If you need help studying for the ILTS Music exam or just want some more information about what the exam is like, you’ve come to the right place!
Click below to take a free ILTS Music practice test!
What’s on the Exam?
First, let’s talk about the questions on the exam. There are 100 multiple-choice questions total, but only 80 of the questions will count toward your score. Why is that?
The 20 unscored questions on the exam are called “pretest” questions. These are added to the exam to determine if they’re good enough questions to add to future versions of the test.
The trick is that you won’t have any way of knowing which questions are scored and which ones are pretest. They will appear just like the scored questions throughout the test.
The time limit for the exam is 3 hours and 15 minutes. There aren’t any scheduled breaks, but you’re free to take restroom breaks as needed.
The exam is split into five subareas:
1. RESPONDING: LISTENING SKILLS
22 questions
- Elements of melody, harmony, and form in recorded music
- Elements of rhythm and expressive qualities in recorded music
- Historical and cultural characteristics of recorded music
- Elements of timbre in recorded music
- Detecting errors in recorded musical performances
2. MUSIC THEORY: MUSICAL ELEMENTS AND STRUCTURES
17 questions
- Music notation and vocabulary
- Melodic elements of music
- Harmonic elements of music
- Forms, rhythmic structures, and styles of music
3. CREATING AND PERFORMING MUSIC: COMPOSING, SINGING, PLAYING, AND CONDUCTING
17 questions
- Techniques for creating music
- Techniques for performing vocal music
- Techniques for performing instrumental music
- Techniques for rehearsing and conducting
4. CONNECTING: MUSIC, HISTORY, CULTURE, AND CONTEXT
22 questions
- Characteristics, contexts, composers, and works of Western art music
- Characteristics and contexts of pop, folk, and traditional music of the US
- Characteristics and contexts of world music
- Relationships between technological advances in music
- The roles and functions of music as an expressive medium
4. CONTENT-SPECIFIC PEDAGOGY: MUSIC EDUCATION
22 questions
- Appropriate content and pedagogical methodologies for elementary school, secondary, school, and middle school music classes
- Methods and tools for assessing students in music programs
- Aesthetic principles, evaluation criteria, and methods for connecting various types of musical knowledge and skills
- Teaching music to diverse student populations
How to Register
To get started with the registration process, you’ll need to create an ILTS/ISBE account on their website. You can then register for the exam via your account.
The testing fee is $122.
ILTS Music Study Guide and Flashcards
Get practice questions, detailed study lessons, and complex subjects broken down into easily understandable concepts.
How the Exam is Scored
The ILTS Music exam is scored using a scaled scoring method. Here’s how it works:
A passing score is a scaled score of at least 240.
The reason your raw score is converted to a scaled score is because everyone who takes the exam is given a slightly different set of questions. Since everyone has a different arrangement of questions, and because some questions are harder than others, converting your raw score to a scaled score ensures a more even playing field.
FAQs
How many questions are on the ILTS Music exam?
The exam contains 100 questions.
What is the time limit for the ILTS Music exam?
The exam is timed at 3 hours and 15 minutes.
What is the passing score for the ILTS Music exam?
You’ll have to get a final score of at least 240 to pass the exam.
How much does the ILTS Music exam cost?
The exam fee is $122.