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AMEB · Grade 3 · Syllabus & study guide

AMEB Grade 3 Music Theory — Complete Syllabus & Study Guide

16 topics33 questions90 min63 marks

The AMEB Grade 3 music theory exam tests how confidently you read, write and understand notation at this level. A typical paper runs about 33 questions in 90 minutes for 63 marks, mixing identification, writing and matching tasks — the same shape as the real exam.

This guide lists every one of the 16 syllabus topics for Grade 3, each with a one-line summary and a suggested practice dose, plus the exact paper structure, a free full-length mock test, and a step-by-step study plan. Everything linked here is free to use.

Compared with AMEB Grade 2, the genuinely new material at Grade 3 is: New major scales, New minor scales, Technical names of the scale degrees, Writing chords in four-part vocal style, Perfect cadences, Plagal cadences, Faults in four-part vocal-style writing, New time signatures, note values and rests, Writing a rhythmic pattern to a couplet of words, Sequence, Melody writing. Everything else consolidates and extends earlier grades — so shore up old ground first, then attack the new topics.

What's in the exam

Our free mock paper mirrors the question-type distribution of a real AMEB Grade 3 paper. Section by section:

  1. Note identification — 6 × 1 mark (6 marks)
  2. Rhythm tapping — 4 × 2 marks (8 marks)
  3. Bar division — 3 × 2 marks (6 marks)
  4. Key signatures — 5 × 2 marks (10 marks)
  5. Intervals — 6 × 2 marks (12 marks)
  6. Scale writing — 3 × 3 marks (9 marks)
  7. Note placement — 3 × 2 marks (6 marks)
  8. Flashcards — 6 × 1 mark (6 marks)
63 marks total, 90 minutes. See the full mock paper →

Syllabus topics

Work through these in order — each topic builds on the one before it. The count in brackets is the practice dose we recommend per sitting.

  1. 1
    New major scales
    B♭, E♭ major and other Grade-3 majors. Key signatures and scales. (~12 practice questions)
  2. 2
    New minor scales
    B, F♯ and G minor — natural, harmonic and melodic forms. (~12 practice questions)
  3. 3
    Technical names of the scale degrees
    Tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, leading note. (~10 practice questions)
  4. 4
    Intervals
    All major / minor / perfect intervals up to an octave, both keys. (~15 practice questions)
  5. 5
    Chords
    Triads I, IV, V (major and minor) — root position identification. (~12 practice questions)
  6. 6
    Writing chords in four-part vocal style
    SATB voicings: root-position I, IV, V; vocal ranges; doubling rules. (~2 practice questions)
  7. 7
    Perfect cadences
    V – I in major and minor, recognising and writing the cadence. (~10 practice questions)
  8. 8
    Plagal cadences
    IV – I in major and minor. (~10 practice questions)
  9. 9
    Faults in four-part vocal-style writing
    Spotting parallel 5ths/8ves, voice crossing, range violations. (~2 practice questions)
  10. 10
    New time signatures, note values and rests
    9/8, 12/8 compound; demisemiquavers; longer rests. (~12 practice questions)
  11. 11
    Transposition
    Transposing across treble / bass clefs; up or down by an interval. (~8 practice questions)
  12. 12
    Writing a rhythmic pattern to a couplet of words
    Setting English-text stress to a 4-bar rhythmic line. (~4 practice questions)
  13. 13
    Sequence
    Recognising tonal and real sequences in a melody. (~10 practice questions)
  14. 14
    Melody writing
    Completing a 4-bar melody to a given opening and cadence. (~1 practice questions)
  15. 15
    Form
    Binary and ternary forms — labelling sections (A, B, A). (~10 practice questions)
  16. 16
    Terminology
    New tempo, dynamics, articulation, ornament terms at Grade 3. (~12 practice questions)

How to prepare

  1. Work through the topics in order — start at topic 1 and move down the list above in order. Pair each topic with the free reference pages on intervals, key signatures, scales and triads.
  2. Learn the vocabulary — Italian terms and signs are the easiest marks to lose. Keep the music theory glossary open and review a handful of terms a day until they all stick.
  3. Sit the free mock under timed conditions — once you have covered the topics, sit the free AMEB Grade 3 mock test under timed conditions — 33 questions, 90 minutes, instant scoring, no signup.
  4. Review mistakes and re-sit — go back to the topics you dropped marks on, drill them, then re-sit from the AMEB Grade 3 mock paper page. Aim for a stable 80%+ before exam day.

Frequently asked questions

What is in the AMEB Grade 3 music theory exam?
The AMEB Grade 3 theory paper covers 16 syllabus topics: New major scales, New minor scales, Technical names of the scale degrees, Intervals and 12 more topics. A typical paper has around 33 questions and lasts 90 minutes.
How many questions is the AMEB Grade 3 theory paper?
Around 33 questions, mixing identification, writing and matching tasks across the syllabus topics.
How long is the AMEB Grade 3 theory exam?
90 minutes.
Is AMEB Grade 3 music theory hard?
Manageable with steady practice. The grade covers 16 topics; the genuinely new material versus Grade 2 is New major scales, New minor scales, Technical names of the scale degrees, Writing chords in four-part vocal style, Perfect cadences, Plagal cadences, Faults in four-part vocal-style writing, New time signatures, note values and rests, Writing a rhythmic pattern to a couplet of words, Sequence, Melody writing — everything else consolidates earlier grades.
Where can I take a free AMEB Grade 3 theory mock test?
Theory Practice hosts a free AMEB Grade 3 mock paper with instant scoring at https://theorypractice.app/mocks/AMEB/3 — no signup required.

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