Cardinal Vaughan school music aptitude test

[jsemamma]

Hi everyone! Confused Mum here looking for some advice 🙏🏻. My son just sat the music aptitude test for Cardinal Vaughan memorial school in London. Anyone who has been through this with their child, how do I interpret the score my son has been given? There are only 12 places but around 5 times as many kids who “passed” the test. My son was given a passing mark so will be considered for an aptitude place, but a score much lower than I would have expected (he is extremely musical and scored distinction at his recent ABRSM tests on two different instruments). If your son got a music aptitude place, what score did he get? Just want to understand if we actually stand a chance! Thank you!!

Hello Jsemamma, I son sat the MAT this year also, and he got 1x (above the passing marks). I called the school and asked what is the lowest score to get the music places in pervious years, the school replied he cannot disclose, but said there are pretty much pupils higher than that mark! My son is very musical, he played two instruments and both got distinction in ABRSM exam. I think MAT is quit different from the music grade exam, which it more likely "practice make prefect". I want to know the score of music place also, for my curiosity.

Surely it also depends on the Grade?

I don’t know about the specific tests you are talking about but ai am part of a panel which auditions young musicians for scholarships - a bit outing so won’t say any more.

Getting a distinction in an ABRSM exam is wonderful but can be achieved by moderately musical children with huge amount of practice as the pieces and scales. are weighted so much more heavily than the sight reading and aural tests.

True musical aptitude at audition is demonstrated not just through performance but also through tests such as picking notes out of complex chords, clapping rhythms and sight reading/singing.

As a PP has said, it also depends which grade your child got a distinction in! For a secondary school music scholarship in other schools (I don’t know any specifics about this one) I would expect a performer of grade 5+ standard at yr 7 with significant experience in ensembles/choirs. Hope that helps a bit.

MAT is very different to ABRSM and auditions, it's electronic sound too so may sound weird to unprepared children who only have experience with acoustic instruments. Our music school had to prep specifically for MAT, it has very little to do with musicality.