AP Music Theory MCQs
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Practice Settings
AP Music Theory practice questions by unit
Fiveable has 11,027 AP Music Theory multiple-choice practice questions across 8 units, plus 130 stimulus-based question sets built around a source. Practice one unit or topic at a time.
- Unit 1 – Pitch, Major Scales and Key Signatures, Rhythm, Meter, and Expressive Elements: 2,242 multiple-choice questions, 10 stimulus sets
- Unit 2 – Minor Scales and Key Signatures, Melody, Timbre, and Texture: 2,303 multiple-choice questions, 70 stimulus sets
- Unit 3 – Triads and Seventh Chords: 887 multiple-choice questions, 40 stimulus sets
- Unit 4 – Chord Function, Cadence, and Phrase: 1,853 multiple-choice questions
- Unit 5 – Chord Progressions and Predominant Function: 1,280 multiple-choice questions
- Unit 6 – Embellishments, Motives, and Melodic Devices: 1,499 multiple-choice questions, 10 stimulus sets
- Unit 7 – Secondary Function: 430 multiple-choice questions
- Unit 8 – Modes and Form: 533 multiple-choice questions
Sample AP Music Theory practice question
A listener observes a rhythmic pattern in a piece in 3/4 time where the accent structure temporarily shifts to imply a 3/2 meter across two measures. Which term describes this device?
Hemiola
Syncopation
Augmentation
Diminution
Explanation
Connecting the auditory effect to the theoretical term identifies the device. Hemiola specifically refers to the rhythmic superimposition of three binary beats (like 3/2) over two ternary measures (like 3/4), creating a temporary shift in accent.