Aural Syllabus for Practical Exams
Rhythm/Clapping Pitch/Intervals
1. Clap along with beats of passage
in 2 or 3 beat time.
Preliminary 2. Examiner plays 2-bar passage,
candidate claps passage.
Clap passage up to four bars,
Grade 1 including dotted minims.
Same as Grade 1 but always four
bars, including dotted crotchet-
quaver patterns in simple time, and
Grade 2 dotted quaver-semiquaver patterns
& anacruses.
Same as Grade 2, but slightly more
complex and candidate must also
Grade 3 identify duple or triple time.
Same as Grade 3 but includes
groupings of 1 quaver attached to 2
Grade 4 semiquavers.
Same as Grade 4 but more complex,
includes triplets & some longer
Grade 5 anacruses.
Melody Harmony Memory
Identify which of two notes is Examiner plays 5 or 6
higher or lower. note phrase, candidate
sings on each note.
Sing the tonic at the end of an Sing a phrase of up to
unfinished phrase. four bars.
Sing higher or lower of two notes Same as Grade 1 but
played together, either a 3rd or 5th including dotted rhythms,
apart from middle C semiquavers and larger
intervals.
1. Sing higher or lower of two Same as Grade 2 but
notes played together, interval more notes, more
within an 8ve from middle C complex.
2. Sing & identify major/perfect
intervals of 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th.
1. Sing the higher or lower part Identify and sing the
of a two-part progression. middle note of a major or
2. Sing & identify any interval of minor triad in any
the major scale. inversion.
1. Same as Grade 4 but three- Sing notes of
part progression. major/minor triad in any
2. Same as Grade 4. inversion, ascending or
descending.
 Rhythm/Clapping Pitch/Intervals Melody Harmony Memory
1. Same as Grade 5 but four-part 1. Identify root position or
progression. inversion of major triad
2. Same as Grades 4 & 5 but 2. Identify perfect or plagal
Grade 6 including harmonic minor cadence in a piece in a
intervals major key.

Sing higher or lower part of six-part 1. Same as Grade 6, but also One minute to memorise a
progression (very similar to Grade 7 identify whether major or 2-bar melody away from
Grade 7 below). minor
2. Same as Grade 6 but also
instrument, then play or sing
from memory.
interrupted cadence.

Sing or play the lower part of a two- 1. Same as Grade 7 but also Same as Grade 7 but one and
part phrase (could be listed under identify diminished triad a half minutes to memorise a
Grade 8 melody category). 2. Same as Grade 7 but also 3 to 4 bar melody.
imperfect cadence.