Section I: Multiple Choice

Original practice questions written to the published framework for this section. No expert has reviewed them, and they are not taken from any official exam. Try each one before you open the answer.

1. Question 1Foundational

   What is the interval from C up to the A directly above it, counted within a single octave?

   1. AA major sixth
   2. BA minor sixth
   3. CA perfect fifth
   4. DA major seventh

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   Answer: A. A major sixth

   C to A spans six letter names, C D E F G A, and nine half steps, which defines a major sixth. A minor sixth is the tempting answer for students who count letters but forget size, yet C to A-flat is the eight-half-step minor sixth, not C to A.

   Key insight: Name the interval in two steps: count letter names for the number, then count half steps for the quality.

2. Question 2Foundational

   How many sharps appear in the key signature of D major, and which pitches are they?

   1. ATwo sharps: F-sharp and C-sharp
   2. BOne sharp: F-sharp
   3. CThree sharps: F-sharp, C-sharp, and G-sharp
   4. DFour sharps: F-sharp, C-sharp, G-sharp, and D-sharp

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   Answer: A. Two sharps: F-sharp and C-sharp

   D major raises the seventh degree to C-sharp and the third degree to F-sharp, giving a two-sharp signature. One sharp is the common error because G major, the key a fifth below D, is the signature with only F-sharp.

   Key insight: Each step clockwise around the circle of fifths adds exactly one sharp, so G has one and D has two.

3. Question 3Intermediate

   In a major key, what is the quality of the diatonic triad built on the second scale degree?

   1. AMinor
   2. BMajor
   3. CDiminished
   4. DAugmented

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   Answer: A. Minor

   Stacking diatonic thirds on scale degree two of a major scale produces a minor triad, which is why it is written with the lowercase Roman numeral ii. Diminished is the distractor drawn from the leading-tone triad on scale degree seven, the only diminished triad in a major key.

   Key insight: In any major key the qualities run major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished from degree one to seven.

4. Question 4Intermediate

   Which cadence type ends a phrase on the dominant chord, leaving the passage sounding open and unresolved?

   1. AA half cadence
   2. BA perfect authentic cadence
   3. CA plagal cadence
   4. DA deceptive cadence

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   Answer: A. A half cadence

   A half cadence stops on V, so the phrase feels like a comma rather than a period and normally expects an answering phrase. A deceptive cadence is the tempting choice because it also frustrates resolution, but it moves from V to vi rather than stopping on V itself.

   Key insight: Identify a cadence by its final chord first: ending on V is a half cadence no matter what came before it.

5. Question 5Advanced

   When a B-flat trumpet plays a written C, what concert pitch actually sounds?

   1. AB-flat
   2. BC
   3. CD
   4. DE-flat

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   Answer: A. B-flat

   A B-flat instrument sounds a major second lower than written, so its written C sounds concert B-flat, and reading a score requires transposing its part down one whole step. Choosing C assumes the instrument is in C, which is true of flute or oboe but not of the B-flat trumpet.

   Key insight: An instrument is named for the pitch that sounds when it plays a written C.