Exam Prep
The tabs on this page contain the parts of the exam that are fixed (do not change). Those are the technical tests, scale identifications, interval training and the background info. Everything else in the exams is variable and is determined in the moment with the examiner. You can prepare for the fixed parts by practicing the content in these tabs. The variable parts of the exam are best practiced in your lesson with Christian.
Click on the tab for your exam level and, if you have any questions about these resources, please click here to send us an email.
Level 2 Technical Tests
Listen to the scale and then sing it. Shortly after the scale has finished playing, you will hear a new starting note. Using that new starting note, sing the same scale without the piano.
Minor triad and pentascale
Major pentatonic scale
Major sixth chord
Major scale (ascending and descending)
Major pentascale in alternating thirds
Scale Identification
For level 2, you will need to identify either the major scale or the harmonic minor scale. Here are some simple tricks to remembering how each scale sounds:
- The major scale sounds HAPPY and POSITIVE. A famous song that use this scale is “Do Re Mi” from the Sound of Music.
- The harmonic minor scale sounds DRAMATIC, NEGATIVE and MYSTERIOUS. This scale is known for sounding like an “ancient Egyptian” melody. You can also think of “Arabian Nights” from Aladdin.
Background Information
The examiner will ask you questions about the songs you sing in your exam. This will include:
- The name of the composer(s).
- The key of songs.
- What the meaning or significance is behind the song title.
We will go through this in during lesson time and write out this information so you have it to hand.
Level 3 Technical Tests
Listen to the scale and then sing it. Shortly after the scale has finished playing, you will hear a new starting note. Using that new starting note, sing the same scale without the piano.
Major scale syncopated descending pattern
Major chord arpeggio
Dorian scale
Aeolian scale
Major arpeggio with descending major scale
Scale Identification
For level 3, you will need to identify either the major scale, the harmonic minor scale or the melodic minor scale. Here are some simple tricks to remembering how each scale sounds:
- The major scale sounds HAPPY and POSITIVE. A famous song that use this scale is “Do Re Mi” from the Sound of Music.
- The harmonic minor scale sounds DRAMATIC, NEGATIVE and MYSTERIOUS. This scale is known for sounding like an “ancient Egyptian” melody. You can also think of “Arabian Nights” from Aladdin.
- The melodic minor scale still sounds DRAMATIC, NEGATIVE and MYSTERIOUS, but DOESN’T sound “ancient Egyptian”. Another way to identify this scale is by listening to how it descends. This is the only scale that changes a couple of notes when it descends.
Background Information
The examiner will ask you questions about the songs you sing in your exam. This will include:
- The name of the composer(s).
- The key of songs.
- What the meaning or significance is behind the song title.
We will go through this in during lesson time and write out this information so you have it to hand.
Level 4 Technical Tests
Listen to the scale and then sing it. Shortly after the scale has finished playing, you will hear a new starting note. Using that new starting note, sing the same scale without the piano.
Aeolian scale with perfect fourth leap to octave
Major scale up to the ninth degree
Dorian scale on swing 8ths
Major chord arpeggio (legato to staccato)
Chromatic scale
Intervals
For level 4, you will need to identify INTERVALS. Remember, an interval is the distance between two notes.
Here are all the intervals you need to learn for Level 4 and the songs we use to identify them.
- Minor 3rd (ascending)
- The first two notes of O Canada (“Oh Can…”).
- Major 3rd (ascending)
- The first two notes of the “zoo-ee” warm up exercise.
- Perfect 4th (ascending)
- The first two notes of We Wish You A Merry Christmas (“We wish…”).
- Perfect 4th (descending)
- The famous opening bass line of Under Pressure by Queen or Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice.
- Perfect 5th (ascending)
- The first two notes of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (“twinkle, twinkle…”).
- Perfect 5th (descending)
- The first two notes of the Flintstone theme song (“Flint–stones…”).
- Perfect 8th (ascending)
- The first two notes of Over The Rainbow (“Some–where”)
- Perfect 8th (descending)
- To sing this interval, sing the ascending perfect 8th first (“Some–where”) and then reverse it.
The examiner will either give you a starting note and ask you to sing one of these intervals from that starting note OR they will play the interval and ask you to identify it.
Unfortunately, there’s no way of knowing what interval you will be asked to sing/identify, so we have to learn all of them to prepared for anything!
Background Information
The examiner will ask you questions about the songs you sing in your exam. This will include:
- The name of the composer(s).
- The key of songs.
- What the meaning or significance is behind the song title.
We will go through this in during lesson time and write out this information so you have it to hand.