New Students

Exams & Auditions

Please pay careful attention to these exam and audition requirements. Audition excerpts will be available in spring.

Sept 3	Placement Exams
Sept 3-6	Orchestra/Chamber Music Auditions
Before graduation	Proficiency Exams

Placement Examinations

Hearing Placement Examination
Incoming M.M., A.D., and Certificate candidates take a diagnostic Hearing placement examination during the first week of school. Students will be assigned to an appropriate Hearing class on the basis of the test results.

Download Study Guide

Music History Placement Examination
Incoming M.M., A.D., and Certificate candidates take a diagnostic Music History placement examination during the first week of school. Students will be assigned to an appropriate Music History class on the basis of the test results.

Orchestra/Chamber Music Auditions

All wind, brass, string, percussion, and harp players must perform an audition during the first week of school. This is a placement audition for the Philharmonia Orchestra as well as our chamber music program.

Welcome Letter

Audition Schedule

Excerpts

Violin	Flute	Horn
Violin leader	Oboe	Trumpet
Viola	Clarinet	Trombone
Cello	Bassoon	Tuba
Double Bass
		Harp
		Percussion

Proficiency Exams

Keyboard Proficiency
All M.M. candidates must complete this proficiency in order to graduate and are encouraged to complete it during the first semester of study. Students should strive to acquire keyboard skills before entering Yale. Basic keyboard proficiency is a requirement of the M.M. degree. Proficiency examinations are administered several times during the year.

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Foreign Language Proficiency
All M.M. candidates whose first language is English must complete this proficiency in order to graduate and are encouraged to complete it during the first week of school. This exam is designed to evaluate a student’s ability to read scholarly writing on musical subjects in a modern foreign language. A passing grade depends on accuracy and the amount translated in the two hours allowed. A dictionary may be used. Students deficient in language preparation must begin work during the first year and continue until the required proficiency is reached.

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Copies of previous language proficiency tests are available below.