Canary PAU Music Analysis II exam-day guide
Canary PAU Music Analysis II · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo ID matching your registration
Bring the original document you registered with (national ID card, passport, or equivalent). Confirm with the provider which document types are accepted and whether a photocopy is valid - this varies by centre and is needs_review.
Exam admission/registration confirmation
Print or download the confirmation email or receipt if your centre issues one. Some centres check it at the door; confirm with the provider whether it is required or merely useful.
Pencil(s) and eraser
Music analysis answers often involve annotating staves, marking cadences, and sketching harmonic progressions. Bring at least two sharpened pencils and a clean eraser. Confirm with the provider whether pen is permitted for the written section.
Blue or black pen (if allowed)
Many written exams require ink for prose answers and reserve pencil for musical notation. Confirm the exact instrument rules with the provider before the day.
Ruler or straight-edge
Useful for aligning bar numbers, drawing brackets over phrases, and laying out tables of chords or cadences neatly. Low risk, high convenience.
Wristwatch (non-smart)
Exam rooms do not always have a visible clock. A simple analogue or digital watch without connectivity features is usually acceptable; confirm with the provider that smartwatches are prohibited.
Printed scores or excerpts only if the provider supplies them
Do not bring your own annotated scores unless the provider explicitly permits it. Assume the exam supplies all scores and that personal materials are not allowed - confirm with the provider.
No annotations in permitted materials
If any printed material is allowed, check that it is clean of handwritten notes, sticky tabs, or highlighting. Annotated copies are commonly treated as unauthorised material; confirm with the provider.
Water in a clear container
Many centres allow a transparent bottle with the label removed. Confirm with the provider whether drinks are permitted in the room.
Know your arrival time and room
Check the start time, door-opening time, and building/room number the day before. Arrive early enough to find the room without stress; late-entry rules vary, so confirm with the provider.
Plan your journey and a backup
Identify the transport route, a fallback option, and the nearest landmark. Aim to be at the building 20–30 minutes before the scheduled start.
Review your analysis method, not new content
The night before, skim your own summary of form, cadence types, harmonic function, and phrase structure. Do not attempt to learn new repertoire or unfamiliar terminology at the last minute.
Plan the day
Do one full timed mock under exam conditions: no notes, no phone, strict time limit. Mark it yourself against a model answer and list the three error types that cost you the most marks - for example, mislabelling cadences, missing modulations, or failing to justify a claim with bar numbers.
Build a one-page method sheet from memory: the steps you will follow for any score (identify key and mode, mark phrase boundaries, label cadences, trace tonal motion, name the form, note texture and instrumentation). Rewrite it until you can reproduce it without looking.
Target your two weakest areas only. If cadences are shaky, drill identifying perfect, imperfect, interrupted, and plagal cadences in short excerpts. If form is shaky, practise naming binary, ternary, rondo, and sonata-type structures and justifying the label with section boundaries.
Practise writing short analytical prose under time pressure: three to five sentences that state a claim, cite bar numbers, and explain the musical evidence. Clear, evidenced sentences score better than long impressionistic description.
Stop intensive study. Do a light review of your method sheet and your list of recurring errors. Confirm the exam venue, arrival time, and what you are allowed to bring by checking the provider's instructions.
Prepare your bag: ID, confirmation, pencils, eraser, pen if allowed, ruler, watch, water. Lay everything by the door. Set two alarms.
Protect your sleep. A rested ear and a clear head are worth more than one more hour of score reading. Avoid last-minute cramming of unfamiliar repertoire.
Eat a normal breakfast and arrive at the building 20–30 minutes early. Do not attempt to memorise new terms in the queue; instead reread your method sheet once, calmly.
Before entering, remind yourself of the time budget: roughly how many minutes per question or per score excerpt, plus 5–10 minutes at the end to check bar numbers and terminology.
Read the whole paper before writing. Note the marks per question and identify which excerpts you find easiest. Answer in an order that banks secure marks first, but keep the numbering clear.
Work in a fixed sequence: key and mode, phrase boundaries with bar numbers, cadence types and locations, harmonic vocabulary and any modulation, then form and texture. Write the label and the evidence together.
State the point first, then the musical evidence, then the effect. Use precise terminology (for example, 'dominant preparation', 'phrase extension', 'tonicisation of the submediant') and always cite bar numbers where the question allows.
Check that every question is attempted, that bar numbers match the score, that cadence and form labels are spelled correctly, and that your handwriting is legible. Fix omissions before polishing style.
Rules to check
Bring the original ID document you registered with; a mismatch between your registration details and your ID can bar you from the exam. If your ID has changed since registration, contact the provider before the exam date - confirm with the provider what to do.
Arrive by the stated door-opening time. Late-entry and extra-time rules are set by the centre, not by you; confirm with the provider how late arrival is handled and whether you will be admitted at all.
Do not bring unauthorised materials: annotated scores, notes, phone, smartwatch, or any connected device. Assume all such items must be switched off and stored away from your desk; confirm with the provider where bags and devices go.
Follow the invigilator's instructions on materials and timing. If you believe a question is misprinted or a score page is missing, raise your hand and ask - do not guess silently or share materials with another candidate.
Breaks are usually not permitted within a timed exam, and leaving the room may not stop your clock. Confirm with the provider whether supervised toilet breaks are allowed and whether time is added.
Scoring is normally by marks per question or per analytical point, with credit for correct terminology and cited evidence. Check the front of the paper for the mark allocation and any penalty for unsupported claims - confirm with the provider how partial credit is awarded.
Write only in the spaces or answer booklets designated. Answers outside the marked areas, or in the wrong section, may not be marked; confirm with the provider whether extra paper is available on request.
If illness or an emergency affects your performance, tell the invigilator at the time and ask about the provider's special-consideration procedure. Retrospective claims are harder to support, so confirm the deadline and evidence requirements with the provider.