Free Practice Questions for LC Music
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Key Facts: LC Music Exam
3 activities
Performing, Composing and Listening are each 25% of Leaving Certificate Music
NCCA Leaving Certificate Music Syllabus
50%
One activity can reach 50% via Ordinary Level choice or Higher Level elective
NCCA Leaving Certificate Music Syllabus
4 works
Four prescribed works alternate in Group A / Group B three-year cycles
NCCA syllabus Appendix F / SEC prescribed material notices
Group B
2026–2028 set works include Mozart K.488, Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique II & IV, Deane Seachanges, Beatles Sgt. Pepper
SEC / Oide prescribed works guidance
~90 min
Listening and composing papers are each commonly about 90 minutes
SEC examination practice / school guidance materials
HL elective
Higher Level elective performing programmes are longer (session up to about 25 minutes including unprepared test)
SEC Leaving Certificate Music information notes
Tech edits
Music technology requires multi-part score input and multiple different audible edits
SEC Music information notes (Technology examination format)
100
Free original MCQs here for concept knowledge only — not a practical or aural substitute
OpenExamPrep
Leaving Certificate Music is assessed through Performing, Composing and Listening (25% each) plus a 25% elective so one activity can reach 50%. Components include a practical exam, a listening paper (set works, Irish music, aural skills) and a composing paper (melody and harmony). This 100-question bank is original MCQ concept practice only — not a substitute for practical, aural or composition assessment.
Sample LC Music Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to review concepts for the LC Music exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1Leaving Certificate Music is organised around which three essential activities?
2What percentage weighting does each of the three essential Music activities carry before the elective?
3At Higher Level, how is the remaining 25% after the three essential activities allocated?
4Which body administers the Leaving Certificate Music examinations?
5Ordinary Level candidates may choose one of the three activities to represent what percentage of total marks?
6Which staves must students be able to use when notating composing work?
7Which common simple time signatures are required for Ordinary Level composing literacy?
8Up to how many sharps and flats in major and minor keys must Ordinary Level candidates handle for composing literacy?
9What is the typical length of a melody-writing exercise at Ordinary Level?
10Which cadence typically ends on the tonic chord (I or i) after the dominant (V), giving a strong sense of closure?
About the LC Music Exam
Leaving Certificate Music (Ireland) is a senior-cycle subject built on three essential activities — Performing, Composing and Listening — with continuity from Junior Cycle Music. Under the NCCA syllabus published by An Roinn Oideachais, each activity carries a 25% weighting and a further 25% elective allows candidates to specialise so that one activity can reach 50%. Assessment uses a practical performing examination (including technology pathways), a listening paper covering four prescribed works (alternating Group A / Group B cycles), Irish music and aural skills, and a composing paper testing melody writing and harmony (with an optional portfolio route for the Higher Level composing elective). Supporting studies include music literacy, analysis, historical and cultural context, and awareness of music in economy and society. This free OpenExamPrep bank provides original multiple-choice practice for music literacy, melody and harmony concepts, form, Irish traditional idioms, prescribed-work concepts (especially Group B for 2026–2028), aural awareness theory, composition techniques and music technology rules; it is not a substitute for authenticated performing, live aural examination or original composition work required for full certification.
Exam sponsor: State Examinations Commission (SEC), Ireland. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.
Assessment
Three essential activities each worth 25% (Performing, Composing, Listening), plus a further 25% elective so one activity can total 50%. Ordinary Level: choose one activity to double. Higher Level: complete a Higher Level elective in performing, composing or listening. Typical written split: Listening paper (prescribed works, Irish music, aural skills) and Composing paper (melody writing and harmony); optional composing portfolio for the composing elective. Practical options include solo, group, conducting, improvisation and music technology.
Time Limit
Listening and composing papers are each commonly about 90 minutes during the June Leaving Certificate examinations. Practical maximum session times (including unprepared test): Ordinary Level about 10 minutes; Higher Level (25% performing) about 15 minutes; Higher Level elective (50% performing) about 25 minutes. Confirm the official SEC timetable and circular for the year of entry.
Passing Score
No fixed pass mark for the subject. Results are reported on the H1–H8 scale at Higher Level and O1–O8 at Ordinary Level (10% bands from 90–100% down). A grade of H6/O6 or higher typically attracts CAO points from that subject among the candidate's best six.
Exam / Certification Fees
Candidates in recognised schools do not pay a separate per-subject sitting fee; external and repeat candidates pay an examination fee set annually by the State Examinations Commission. Confirm current fees with the SEC.
Exam sponsor websiteFees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.
Our practice resources: topics covered
We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.
Assessment structure & performing pathways
Practice covers essential vs elective weightings, Higher vs Ordinary requirements, solo/group/conducting/improvisation/technology options, unprepared tests, and maximum practical times so candidates understand how the subject is certified.
Music literacy, melody and harmony
Practice covers notation, intervals, rhythmic values, time signatures, keys, melody writing conventions, dance metres, cadences, diatonic chord progressions, inversions, V7, non-chord notes and modulation concepts used on the composing paper.
Prescribed works, Irish music and aural theory
Practice covers analysis concepts for prescribed works (Group B for 2026–2028: Mozart K.488, Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique II & IV, Deane Seachanges, Beatles Sgt. Pepper), Irish dance types and instruments, and aural identification theory for form, timbre, texture and cadences.
Composition techniques & music technology
Practice drills motivic development, texture and arrangement ideas for electives, plus technology performing requirements: multi-part score input, audible edits, print/record/save/retrieve, and backing-track rules.
Preparing for the LC Music Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: No fixed pass mark for the subject. Results are reported on the H1–H8 scale at Higher Level and O1–O8 at Ordinary Level (10% bands from 90–100% down). A grade of H6/O6 or higher typically attracts CAO points from that subject among the candidate's best six.
- Assessment: Three essential activities each worth 25% (Performing, Composing, Listening), plus a further 25% elective so one activity can total 50%. Ordinary Level: choose one activity to double. Higher Level: complete a Higher Level elective in performing, composing or listening. Typical written split: Listening paper (prescribed works, Irish music, aural skills) and Composing paper (melody writing and harmony); optional composing portfolio for the composing elective. Practical options include solo, group, conducting, improvisation and music technology.
- Time limit: Listening and composing papers are each commonly about 90 minutes during the June Leaving Certificate examinations. Practical maximum session times (including unprepared test): Ordinary Level about 10 minutes; Higher Level (25% performing) about 15 minutes; Higher Level elective (50% performing) about 25 minutes. Confirm the official SEC timetable and circular for the year of entry.
- Exam / certification fees: Candidates in recognised schools do not pay a separate per-subject sitting fee; external and repeat candidates pay an examination fee set annually by the State Examinations Commission. Confirm current fees with the SEC. Official sources
Using Our Practice Resources
- Work through all 100 available questions
- Review every answer and explanation
- Track weak areas and revisit them
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
LC Music: Suggested Study Strategy
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Leaving Certificate Music assessed?
Through three essential activities — Performing, Composing and Listening — each worth 25%, plus a further 25% elective so one activity can total 50%. Modes include a practical performing exam, a listening paper and a composing paper (and optional composing portfolio for the composing elective).
What is on the Listening paper?
Questions on four prescribed set works (studied in detail), Irish music, and general aural skills (melody, rhythm, timbre, form, and at Higher Level texture and cadences). Papers use audio extracts and score-based constructed responses, not multiple choice.
Which prescribed works apply for 2026?
Prescribed works alternate in three-year groups. Group B is examined in 2026, 2027 and 2028: Mozart Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major K.488; Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique (Movements II and IV); Raymond Deane Seachanges (with Danse Macabre); and the Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album. Confirm the official list for your year of entry.
What is on the Composing paper?
Melody writing (typically eight bars at Ordinary Level and sixteen at Higher Level from a given opening, text or dance/form stimulus) and harmony exercises (cadential writing, bass and chord indications, or Higher Level supportive bass, backing chords or countermelody).
Is this practice bank a substitute for the practical exam?
No. These are original multiple-choice questions for concept knowledge. Performing (including technology options), live aural skills and original composition still require authenticated SEC assessment.
Are these official State Examinations Commission questions?
No. They are original OpenExamPrep single-best-answer questions modelled on the NCCA syllabus and SEC assessment structure. Always also practise official past papers, unprepared tests and marking schemes from the SEC archive.