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About the Exam
The AP Music Theory Exam will test your understanding of the musical concepts covered in the course units, including your ability to analyze performed and notated music and to sing melodies from a written score (sight sing).
In this exam, you’ll complete the multiple-choice and written free-response sections on paper, and you’ll record your sight-singing free response on a device supplied by the testing school.
Exam Date
Exam Components
Section 1: Multiple Choice
75 questions 45% of Score
There are two types of multiple-choice questions on the exam:
- Questions based on aural stimulus test your listening skill and knowledge about theory largely in the context of examples from actual musical scores. Some questions will cover identification of isolated pitch and rhythmic patterns, while others may test your skill in aural analysis of more complex musical excerpts. (41–43 questions, ~45 minutes)
- Questions based on analysis of printed music scores emphasize knowledge of score analysis, including small-scale and large-scale harmonic procedures; melodic organization and developmental procedures; rhythmic/metric organization; texture; and formal devices and/or procedures. You may also see questions about musical terminology, notational skills, and basic compositional skills. (32–34 questions, 35 minutes)
There are 10–12 individual questions and 13 sets made up of 4–6 questions each.
All stimulus materials throughout the exam represent a variety of historical style periods, including baroque, classical, romantic, late 19th or 20th century, and contemporary (world music, jazz, or pop). Both instrumental and vocal music are represented.
Section 2A: Free Response: Written
7 questions 45% of Score
The seven questions include:
- 2 melodic dictation questions
- 2 harmonic dictation questions
- 1 question about part writing from figured bass
- 1 question about part writing from Roman numerals
- 1 question about harmonization of a melody
Section 2B: Free Response: Sight-Singing
2 questions 10% of Score
You’ll be asked to sing and record two brief, primarily diatonic melodies (of about 4–8 bars).
- You will have 75 seconds to examine and practice each melody and 30 seconds to perform it.
- You may sing the melody beginning with the given starting pitch or another pitch in a range that is more comfortable.
Exam Essentials
Exam Preparation
Credit and Placement
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