The school admits 120 girls into Year 7 each year. Eight music places are allocated each year to students transferring from Year 6 to Year 7. Three places are offered on the basis of musical aptitude and 5 places on the basis of musical aptitude and ability.
Stage 1 Listening test: For year 7 entry, all music applicants will sit a multiple-choice listening aptitude test in music. This test is designed to be an objective measure of musical aptitude and does not require any prior training, practice or knowledge of music theory. The three highest scoring candidates will be informed that should they wish to apply for a place at the school, they will be offered a place on the basis of musical aptitude (if Camden School for Girls is matched by the secondary transfer system as a preference). The remaining 50 highest scoring candidates in this listening test will be invited back for a performance audition.
Stage 2 Performance audition: Students will be asked to perform on one or two instruments/voice for up to 5 minutes to further demonstrate their musical aptitude and ability for consideration for the other five places. Music places are offered prior to places being offered under the distance criterion. Applicants must also sit the banding assessment. Waiting lists will be maintained of music candidates who are not at first successful. These lists will be in rank score order and any vacancies will be filled from those lists.
Recommended resources: Given that the multiple choice listening test in its entirety is scheduled for 1.5 hours, including comfort breaks (the standard multiple choice listening test in 4 test sections would usually take no more than 30 minutes), students are likely to be assessed on a range of listening tests including aural and musical awareness tests.
Our Standard MAT Practice Tests incorporate the four main test sections that students will experience in a listening test which are; Pitch, Melody, Rhythm and Texture.
Our Enhanced Aural MAT Practice Tests cover a range of questions relating to listening and musical awareness, dynamics, articulation, tempo, tonality and beat. There is a further supplementary section with test questions relating to the similarities and differences in a piece of music and recognising the different kinds of sounds represented by the four sections of the orchestra.
Camden School for Girls Sixth Form Orchestral Music Programme
This programme is an enrichment programme and an application should be made in addition to the student’s A Level course options. 15 places are available on the basis of musical aptitude and ability. Successful applicants for the orchestral music programme are offered a place in the school (should they meet the academic entry requirements for their chosen A Level courses), regardless of the distance they live from the school. Students do not need to select Music A Level in order to be considered for a place on this programme. However, this is an orchestral programme, so a degree of proficiency is required in one of the following instruments: Violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, harp, or orchestral percussion.
All applicants must sit a music aptitude assessment to be held in January of each year. The test is designed to provide an objective measure of musical aptitude and does not require any prior training, practice, or knowledge of musical theory. The first 50 students ranked in order of their test scores will be invited back to attend a performance audition. Students will be asked to perform one piece on their instrument for up to five minutes. No accompanist will be provided (applicants may bring their own should they wish). In addition to the 15 places offered, 10 students will be placed on the reserve list and will be offered a place should any student offered the programme decline their place. The allocation of music programme places is regarded by the governors as final.
Select from 12 single MAT Practice audio download tests, each with pdf question & answer sheets, or in multipack format.
Select from 4 single Aural MAT Practice audio download tests, each with pdf question & answer sheets, or in multipack format. Enhanced Music Aptitude Tests compatible with Graphic Score MAT Tests.
Please click here for a list of schools in London that use the Music Aptitude Test as part of their secondary transfer process.