Best of luck to all of our students sitting the Music Aptitude Test for Haberdashers’ Aske’s Prendergast School & Hatcham College.
The test takes places on Saturday 23 September 2023. We advise preparing from June onwards for these very popular South London schools that many of our students at the SE22 Piano School will select on their CAF admissions form (along with the ever popular Kingsdale Foundation School).
If you are hoping to gain a Music Scholarship to secondary school, we recommend you put aside some time to plan how you will prepare for the test which is often in 2 parts. Read more about our Plan of Preparation for the Music Aptitude Test.
The Schools offers 10% of the places available to applicants who show an aptitude in music.
Applicants will be invited to sit a multiple choice aural test in music.
Applicants who achieve the score required will be offered a music audition which will be held usually in October (dates TBC).
If your child/ward is applying under the music aptitude criterion at both Prendergast School and Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham College, they will take the music aural test at Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham College. The result achieved will be passed on to Prendergast School by the College.
If your child/ward is successful in gaining an audition for both establishments, they will be expected to attend auditions at both establishments.
Musical Aptitude Test for Prendergast & Hatcham College
The musical aural test is played on a CD. A multiple choice paper consisting of 60 questions is divided into six sections covering the following areas:
Pitch: For these questions, candidates listen to TWO sounds and have to indicate whether the second sound is the same as the first, or whether it is higher or lower. There are 10 of these questions.
Melody: For these questions, candidates will hear a MELODY made up of a series of notes. They will then hear a second melody and need to decide if this melody is the same as the first melody or if it has changed. If the candidate thinks it has changed, they will be expected to identify which note has been altered by giving the note number. There are 10 questions.
Instruments: For these questions, candidates hear a short melody played, they then hear a second melody played. They will have to mark if the second melody is played on the same instrument as the first melody, or if it is a different instrument. There are 10 questions. [Read our tips for this section]
Texture: Candidates will hear a group of notes played together at the same time. They will need to identify how many different notes are being played – 2,3 or 4 different notes. There are 10 questions in this section. [See our video for help with this section]
Tempo: For these questions, candidates will hear a short melody. They will need to decide whether the second playing of the melody is at the same tempo as the first, or whether it is played faster or slower. There are 10 questions.
Rhythm: Candidates will hear a short RHYTHM played. After a pause, they will hear a second rhythm played and will have to decide if the second rhythm played is the same as the first, or if it is a different rhythm. This section has 10 questions.
No previous knowledge of music or music theory is required by the applicant as the test is based entirely on response to an aural test.
We offer 1-to-1 music lessons to help you prepare for the Music Aptitude Test. You can see the structure of an online MAT lesson here which will be tailored to the exact needs of your chosen school(s).
Musical Audition
Approximately 60 of the highest scoring applicants will be invited back to perform either on their chosen instrument or vocally. There is a totally free choice of piece.
The candidate’s aptitude is gauged from their performance.
The auditions will be heard by the Head of Music and a music professional.
Click on the links below to read our articles to help you succeed with the Music Aptitude Test & Scholarship:
Should I Prepare for the Music Aptitude Test?
How To Succeed at the Music Aptitude Test
Download Training Test Materials
- We also offer 1-to-1 lessons at our studio in East Dulwich.
- https://www.eventbrite.com/o/se22-piano-school-16475016451
We offer 1-to-1 music lessons to help you prepare for the Music Aptitude Test. You can see the structure of an online MAT lesson here which will be tailored to the exact needs of your chosen school(s).
Helping you prepare for the 2025 Music Aptitude Tests 
Hi Lorraine, is it too late to arrange for 1:1 online sessions for my daughter prior taking the music aptitude tests? Is there an email I can use to reach you with details? Many thanks Pavla
Hi Pavla – sorry for the slow reply, I only just saw this comment. Please book on Eventbrite – we have a few spaces this week and next. https://www.eventbrite.com/o/se22-piano-school-16475016451