Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School has published its admissions arrangements for boys applying to Year 7 for September 2027.
For families considering one of the school’s music aptitude places, there is an important earlier deadline to remember: the music aptitude section of the school’s application must be completed by 5pm on Friday 25 September 2026.
The Music Aptitude Test itself will take place in early October 2026. Cardinal Vaughan has not yet published the exact test date.
At SE22 Piano School, we offer specialist one-to-one Music Aptitude Test preparation on Zoom for children preparing for secondary-school music admissions assessments across the UK.
Cardinal Vaughan Music Aptitude Test: key dates
For September 2027 entry:
- Applications open: early September 2026
- Cardinal Vaughan open evenings: 17 and 22 September 2026
- Music aptitude application deadline: 5pm, Friday 25 September 2026
- Music Aptitude Test: early October 2026
- Supplementary Information Form deadline: 5pm, Friday 23 October 2026
- Local authority secondary-school application deadline: 31 October 2026
- Ability banding test: Monday 2 November 2026
- National Offer Day: 1 March 2027
Families should always check the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School admissions page before applying. The school’s determined admission arrangements for 2027–28 contain the full official criteria.
Who is eligible for a Cardinal Vaughan music aptitude place?
Cardinal Vaughan has 128 places available in Year 7.
Under the school’s published admissions arrangements, priority is given to up to 12 Catholic boys with a Certificate of Catholic Practice who demonstrate aptitude in music.
The school defines musical aptitude in terms of a boy’s capacity to learn or develop musical skills and benefit from its music teaching, expertise and facilities.
Boys admitted through this criterion are expected to play a full part in Cardinal Vaughan’s extensive music programme.
What is the Cardinal Vaughan Music Aptitude Test?
Cardinal Vaughan states that the assessment uses aural tasks.
Candidates applying through the music aptitude criterion must achieve a minimum score of 14.
The available music places are distributed across the school’s three ability bands:
- 3 places in Band 1
- 6 places in Band 2
- 3 places in Band 3
The school does not currently publish a detailed list of the individual tasks or question types that candidates will encounter.
That distinction matters.
Music Aptitude Tests vary between schools, and generic online practice material should not automatically be treated as an exact reproduction of the Cardinal Vaughan assessment.
If your child is preparing for Cardinal Vaughan, a one-to-one Zoom preparation lesson gives us the opportunity to work with him individually, identify where preparation is most useful and concentrate on those areas rather than following the same programme for every candidate.
Preparing for an aural assessment
Aural skills develop through attentive listening rather than simply completing large numbers of practice questions.
Children arrive at Music Aptitude Test preparation with very different musical experiences. Some already play an instrument or sing regularly; others may have had comparatively little formal musical training.
The useful question is therefore not simply, “How many practice tests has my child done?” but how confidently and accurately he listens and responds to musical information.
We discuss this more broadly in our article Exposure, Not Cramming: Building Listening Skills for the Music Aptitude Test.
With several weeks remaining before Cardinal Vaughan’s early-October assessment, there is still useful preparation time. Families who would like to work during the school holidays can also see our current Music Aptitude Test summer lesson information.
Cardinal Vaughan music aptitude and ability banding are different assessments
Parents should not confuse the Music Aptitude Test with Cardinal Vaughan’s separate ability banding test.
The banding test is not an entrance examination and there is no pass or fail.
Cardinal Vaughan uses it to divide applicants into three ability bands, with the top 25% placed in Band 1, the middle 50% in Band 2 and the remaining 25% in Band 3. The school then admits across those bands to maintain a comprehensive intake.
For 2027 entry, the banding test is scheduled for Monday 2 November 2026.
A boy who does not obtain a music aptitude place is still considered for admission within his ability band under the other applicable admissions criteria.
One-to-one Cardinal Vaughan Music Aptitude Test preparation
There is no single preparation programme that suits every child.
Our specialist Music Aptitude Test lessons are delivered one-to-one, allowing the session to respond to the individual student rather than spending valuable time repeatedly practising areas he already handles confidently.
SE22 Piano School is based in East Dulwich, South London, while our specialist Music Aptitude Test preparation is available online via Zoom, so families preparing for Cardinal Vaughan can book from anywhere.
Book a one-to-one Music Aptitude Test preparation lesson on Zoom.
Please use Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School as the primary source for admissions information, as dates and arrangements can change during the admissions season.
