[SMU Dept. of Music Theory and Comp.]

SMU Music Theory Graduate Self-Assessments

Welcome to the SMU Music Theory/Aural Skills Graduate Self-Assessment pages. These self-assessments provide a means for admitted graduate music students to prepare and review for their music theory placement examinations. All entering music students are required to take a series of placement exams. Based on the results of these exams, enrollment in graduate review courses may be required. Through early review and preparation it may be possible to eliminate the need for enrolling in these review courses and significantly reduce the cost of your graduate studies.

The graduate placement examination is in three parts:

Aural Skills
Tonal Theory
Contemporary Theory

This web site allows students to take automated on-line tests similar to the placement examinations. The placement examinations at SMU are separate and independent from this self-assessment. Although this self-assessment is designed to assist in a student's preparation for graduate studies, it does not count as the actual placement exam nor does it represent the entire placement exam.

After completing and submitting each self-assessment, you will immediately see your graded results and recommended areas for review.

Instructions for Taking Self-Assessments

Download and print the SMU Theory Review Guide. This PDF file lists specific software, texts, and on-line materials useful in reviewing areas recommended on the grading report that follows each assessment. You will need to have Adobe Acrobat (tm) to view and print this file. If you do not have it, you may download it by clicking: Adobe Acrobat (free download).
Download and print the PDF file for the melodic and harmonic dictation worksheet prior to taking the Aural Skills Self-Assessment.
You may then take each self-assessment. After you submit each assessment for automated grading, you will see a page listing your results and recommended areas of review for each incorrect answer. You should either print that page or note on the SMU Theory Review Guide which units you will need to review.
Although the questions will not change, you may retake these assessments for practice after studying the recommended review units.

Links to Self-Assessments

Aural Skills (25 questions/1 hour approximate time)
Tonal Theory (31 questions/1 hour approximate time)
Contemporary Theory (8 questions/30 minutes approximate time)

Please email any comments regarding these assessments to Dr. Robert Frank.