To get a place on one of our Music Degree programmes, you must pass the Entrance Test AND get enough points in your Leaving Cert.

The Entrance Tests will take place in the UCC Music Department, which is on the Sunday’s Well Road, Cork. 

The Entrance Test will be in person. You will receive an invitation to attend plus a choice of which session you would prefer.

 

Dates for 2026 are:

• Saturday 21^st March (full day)
• Saturday 28^th March (full day)

We offer online Entrance Tests only in the most pressing circumstances. Please email the Music Department at music@ucc.ie. Online tests will be held on Friday 27 March (full day).

 

About the Entrance Test

The test has three parts:

• Essay (30 minutes)
• Music Theory Test (40 minutes)
• Interview and Performance (15 minutes).

The Essay and Music Theory test are combined in a written exam of about 1 hour. The Theory Test assumes knowledge of basic notation-reading ability plus enough music theory to answer the questions about triads, intervals and rhythms.

You must pass every part to pass the Entrance Test overall.

 

Essay (30 minutes)

You will be asked to write a short essay from a choice of essay questions.

The questions will typically ask you to address a statement about a particular kind of music (such as pop music, Western art music, Irish traditional music or film music); they will sometimes be deliberately provocative. For instance, “Riverdance is the authentic form of Irish traditional music. Discuss”.

Essay hints and tips

1. We would like to see an essay that exhibits good English and is correctly punctuated.
2. The essay titles will ask you to argue a point (like the one above). It’s not important whether you agree with the view expressed in the title. We’d like to see you can argue your point effectively.
3. We want you to show your knowledge about a subject to support your argument, with relevant examples. If you can bring in knowledge and experience beyond the Leaving Certificate Music curriculum, so much the better.

 

Theory Paper (40 minutes)

Our Theory Paper has three sections. Each of the tasks is assigned a certain number of marks, which will be added together at the end.

Entrance Test theory sample paper.pdf

 

Section 1: Aural exam

Triads

A triad will be played for you twice. You must tell us whether it is major or minor.

Intervals

Intervals will be played for you melodically (i.e. one note after the other). You’ll be given one of the two notes and asked to write down the other using standard musical notation.

The intervals will be chosen from the following selection: major and minor 2nds, major and minor 3rds, perfect 4th, perfect 5th, major and minor 6ths, major and minor 7ths, octave.

Rhythm

You will be played a very short melody and must choose the right way to notate its rhythm (multiple choice question). The rhythm will employ only crotchets, dotted crotchets, quavers, minims and dotted minims (aka quarter notes, dotted quarters, eighth notes, half notes and dotted half notes).

Listening to unfamiliar music

You will hear a short extract from a piece of unfamiliar music; it may be something very unusual. There will be a question asking you something about the music you heard; your comments will be extremely brief (5 or 6 lines or so). 

To practice for this question, find some very unusual music and think about what you’re listening to in technical terms – for example scale/mode, rhythm, timbre, etc. Does it remind you of another kind of music? Why?

 

Section 2: questions based on notation

1.  You must be able to read music notated using both treble and bass clefs. You will be asked to identify notes on those staves, and you will also be asked to take a short melody written in one clef, transpose it by an octave to two, and notate the result in a different clef.
2.  You will need to be able to recognise and notate root position major and minor triads with the following root notes: C, G, D, A, E, F, Bb, Eb, Ab (e.g. C major, C minor, G major, G minor etc).
3.  You must be able to recognise the following intervals: major and minor 2nds, major and minor 3rds, perfect 4th, perfect 5th, major and minor 6ths, major and minor 7ths, octave.
4.  You must be able to identify crotchets, quavers, semiquavers, minims, semibreves, dotted crotchets and dotted quavers (aka quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth notes, half notes, whole notes, dotted quarters and dotted eighths). You must understand how they relate to each other: how many quavers are there in a crotchet, for instance.
5.  You need to understand how time signatures work and be able to notate correctly in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8 and 9/8.
6.  

Section 3: musical challenges

This section will set a task involving music notation. Advanced skills with notation are not needed. You will pick a task from a choice of two or three.

You can find examples of these types of tasks in the Entrance Test theory sample paper.pdf.

Interview and performance (15 mins)

 After you have sat the written exam, you will be given an interview time later the same day.

Interview

The interview will be with one member of staff. This is an opportunity for us to get to know you personally and find out what you’re interested in and excited about. We recommend you look at our curricula online, as you will be able to talk about the aspects that are most in line with your ambitions and enthusiasms.

Performance

We ask you to perform some music as a part of the interview. You should prepare a programme of about 5 minutes,

Choose things that you like and can show off what you can do at your best.

• We have no expectations about the type of music you should perform. For example you don’t have to play the piano or perform a grade piece.
• Select your pieces solely on their relevance to who you are as a musician. You don’t, for instance, have to play ‘classical’ music if it’s not what you normally do.
• If you compose music, we strongly encourage you to perform some of it. If you improvise, we would love to hear you do that.
• You can perform on more than one instrument or voice. Remember to consider the time it takes to set up or tune your different instruments.
• You can perform using live electronics (including DJing).
• You can perform music of more than one genre. For instance, if you play Trad on the fiddle and sing songs from musicals, you’re welcome to offer both.
• You can bring someone into the interview with you to act as an accompanist. They’ll be asked to leave during the other portions of the interview.

 

After the Entrance Test

About 3 weeks after you have taken your Entrance Test, we will be in touch to give you your result. Remember that if you pass the Test, you still need to get enough points at your Leaving Cert to obtain a place.

 

FAQs

Can I do the test remotely (online) instead?

No, except in exceptional circumstances. Contact the Music Department at music@ucc.ie to discuss this if necessary. Please note, however, that this option is very rarely made available.

Can I get a place in Music without passing the Entrance Test?

No.

I passed the Entrance Test for a different institution. Will you accept that instead?

No. Each institution needs to learn different things about you because their curricula are different: another institution’s Entrance Test will not work for our degree programmes.

Do I have to play the piano?

No. We would like to hear you perform on your strongest instrument(s) and/or voice. If you don’t normally play the piano, there’s no need to play it at the Test.

I don’t play an instrument or sing. Can I still take the Entrance Test?

We try to accommodate students of many types, including those with unusual musical backgrounds. However, every student at UCC must take part in performance courses and we  need to establish that you would be capable of doing that. If you are unsure whether your experience is suitable, please contact music@ucc.ie to discuss your situation with a member of staff.

What type of music should I perform?

Do I have to play ‘classical’ music?

Can I sing songs from the Musicals?

I perform using a laptop – is that OK?

We are interested in all types and genre of music. We strongly encourage you to perform the music you’re best at and love most, no matter what it is. Similarly, we’re very open to musicians who use electronic instruments (such as laptops) rather than acoustic ones.

How many pieces should I perform?

The number of pieces doesn’t matter, but your total programme should last about 5 minutes (you’ll be stopped if it goes on too long). If you want to perform on more than one instrument/voice, try to make each piece short enough so that they will all fit.

I want to do Music with Theatre (CK112 Theatre and Performative Practices with Music). Do I have to pass both Entrance Tests?

Yes.

Is the Entrance Test for CK104 BA Hons (Arts Music) the same as for BMus (Hons)?

Yes. You will take the same Entrance Test no matter which music degree you ultimately wish to take.

Do I have to take the Entrance Test if I’ve applied for CK101 BA (Hons) with Music as a minor subject?

No. Please note, however, that CK101 is not a music degree: it is an Arts degree which allows you to include 10 credits per year of music.

I need an accompanist – do I have to provide my own?

If you need an accompanist, it’s necessary for you to provide your own. If this is impossible for any reason, you can use backing tracks (although this is not desirable!) or ask us to match you with a member of staff who can play your accompaniment for you: we may be able to help.

I need a guitar amp/bass amp/drumkit

If you need a guitar or bass amp, we ask you to bring your own. If you are unable to bring an amp, please contact us well in advance: we may be able to supply one. If you play drums, we’ll hold your interview in a room that has a kit in it.

Can I use backing tracks?

Yes, but it’s preferable to work with a live musician if you can. If you do use backing tracks, you must bring a means to play them: you’re advised to take care that your playback equipment is able to play them at sufficient volume and sound quality to act as a good accompaniment for you.

How long does a pass at the Entrance Test remain valid?

If you pass the Entrance Test but decide not to take up your place in the next academic year, the result will be considered valid for a maximum of 3 years: i.e. if you decide to come one or two years later, you will not have to do the Entrance Test again.

What happens if I fail the test?

If you fail the Entrance Test, you will not be able to obtain a place to study Music at UCC. However, you can take the test again the following year. if you intend to do this, please ask us for feedback to help you prepare.