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AuralRoom

Trinity · Grade 3

Trinity Grade 3 aural test: practice for each question

At Grade 3 the four-bar melody moves to 3/4 or 4/4 and can be major or minor, and two new skills appear: naming an interval by number and using a printed copy to find a change. You clap on the second hearing now rather than the third. As at every grade, aural is optional and marked out of 10 as a whole.

Aural test

Clap the pulse; major or minor; name the interval between the first two notes (by number); in which bar was the change, and was it rhythm or pitch?

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The tests at Grade 3

Aural test

Clap the pulse; major or minor; name the interval between the first two notes (by number); in which bar was the change, and was it rhythm or pitch?

Pulse: clap on the second playing, with a stronger first beat in each bar. Tonality: say whether the melody is major or minor. Interval: the first two notes are played again; name the interval by number — a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th. Change: with a copy of the melody in front of you, you hear it once as written and once with one change; give the bar number and say whether rhythm or pitch changed. Our trainer shows the copy on screen; in the exam it's in treble clef, and piano candidates may ask for alto or bass clef.

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Tips for Grade 3

  • Count interval numbers by letter names: C to E is C–D–E, three letters, so a 3rd.
  • Major or minor? Listen to the third note above the key note: bright means major, darker means minor.
  • Read the copy's rhythm before the music starts; a rhythm change is easier to spot when you already know how it should go.
  • Follow the copy with your finger, bar by bar, as the music plays.
  • In 4/4 the strongest beat is 1, with a lighter accent on 3 — keep your claps steady and a little louder on 1.

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A full Grade 3 mock, marked

The examiner runs every test in order, plays as many times as the board does and gives an estimated mark out of 10, with where you lose marks.

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Questions people ask

Do I name the interval as 'major third' at Grade 3?

No — just the number: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th. Full names such as minor 2nd or major 6th are needed from Grade 4, where the list also changes. Counting letter names from the first note to the second is the quickest way to get the number right.

When do I get a printed copy?

From Grade 3, for the spot-the-change question. You see the melody as written, then hear it played as written and once with a single change, and you say which bar changed and whether it was rhythm or pitch. The copy is in treble clef; piano candidates may request alto or bass clef.

How many times is the melody played?

Twice for the pulse (you clap on the second), once for major or minor, once for the opening interval — just the first two notes — and twice for the change question. That's one hearing fewer for the pulse than at Grade 2, so join in with the clapping promptly.

What does a good Grade 3 aural result look like?

Trinity marks the test out of 10: 9–10 is a Distinction, 8 a Merit and 6–7 a Pass. Examiners look at how reliably you hear across all four questions and how confidently you answer. Our mock gives an estimate on the same scale, based on your answers.

Independent practice. We are not affiliated with Trinity College London; the tests here are generated by our engine from the published format, not taken from the board's books. Mock marks are estimates — the examiner's judgement is final.