All students in a Bachelor of Music, Licentiate in Music, conducting minor or early music performance minor are required to complete practical exam(s) to fulfill the program requirements.
Refer to this website for a list of practical exams by program.
Practical Exam Requirements
Read the practical exam requirements for your instrument/voice carefully before submitting a practical exam application.
Brass Exam Requirements- Early Music Exam Requirements
- Guitar Exam Requirements
- Harp Exam Requirements
- Jazz Exam Guidelines
- Organ Exam Requirements
- Percussion Exam Requirements
- Piano Exam Requirements
- String Exam Requirements
- Voice Exam Requirements
- Woodwind Exam Requirements
For their final recital (MUIN 482), students are encouraged to include works by composers from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures.
The following links can serve as a starting point for repertoire research:
Practical Exam Registration Instructions
Practical exams take place during the official final exam period in December (fall semester) and April (winter semester).
Like practical instruction, students cannot register for MUIN exams on Minerva. To register, students must submit a practical exam application before the following deadlines. The music department will add the MUIN exam to students’ records when the application is approved.
| Semester / Examination Period | Application Period |
|---|---|
| Fall (December) | September 1 - 15 |
| Winter (April) | January 5 - 17 |
Special Procedures for September Practical Exam (Graduating Students Only):
Students are encouraged to plan for their final practical exam, MUIN 283 (BMus Concentration Final Exam), MUIN 482 (BMus Performance Exam 3) or MUIN 452 (LMus Performance Exam 3), in either the December or April official final exam period.
Taking the final practical examination in early September is permitted only under exceptional circumstances and with department approval. One of the conditions for approval is that the student must be in their final year of the program.
An approved September practical exam will be recorded as a registration in the summer semester.
Students who wish to take the final practical exam in September must submit a practical exam application before May 31.
Students must read the practical exam policy before applying for a practical exam.
To Register for a Practical Exam, fill out a Practical Exam Application Form.
Undergraduate Practical Exam Application Fall 2026 – Fill out form
Note: The Practical Exam Application Form is only available during the application period.
Applications received after the deadlines will only be accepted with special permission from the Chair of the Department of Performance. Students will be billed for a $50 late application fee if the late practical exam request is approved.
Email practicalexams.music [at] mcgill.ca or visit the Department of Performance (located on the 7th floor of Wirth Music Building) if you have any questions related to your practical exam.
Practical Exam / Recitals Schedules
Students can view the recital/practical exam schedule by signing in with their McGill credentials on this Exam Schedule Webpage.
Practical Exam Assessment Rubric
This rubric is used for the assessment of practical exams: Practical Exam Assessment Rubric
A minimum grade of 65% is required to pass in the B.Mus. Performance program.
A minimum grade of 55% is required to pass in all other B.Mus. programs.
A minimum grade of 80% is required to pass in the L.Mus. program.
The passing grades for practical exams are found on this website.
Practical Exam Cancellation or Deferral Instructions
If you have applied for a practical exam but can no longer take the exam on the exam date assigned to you, you may apply to cancel by the deadline (with refund), cancel after the deadline (without refund) or defer a practical exam based on the reasons and time you request to cancel the exam.
Read the practical exam policy carefully before submitting a request to cancel or to defer the practical exam.
Cancel by deadline (with refund):
Students may request to cancel a practical exam. When an exam is cancelled, the music department will remove the MUIN exam registration from your records. Students will not be billed for the exam registration fee.
To cancel a practical exam, email practicalexams.music [at] mcgill.ca the reasons for the exam cancellation before the following deadlines.
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December practical exam cancellation deadline: November 1
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April practical exam cancellation deadline: March 1
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September practical exam cancellation deadline: August 1
Cancel after deadline (without refund):
If you missed the practical exam cancellation deadline, but need to cancel the exam because of unforeseeable, extenuating circumstances, you may apply for a late cancellation from a practical exam or request a deferred exam. Students may wish to consult with an advisor from Music Student Affairs Office to determine which option best suits them based on the reasons for late exam cancellation.
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Not being adequately prepared for a practical exam is not a valid reason to cancel or to defer an exam after the exam cancellation deadline.
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Students cannot submit a late exam cancellation request or exam deferral request after their assigned recital date.
Read the Late Course/Practical Exam Cancellation policies and application procedures carefully on the Course and Program Regulations website before submitting a Practical Exam Cancellation or Deferred Exam Request.
No tuition refund will be granted for an approved cancellation from a practical exam. A “W” grade will be reported for a practical exam cancelled after the deadline. The “W” grade does not affect Grade Point Average (GPA).
Practical Exam Deferral:
Students may only apply for a practical examination deferral if they cannot perform on the scheduled date of the practical exam/recital due to serious medical illness or serious unforeseeable or extenuating circumstances (not prepared for the exam, travel, minor illnesses such as colds, allergies, and aches and pains will not be considered valid reasons).
Read the Practical Exam Deferral policy carefully before submitting a deferral request.
Submit the exam deferral request on Minerva if you qualify for an exam deferral. Deferred Exam application instructions are found on the Exam website.
The exam deferral request must be submitted prior to or within 24 hours of the scheduled practical exam/recital date.
In addition to the Minerva exam deferral application form, students must submit supporting documents to studentaffairs.music [at] mcgill.ca validating reasons for the exam deferral request the same day they submit the exam deferral application on Minerva.
