AP Music Theory
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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).
Exam Duration
~ 2hrs 40mins
~ 2hrs 40mins
Exam Date
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Fri, May 13, 2022,
8 AM LocalAP Music Theory Exam
This is the regularly scheduled date for the AP Music Theory Exam.
Exam Components
Section 1: Multiple Choice
75 questions ~ 1hr 20mins 45% of Score
There are two types of multiple-choice questions on the exam:
- 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.
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)
Section 2A: Free Response: Written
7 questions ~ 1hr 10mins 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 ~ 10mins 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
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AP Classroom Resources
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2021 AP Music Theory Free-Response Questions and Scoring Guidelines
Review the released free-response questions and scoring guidelines. Includes directions, audio prompts, and transcripts of directions and prompts.
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2021 AP Music Theory Free-Response Questions
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AP Music Theory Scoring Guidelines
See the guidelines that the AP Program used to score the free-response questions.
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2021 AP Music Theory Sight-Singing Free-Response Questions
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AP Music Theory Sight Singing Scoring Guidelines
See the guidelines that the AP Program used to score the sight-singing section.
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2021 AP Music Theory General Directions
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2021 AP Music Theory Transcript of General Directions
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2021 AP Music Theory Directions for Questions 1-2
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2021 AP Music Theory Transcript of Directions for Questions 1-2
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2021 AP Music Theory Question 1
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2021 AP Music Theory Transcript of Question 1
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2021 AP Music Theory Question 2
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2021 AP Music Theory Transcript of Question 2
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2021 AP Music Theory Directions for Questions 3-4
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2021 AP Music Theory Transcript of Directions for Questions 3-4
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2021 AP Music Theory Question 3
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2021 AP Music Theory Transcript of Question 3
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2021 AP Music Theory Question 4
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2021 AP Music Theory Transcript of Question 4
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2021 AP Music Theory Directions for Questions 5-7
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2021 AP Music Theory Transcript of Directions for Questions 5-7
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2021 AP Music Theory Sight-Singing Directions
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2021 AP Music Theory Transcript of Sight-Singing Directions
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2021 AP Music Theory Sight-Singing Question 1
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2021 AP Music Theory Transcript of Sight-Singing Question 1
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2021 AP Music Theory Sight-Singing Question 2
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2021 AP Music Theory Transcript of Sight-Singing Question 2
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2021 AP Music Theory Sample Responses Q1
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2021 AP Music Theory Sample Responses Q2
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2021 AP Music Theory Sample Responses Q3
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2021 AP Music Theory Sample Responses Q4
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2021 AP Music Theory Sample Responses Q5
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2021 AP Music Theory Sample Responses Q6
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2021 AP Music Theory Sample Responses Q7
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2021 AP Music Theory Sight-Singing Directions
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2021 AP Music Theory Sight-Singing Question 1 Commentary
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2021 AP Music Theory Sight-Singing Sample 1A
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2021 AP Music Theory Sight-Singing Sample 1B
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2021 AP Music Theory Sight-Singing Sample 1C
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2021 AP Music Theory Sight-Singing Question 2 Commentary
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2021 AP Music Theory Sight-Singing Sample 2A
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2021 AP Music Theory Sight-Singing Sample 2B
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2021 AP Music Theory Sight-Singing Sample 2C
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2021 AP Music Theory Score Distributions
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2021 AP Music Theory Aural Subscore Distributions
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2021 AP Music Theory Nonaural Subscore Distributions
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AP Music Theory Exam Free-Response Questions and Scoring Information Archive
Review free-response questions, sample student responses, and scoring guidelines from past exams. Includes MP3 files of exam audio prompts and sight-singing responses.
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