Study Guide

Section 4: Sample Multiple-Choice Questions
WEST–E Music: Choral (056)

The sample test questions in this study guide are designed to give you an introduction to the nature of the questions included in the Washington Educator Skills Tests—Endorsements (WEST–E). They represent the various types of questions you may expect to see on an actual test in this test field; however, they are not designed to predict your performance on the test as a whole.

Work through the sample questions carefully before referring to the answers. The correct response and test objective being assessed are provided for each question. When you are finished with the sample questions, you may wish to review the test objectives and descriptive statements provided in the test framework for this test field.

In addition to reading and answering the sample questions, you should also utilize the following preparation materials available in this study guide:

• Read Section 2: WEST–E Test-Taking Strategies to understand how test questions are designed to measure specific test objectives and to learn important test-taking strategies for the day of the test.
• Review Section 3: Test Summary and Framework to familiarize yourself with the structure and content of the test. This section contains general testing information as well as the percentage of the total test score derived from each content domain described in the test framework.

Practice Questions

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Aural Skills

Objective 0001: Recognize elements of melody and harmony in recorded music.

1. Which of the following scales is demonstrated in this example? (The example will be played twice.)

(The examinee listens to a series of pitches that represent a whole-tone scale.)

1. minor
2. whole tone
3. pentatonic
4. chromatic

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

2. Which of the following cadences occurs in the final measure of this excerpt? (The excerpt will be played twice.)

(The examinee listens to a 25-second excerpt from an aria composed by Mozart.)

1. imperfect authentic
2. half
3. Phrygian
4. deceptive

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

Objective 0002: Recognize elements of rhythm, tempo, timbre, and dynamics in recorded music.

3. Which of the following vocal ensembles performs this excerpt? (The excerpt will be played twice.)

(The examinee listens to a 30-second excerpt from a work performed by an SAB chorus.)

1. SAB
2. TTB
3. SATB
4. SSA

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

4. Which of the following series of terms best describes the sequence of dynamics in the excerpt? (The excerpt will be played twice.)

(The examinee listens to a 35-second excerpt from a choral work by Anton Bruckner.)

1. pianissimo, crescendo, mezzo-forte, fortissimo
2. piano, diminuendo, pianissimo, forte
3. forte, crescendo, fortissimo, forte
4. pianissimo, crescendo, forte, piano

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

Objective 0003: Demonstrate knowledge of historical, cultural, and stylistic contexts of recorded music.

5. This excerpt was most likely composed during which of the following periods?

(The examinee listens to a 20-second excerpt from the choral section of the Verdi Requiem.)

1. Renaissance
2. Baroque
3. Classical
4. Romantic

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

6. Which instrument is featured in the excerpt? (The excerpt will be played twice.)

(The examinee listens to a 30-second excerpt of traditional Japanese music in the danmono genre.)

1. koto
2. erhu
3. sitar
4. oud

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

Objective 0004: Detect errors in a recorded musical performance.

7. Use the score below and listen to the excerpt to answer the question that follows.

The graphic is a score excerpt written for drum. The excerpt is written in four-four time and is eight measures in long. Since the item pertains to rhythmic error, the following with describe the measures presented in the four response options. Measure two has two eighth notes beamed together, a dotted eighth note beamed to a sixteenth note, two eighth notes beamed together, and a quarter note. Measure four has an eighth note beamed to two sixteenth notes, an eighth note beamed to two sixteenth notes, two eighth notes beamed together, and a quarter note. Measure five has a dotted quarter note, an eighth note, and four eighth notes beamed together. Measure seven has four eighth notes beamed together, four sixteenth notes beamed together, and two eighth notes beamed together.

In which of the following measures of this excerpt does the drummer make an error in rhythm? (The excerpt will be played twice.)

(The examinee listens to a recorded performance of the musical score shown above. The drummer plays two pairs of sixteenth notes in measure 2.)

1. measure 2
2. measure 4
3. measure 5
4. measure 7

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

8. Use the score below and listen to the excerpt to answer the question that follows.

The graphic is a score excerpt. A written melody for voice with lyrics and piano accompaniment is presented. It is 28 measures long and written in two-four time. Like many Chinese folk songs, the melody is built on the pentatonic scale. Since the question pertains to articulation, the following information will describe the articulations used in the four measures listed in the four response options. Measure 5 has one quarter note and two slurred eighth notes. Measure 6 has two pairs of slurred eighth notes. Measure 9 has two quarter notes. Measure 13 has one quarter note and two slurred eighth notes.

In which of the following measures does the singer make an error in articulation? (The excerpt will be played twice.)

(The examinee listens to a recorded performance of the musical score shown above. The singer sings the two pairs of eighth notes in measure 6 without slurs.)

1. measure 5
2. measure 6
3. measure 9
4. measure 13

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

Music Theory

Objective 0005: Apply knowledge of music notation systems and vocabulary.

9. Use the example below to answer the question that follows.

The graphic includes a standard five-line staff with a bass clef and four flats in the key signature. There is a whole note written one line below the staff.

Which of the following pitches is shown above?

1. F-sharp
2. D-sharp
3. G-sharp
4. C-sharp

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

10. Which of the following tempo markings most clearly indicates that a piece should be sung at a walking pace?

1. moderato
2. vivace
3. andante
4. largo

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

Objective 0006: Apply knowledge of melodic and harmonic elements of music.

11. Which of the following measures features a minor seventh chord?

All four response options include graphics that are musical examples. They all contain two chords written on a grand staff.

1. 

   Response option A has two flats in the key signature. The first chord contains the following pitches: E-flat3, B-flat3, G4, and E-flat5. The second chord contains the following pitches: E-flat3, C4, F4, A4, and E-flat5.

2. 

   Response option B has four flats in the key signature. The first chord contains the following pitches: B-flat2, F3, D-flat4, F4, and B-flat4. The second chord contains the following pitches: A-flat2, F3, D-flat4, F4, and A-flat4.

3. 

   Response option C has four sharps in the key signature. The first chord contains the following pitches: A2, C-sharp4, E4, A4, and C-sharp5. The second chord contains the following pitches: E3, G-sharp3, B3, E4, G-sharp4, and B4.

4. 

   Response option D has two sharps in the key signature. The first chord contains the following pitches: F-sharp3, D4, E4, A4, and E5. The second chord contains the following pitches: F-sharp3, A3, C-sharp4, E4, A4, and C-sharp5.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

12. Use the example below to answer the question that follows.

A melodic interval is presented. It is written in the treble clef. The first note is a D-flat on the fourth line of the staff. The second note is an F-sharp on the first space of the staff.

Which of the following melodic intervals is notated in the example?

1. minor sixth
2. augmented sixth
3. diminished sixth
4. major sixth

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

Objective 0007: Apply knowledge of rhythmic and dynamic elements of music.

13. Use the example below to answer the question that follows.

The graphic is a score excerpt. It is written on a grand staff, is three measures long and includes the tempo marking of moderato. Since the item pertains to time signature, the following will describe the rhythmic notation in the excerpt. Each of the three measures in the bass clef include three quarter notes with staccato markings. In each measure, the second quarter note is marked with a lower mordent. The first and second measures in the treble clef include the following in each: two sixteenth notes beamed to two eighth notes and four sixteenth notes beamed to one eighth note. The third measure in the treble line includes the following: six sixteenth notes beamed together, a quarter note, and an eighth note.

Which of the following time signatures is implied in this example?

1. ³₈three eighths
2. ³₂three halves
3. ⁶₈six eighths
4. ⁶₄six fourths

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

14. Use the example below to answer the question that follows.

The graphic is a score excerpt. A melody with lyrics and piano accompaniment is presented. It is 14 measures long, in C minor, and written in two-four time. The following information describes the rhythm notated in measure three of the excerpt. Measure three has a sixteenth note, an eighth note, a sixteenth note, a dotted eighth note and a sixteenth note. These notes are set to the text Nobody knows.

Which of the following rhythmic devices is most clearly demonstrated in measure three of the example?

1. variation
2. syncopation
3. triplet
4. augmentation

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

Objective 0008: Apply knowledge of musical forms and styles.

15. Which of the following statements best characterizes verse-chorus form?

1. Verse-chorus form uses one instrumental solo.
2. Songs in verse-chorus form are strophic.
3. Verse-chorus form is nonrepetitive and nonsectional.
4. Songs in verse-chorus form start with the bridge.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

16. Use the example below to answer the question that follows.

The graphic is a score excerpt. The excerpt is 12 measures long and is written in the key of E major. A melody for tenor voice with lyrics and pianoforte and strings accompaniment is presented. Since the question pertains to the vocal line, the following information will describe it. The vocal line is set to the text “And ev’ry mountain and hill made low; the crooked straight, and the rough places plain.” It begins on the first three eighth notes of the third measure of the excerpt and continues in the measures that follow. The text “and ev-ry” is set to three eighth notes on second space A-sharp. The syllable “moun” is set to a quarter note on third space B. The syllable “tain” is set to an eighth note on first space F-sharp and “and” is set to an eighth note on second line G-sharp. In the fourth measure of the excerpt, “hill” is set to a dotted quarter note on second space A, “made” is set to an eighth note on second line G-sharp and “low” is set to a quarter note on second space G-sharp. The text “the crooked straight” is presented three times. The first time, the text begins on an eighth note pick-up to the sixth measure of the excerpt. The text “crooked” is set to two pairs of eighth notes alternating between fifth line F-sharp and fourth space E. The word “straight” is set to a half note on fourth space E. The eighth measure of the excerpt has the syllable “croo” set to an eighth note on third space C-sharp and an eighth note on fourth space E. The syllable “ked” and the word “straight” are set to two quarter notes on first space F-sharp. The ninth measure of the excerpt has the syllable “croo” set to an eighth note on fourth space E and an eighth note on G-sharp one space above the staff. The syllable “ked” and the word “straight” are set to two quarter notes on third line B and second space A. In the last note of the tenth measure of the excerpt, the word “plain” is set to a half note on second space A that is tied to a whole one on second space A in the following measure and a quarter note in the following measure.

When composing the vocal line, it is most likely that the composer:

1. used word painting to mirror the meaning of the text in the melodic contour.
2. composed the melody and then found an existing text to add.
3. commissioned a poet to write a text before composing the melody.
4. applied the call and response technique to set the text to the melody.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

Music History and Culture

Objective 0009: Demonstrate knowledge of Western music from various historical periods.

17. Which of the following symphonies was the first to incorporate a chorus and solo voices in a large, orchestral work?

1. Franz Schubert's no. 8 in B Minor
2. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's no. 40 in G Major
3. Johannes Brahms's no. 4 in E Minor
4. Ludwig van Beethoven's no. 9 in D Minor

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

18. Which of the following composers and their respective genres best exemplifies a musical transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque through innovative treatment of dissonance?

1. Claudio Monteverdi’s madrigals
2. Giovanni Gabrieli’s motets
3. John Dowland’s ayres
4. William Byrd’s Masses

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

Objective 0010: Demonstrate knowledge of jazz, folk, blues, and popular music of the United States.

19. Which of the following U.S. musical genres from the 1960s and 1970s combines rhythm and blues and gospel?

1. soul
2. punk
3. disco
4. ska

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

20. During the 1970s, DJs in the South Bronx in New York used two turntables at block parties and other gatherings for primarily which of the following reasons?

1. extending the breaks in songs to allow more time for dancing
2. transitioning as quickly as possible from one song to another
3. playing the choruses of two songs simultaneously
4. inviting partygoers to scratch on one of the turntables

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

Objective 0011: Demonstrate knowledge of World music from diverse cultural sources.

21. A drone is most characteristic of traditional music from which of the following countries?

1. Brazil
2. South Africa
3. Jamaica
4. India

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

22. Which of the following statements most accurately describes a traditional djembe from West Africa?

1. It is hourglass shaped with two drumheads connected by leather cords.
2. It is goblet shaped with an animal skin drumhead tuned by rope.
3. It is a hollowed-out gourd covered with a net of beads.
4. It is cylindrical in shape and covered in rawhide on both ends.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

Music Creation and Performance

Objective 0012: Demonstrate knowledge of techniques for composing, improvising, and arranging music.

23. Use the example below to answer the question that follows.

The graphic is a score excerpt. The excerpt is written in four-four time, contains no flats or sharps in the key signature, and is four measures long. Measure one includes the following: quarter note C5, beamed eighth notes E5 and F5, quarter note G5, and beamed eighth notes E5 and D5. Measure two includes the following: quarter note F5, beamed eighth notes E5 and D5, and half note C5. Measure three contains the following: quarter note G4, beamed eighth notes B4 and C5, quarter note D5, and beamed eighth notes B4 and A4. Measure four contains the following: quarter note C5, beamed eighth notes B4 and A4, and half note G4.

Which of the following compositional devices has been applied to measures 1 and 2 to produce measures 3 and 4?

1. retrograde
2. augmentation
3. sequence
4. inversion

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

24. Which of the following scales is most appropriate to use when first learning how to improvise over the 12-bar blues?

1. major
2. chromatic
3. whole tone
4. minor pentatonic

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

Objective 0013: Demonstrate knowledge of basic accompanying techniques for string, wind, and percussion instruments.

25. In which of the following groups do the instruments typically display the greatest dynamic range?

1. percussion
2. brass
3. woodwinds
4. strings

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

26. Storing an acoustic guitar in a dry environment is most likely to result in which of the following types of damage?

1. loose bridge
2. stuck pegs
3. unglued braces
4. high action

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

Objective 0014: Demonstrate knowledge of vocal sound production.

27. Use the example below to answer the question that follows.

The graphic includes a standard five-line staff with a treble clef and no sharps or flats in the key signature. There are two notes. One is a whole note written two lines below the staff. The other is a whole note written one space above the staff.

The range shown above is most characteristic of which of the following voice types?

1. soprano
2. mezzo-soprano
3. contralto
4. tenor

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

28. A singer has developed vocal cord nodules. Which of the following activities is most likely to cause the nodules to recede?

1. whispering instead of speaking
2. resting the voice completely
3. clearing the throat
4. gargling with salt water

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

Objective 0015: Demonstrate knowledge of the principles of singing.

29. Which of the following words from a song begins with a consonant that is percussive and unpitched?

1. lining
2. judge
3. keeping
4. voice

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

30. To ensure accuracy in singing a tonal excerpt using fixed-do solfeggio, it is most important to:

1. identify the key signature and any non-diatonic notes.
2. take a diaphragmatic breath at the start of each measure.
3. determine which note is the tonic and label it “do.”
4. transpose the excerpt into a comfortable range.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

Objective 0016: Demonstrate knowledge of rehearsal techniques for vocal soloists, vocal chamber groups, and choirs.

31. Use the example below to answer the question that follows.

The graphic is an exercise for voice. The vocalise is written in the treble clef, in four-four time, in the key of B-flat major, and is three measures long. There is text written underneath the notes. The text for each note is "la." The first measure has four beamed eighth notes on B-flat4, D5, B-flat4, and D5 and four beamed eighth notes on D5, F5, D5, and F5. The second measure has four beamed eighth notes on F5, E-flat5, D5, and C5 and four beamed eighth notes on D5, C5, B-flat4, and A4. The third measure has a whole note on B-flat4.

The vocalise shown above would be most effective for developing which of the following elements of vocal technique?

1. articulation
2. flexibility
3. dynamic contrast
4. breath support

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

32. Which of the following rehearsal techniques is likely to be the most effective in addressing poor blend in an evenly balanced high school chorus?

1. instructing the soprano section to sing at a pianissimo dynamic
2. working with all sections of the chorus on uniform vowel pronunciation
3. asking all singers in the chorus to sing without any vibrato
4. beginning each rehearsal with breathing exercises

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

Objective 0017: Demonstrate knowledge of conducting and repertoire selection.

33. In the middle of a choral piece, the director indicates a slight ritardando while broadening the beat. These gestures are typically used to prepare the ensemble for:

1. a fermata.
2. an abrupt change in tempo.
3. a section in legato style.
4. a triplet.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

34. Which of the following elements is most important to consider when selecting developmentally appropriate repertoire for a second-grade chorus?

1. style
2. dynamics
3. tempo
4. tessitura

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

Music and Other Disciplines

Objective 0018: Demonstrate knowledge of music as a form of communication.

35. The use of songs such as "We Shall Overcome" and "Down By the Riverside" during the civil rights movement is an example of employing a specific music genre for the purpose of:

1. entertaining young people.
2. expressing patriotism.
3. requesting financial donations.
4. promoting social change.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

36. Which of the following activities is most characteristic of the Orff Approach?

1. learning to play variations of a song aurally
2. dancing to improvised music played on the piano
3. sight-reading an excerpt using rhythm syllables
4. performing an ostinato on a pitched percussion instrument

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

Objective 0019: Analyze how music relates to other arts disciplines and academic subject areas.

37. Performing in an ensemble most clearly develops which of the following real-world transferable skills?

1. ability to persist in achieving a shared goal
2. ability to lead a group of people
3. ability to read and comprehend directions
4. ability to write and develop narratives

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

38. Studying the use of repetitive figures in twentieth-century minimalist paintings would help enhance one’s understanding of the work of primarily which of the following composers?

1. Steve Reich
2. Samuel Barber
3. Elliot Carter
4. Charles Ives

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

Objective 0020: Demonstrate knowledge of careers related to music.

39. Which of the following professions involves analyzing, adjusting, creating, and re-creating sounds for television programs and motion pictures?

1. orchestrator
2. studio musician
3. sound mixer
4. copyist

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

40. A high school student aspires to become a professional chorus member at an opera house. Which of the following skills is most important for the student to develop?

1. application of stage makeup
2. ballroom dancing
3. diction in various languages
4. improvisational acting

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.