Musical Aptitude Tests for secondary school entry

[dukat]

Can anyone help with information on musical aptitude test for secondary school entry? Thanks.

We did the Ashmole Academy test and got through to Round 2 although were not selected at the second stage as the instrument offered was violin around Grade 3 level of playing. The MAT tests we found via this link were useful for getting a high mark at Stage 1: musicaptitudetest.wordpress.com/

My daughter is doing the Chancellor's test in September and we're having a bit of a panic over the Texture section. We've done the online tests and feel pretty confident with the other sections, but it's the one in this video that we find the hardest. Does anyone have any tips on how we can prepare for this section? Thanks!

My DD scored 96 for her Mill hill county music aptitude test which is far above the cut off point around 65.

We used the materials from this website
lorenzoroccomusic.co.uk

It covers the Ashmole Academy, Claremont high, Camden girls and Watford grammar school as well as far as I can tell. Hope it will help to prepare you child in your area.

Hi, does anyone have any info on the music aptitude test at cardinal vaughan? Many thanks

Hi everyone, hope it's all right to post on here even though I'm not a parent. One of my student's mums told me to share this on mumsnet.

I'm a private music teacher in Bristol UK and loads of my students have been going through MAT tests recently as we have Bristol Cathedral School here – they do around thousand admissions a year using the musical aptitude test.

Over the last year I've put together some free tests and courses for students, parents and teachers to assist the preparation for this exam. There's loads of information and tips on how to practice, even if you've never studied music before.

I've put these free courses up on my website for everyone. Hope it helps

teaching.jackvaughan.co/musical-aptitude-test-course/

We're preparing for the tests this Autumn and found this video useful for the texture section:

This seems ridiculous!

Surely the whole point of aptitude tests is to test some kind of innate ability? If people are prepping, doing courses and being tutored then either the aptitude bit is a scam or they are wasting their time & money.

What am I missing?

TeenTimesTwo - what , you mean like the 11+ is an ability test and doesn't need any tutoring or prepping?

@DivisionBelle Yup we are prepping for the test, I am sure the other scholarship candidates will be too!

We didn't. My daughter did. Sports aptitude test and we did no prep or practice as I was fairly sure her natural ability would shine through whatever they got her to do - it did and she scored 10 percentage points over the score required. If they actually have aptitude you shouldn't need to prep.

what is prep though? There is no such thing as pure aptitude without any sort of input. Musicality is developed through exposure to music. Last minute prep won't work but of course certain prep for the activities they do helps. Sports is different bc your daughter was probably training and competing anyway (which is prep!). Nobody would say there is natural sports aptitude that will shine through without ever doing sport. It's the same for music. It is highly unlikely that a completely untrained children without any exposure or musical training whatsoever will suddenly magically shine. It is always the same kids who have gone through a strings programme / junior conservatory / started lessons at age 5 etc.. I believe in aptitude but the notion that you can measure pure aptitude that is unrelated to training or practice is seriously misguided.

I think my daughter would do OK at the audition round as she plays a less common instrument but she needs to pass the MAT or she'll never get the chance to play.

The first round is quite peculiar and I do think it's worth trying some prep as the tests I bought online weren't expensive (£15ish I think) and she went through them with her theory teacher so at least she has some idea what to expect. This is nothing compared to the months of extra tuition that students do for the 11+ To grammar schools! She's got mates that have been prepped since Year 4 to do the grammar school entry tests.