Mini practice paper: 8 questions
Mixed-difficulty questions from across the Music syllabus. Tap "Show answer" after each to check yourself.
Q1 · Difficulty 1/3
A sequence of single notes that make up a tune is called a:
- harmony
- chord
- texture
- melody
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — melody
A melody is a tune of single notes.
Q2 · Difficulty 1/3
Performing music means presenting it to an:
- essay
- audience
- empty room only
- exam paper
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — audience
Performance is presenting music to listeners.
Q3 · Difficulty 1/3
A person who writes original music is a:
- performer only
- critic
- composer
- conductor only
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — composer
A composer writes music.
Q4 · Difficulty 2/3
A dramatic musical work with singing and acting, often staged, is an:
- opera
- overture only
- etude
- scale
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — opera
Opera combines singing and drama.
Q5 · Difficulty 2/3
Folk music helps to preserve a community's cultural:
- erosion
- heritage
- pollution
- taxation
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — heritage
Folk music preserves heritage.
Q6 · Difficulty 2/3
The violin, viola and cello belong to the ____ family.
- string
- brass
- woodwind
- percussion
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — string
They are string instruments.
Q7 · Difficulty 2/3
The steady, regular pulse of a piece of music is the:
- chord
- lyric
- beat
- melody
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — beat
The beat is the steady pulse.
Q8 · Difficulty 2/3
A world-famous reggae artist and global icon was:
- Elvis Presley
- Beethoven
- Bob Marley
- Mozart
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — Bob Marley
Bob Marley popularised reggae worldwide.
CXC CSEC Music FAQ
What does the CXC CSEC Music exam look like?
The CXC CSEC Music exam is structured across 3 components. Paper 1 (Section A): 60 multiple-choice questions, 1 mark each. 75 minutes. Tests knowledge across the whole syllabus. Paper 2: Structured short-answer + 1 extended response question. Section A is compulsory; Section B has a choice. Approximately 2 hours 10 minutes. School-Based Assessment (SBA): Coursework component graded by the teacher, externally moderated. Worth ~20-30% of the final grade depending on subject. Total exam time: ~3.5 hours across Paper 1 and Paper 2 sittings.
Can I download a free CXC CSEC Music past paper?
Real CXC past papers are published directly by CXC on their official website. Kramizo doesn't redistribute copyrighted past papers, but we do generate free AI-written practice papers in the exact same style — same command words, same difficulty tier, same mark conventions. Use this practice paper as warm-up, then time yourself on official past papers before exam day.
How is CXC CSEC Music graded?
Grades: I (highest) to VI (lowest). A grade of III or above is typically required for further study. Kramizo's practice questions are tagged with difficulty 1-3 mapping roughly to the lower, middle, and top grade boundaries you'll encounter in the real exam.