson where we will answer all of your questions:

Last-minute availability for 1-to-1 Music Aptitude Test preparation lessons.

We have just a handful of spaces left to offer online Zoom lessons to help you prepare for the upcoming Music Scholarship entrance tests to UK secondary schools. Follow our Organiser Profile to see new dates as they are added but bear in mind that now we are back to teaching full-time, we will only have a limited amount of time to offer tuition. If you see a space that is suitable do book it as we cannot guarantee we will be adding many more spaces.

New dates added for Music Scholarship training in September & October 2022 with the Scholarship Specialist team from the SE22 Piano School.

Zoom Lessons for Music Scholarship Training

Download our Music Aptitude Test training materials to use with your teacher in your music lessons. Also known at the MAT, the Music Aptitude Test is used by state secondary schools in the UK to select a percentage of their intake on a full or half Music Scholarship system. The tests are quite unusual in that some schools use tests with electronically generated beeps, graphic scores and other unfamiliar topics to students that are already learning a musical instrument. We have designed materials that will give you a flavour of the kinds of tests you will hear on the day. These training materials can be used with your teacher to help you prepare for entry to any UK secondary school. We do not sell the exact same test you will hear on the day, of course.