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100+ Free A-Level Music Practice Questions

Pass your A-Level Music (Appraising, Performance and Composition) exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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Which form is standard for most 12-bar blues progressions in C?

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C
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Key Facts: A-Level Music Exam

A*-E

Grading scale

Ofqual

May-June

Appraising paper series

AQA, Edexcel, OCR timetable

3 boards

Specifications available

AQA 7272, Edexcel 9MU0, OCR H543

100

Free practice questions here

OpenExamPrep

AQA, Edexcel and OCR A-Level Music are assessed through a listening and appraising paper plus NEA performance and composition. Coverage spans Baroque to contemporary music, popular styles, jazz and music for the stage and screen, graded A*-E on 2026 specifications.

Sample A-Level Music Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your A-Level Music exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1How many sharps are in the key signature of E major?
A.4
B.3
C.5
D.2
Explanation: E major has four sharps: F#, C#, G# and D#. Using the circle of fifths, E is four steps clockwise from C, so the key signature gains four sharps in that order.
2What is the relative minor of B flat major?
A.G minor
B.D minor
C.F minor
D.E flat minor
Explanation: The relative minor lies a minor third below the major tonic and shares the same key signature. B flat major has two flats (Bb, Eb); a minor third below Bb is G, so G minor (also two flats) is its relative minor.
3What interval is formed between C and A flat above it?
A.Minor sixth
B.Major sixth
C.Perfect fifth
D.Augmented fifth
Explanation: Counting C to A inclusive gives six letter names (C, D, E, F, G, A), so the interval is a sixth. C to A natural is a major sixth (9 semitones); lowering the upper note by a semitone to A flat gives 8 semitones, which is a minor sixth.
4Which chord is built on the notes G, B flat and D?
A.G minor triad
B.G major triad
C.G diminished triad
D.G augmented triad
Explanation: From G the third is B flat (a minor third, 3 semitones) and the fifth is D (a perfect fifth above G). A root, minor third and perfect fifth define a minor triad — G minor.
5A piece ends with chords V to I in a major key. What cadence is this?
A.Perfect cadence
B.Plagal cadence
C.Imperfect cadence
D.Interrupted cadence
Explanation: A perfect (authentic) cadence moves from the dominant (V) to the tonic (I) and provides the strongest sense of closure in tonal music. It is the standard cadence at the end of a phrase or movement.
6What time signature has six quaver beats per bar, usually felt in two compound groups?
A.6/8
B.3/4
C.6/4
D.2/4
Explanation: 6/8 is a compound duple time signature with six quaver pulses grouped as two dotted-crotchet beats. It is common in jigs, barcarolles and lullabies.
7A piece in D major modulates to A major. What is the relationship between the keys?
A.Dominant
B.Subdominant
C.Relative minor
D.Mediant
Explanation: A is the fifth scale degree of D major, so A major is the dominant of D major. Modulation to the dominant is the most common key change in Classical-era exposition sections.
8Which instrument sounds a major second lower than written?
A.B flat clarinet
B.Cor anglais
C.Horn in F
D.Alto saxophone
Explanation: The B flat clarinet is a transposing instrument: written C sounds as B flat, a major second lower. Players therefore read music a tone above the sounding pitch.
9What is the dominant seventh chord in C major?
A.G-B-D-F
B.C-E-G-Bb
C.G-B-D-F#
D.D-F-A-C
Explanation: A dominant seventh is built on the fifth scale degree using a major triad plus a minor seventh. In C major: root G, major third B, perfect fifth D, minor seventh F — written G7.
10Which note is enharmonically equivalent to F sharp?
A.G flat
B.F natural
C.E sharp
D.G sharp
Explanation: Enharmonic equivalents are notes that sound the same but are written differently. F sharp and G flat occupy the same key on a piano and are spelled differently depending on the key signature context.

About the A-Level Music Exam

A-Level Music is offered by AQA (7272), Edexcel/Pearson (9MU0) and OCR (H543). Students study set works across the Western classical tradition, pop, jazz, music for theatre and media, and 20th/21st-century art music. Assessment combines a listening and appraising paper with non-examined performance and composition portfolios.

Questions

100 scored questions

Time Limit

2h 30m Appraising paper (AQA) plus performance and composition NEA

Passing Score

Grade E is the minimum pass; Grades A*-E count as a pass

Exam Fee

£75-£130 per subject (school-set entry fee) (AQA, Edexcel (Pearson), OCR)

A-Level Music Exam Content Outline

Core

Western classical tradition 1650-1910

Baroque concerto (Vivaldi, Bach Brandenburg 5), Classical opera and symphony (Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven), Romantic piano (Chopin, Schumann, Brahms)

Optional area

Art music since 1910

Impressionism (Debussy, Ravel), serialism (Schoenberg, Webern), neoclassicism (Stravinsky), minimalism (Reich, Adams), Ades and contemporary British music

Optional area

Pop music and jazz

Joni Mitchell, Beatles, Bowie, Beyonce; jazz styles from bebop (Parker) through cool (Davis, Brubeck) to fusion (Metheny)

Optional area

Music for theatre and media

Musical theatre (Sondheim, Bernstein, Lloyd Webber), film score techniques (leitmotif, mickey-mousing, source vs underscore)

Underpinning

Music theory and notation

Key signatures, intervals, chord identification, cadences, modulation, time signatures, instrumental ranges and transposition

Underpinning

Aural skills and dictation

Melodic and rhythmic dictation, interval recognition, harmonic identification, score reading with audio

NEA

Performance and composition

Solo and ensemble performance recordings, plus free and brief-led compositions assessed against board criteria

How to Pass the A-Level Music Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Grade E is the minimum pass; Grades A*-E count as a pass
  • Exam length: 100 questions
  • Time limit: 2h 30m Appraising paper (AQA) plus performance and composition NEA
  • Exam fee: £75-£130 per subject (school-set entry fee)

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

A-Level Music Study Tips from Top Performers

1Listen to each set work with the score open, marking structural sections, key changes and cadences
2Practise melodic and rhythmic dictation weekly — short fragments at a steady tempo build accuracy fast
3Build a glossary of period-specific terms (basso continuo, idee fixe, parallel chords) and use them in essays
4Compare two works from different periods or genres in timed essays to rehearse the comparative question

Frequently Asked Questions

What exam boards offer A-Level Music?

A-Level Music is offered by AQA (7272), Edexcel/Pearson (9MU0) and OCR (H543). All three follow Ofqual subject content but differ in set works, optional areas of study and the balance between performance and composition.

When is the A-Level Music Appraising paper taken?

The listening and appraising written paper is sat in the May-June series at the end of Year 13. Performance and composition NEAs are recorded and submitted earlier in the spring.

How is A-Level Music graded?

A-Levels are graded A*-E with A* the highest grade and E the minimum pass. The Appraising paper typically accounts for 40 percent of the total, with performance and composition NEAs making up the remaining 60 percent.

Do I need to read staff notation for A-Level Music?

Yes. All boards require fluent staff notation, including key and time signatures, transposing instruments, basic figured bass and the ability to follow a full score while listening. Dictation tasks are standard on the Appraising paper.