Musical Aptitude Tests for Secondary Schools

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Does anbody have any experience of these as part of a selection process for over subscribed schools? Does it help if children are at a higher exam grade, or play specific instruments or a variety or instruments or do they purely measure their 'musicality'? ie. will daily shouting at DS to endlessly practice scales and full on pushy parenting be of any help or should I get my coat?

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Wow thank you bigTilly perfect you've made my day

Just went to a Kingsdale open day where they say that the musical aptitude test tests just that, aptitude (what they might become capable of) and not attainment (levels they have currently achieved.

No idea how it works - would be curious - but it seems then tht getting to a particular level (in this school) is supposed to be irrelevant. They judge you for the level you are at.

Hi - just wondering if you could help me out with this too - dd plays violin and seems fine with aural tests so far, anything we can do to find out more or know what to practice - if anything ? Thanks !

yeah, need help and information on this music thing too - ds plays piano, passed grade 8. will that help? or piano is too common and not really counts?

If it's state playing an instrument won't help at all. It's an APTITUDE test, and tests potential not actual ability.

Has you 10 year old really got G8 piano through wow! How does he manage with presumably little hands?

I know a girl who passed grade 8 in piano AND violin in year 5. Maniac genius!

DS got a full scholarship and he's only grade 4 in two instruments. He didn't prepare for the tests.

As titchy says, it's about aptitude. I think the staff are probably super skilled at identifying very musical kids, regardless of their level of attainment.

DS has done music festivals every year since starting piano and has almost consistently gained first place in whatever category he's entered into, even at grade one, where it was 24 kids all plinky plonking their way through their little pieces. Apparently he's just 'got it' and people who know about music can spot this.

If your dc's are very musical the staff will hopefully identify it. I really wouldn't bother getting them to do lots of stuff before the auditions.

Worrymum, what did your DS get in the aural in G8? That is often a good test of how they will cope with aptitude although the two are usually very different tests. Very unusual indeed to get Grade 8 piano at 10 so I should think they will bite off your hand as you usually have to do a performance once you are through the aptitude tests, at least in my experience ...

Full mark for aural. It's the sight-reading that he has some problem. he recently got first prize for grade 8 piano in music festival. i think piano is too common to count for anything? But DS is not interested any other instrument. he tried violin, trombone, tuba and baritone and dropped them all. He loves piano, though.

Hi everyone, hope it's all right to post on here even though I'm not a parent. One of my student's mum's 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 this test 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/