Theory Placement
Exam

UNDERGRADUATE

Theory Placement Exam

The WINTER/SPRING 2026 Theory Placement Exam (TPE) will be held digitally, via Canvas. The Canvas exam course will open up around week 5 of fall quarter. If you are planning on taking MUSC 14 in the winter ’26 quarter, you must complete the exam prior to Wednesday, December 17th, 2025.

To sign up for the digital TPE, fill out a Google form (which will eventually be linked below). Once filled out, students will be invited to the TPE Canvas course, after which they can take the exam on their own time. Results will be assessed on a rolling basis, as students complete the exam. Upon completion of the exam, and receipt of your score, please follow up with the Music Department Undergraduate Advisor, Cory Graves-Montalbano <cgravesm@ucsc.edu>, for next steps.

Please note that this digital/asynchronous version of the TPE can only be taken ONCE PER CYCLE (in this case, winter/spring ’26).

Theory Placement Exam signup form [link will go live during fall quarter]

Background Information

Transfers students are strongly encouraged to take the exam the year before they apply as placement results may determine if the students spends two or three years completing the major. 

The Theory Placement Exam helps determine what level of Western theory students will begin at, which can effect time to graduation. Students that have taken AP Music Theory or other high school-level theory are still required to take the Placement Exam.

However, students that have passed theory/musicianship courses at California Community Colleges (CCC) with the following C-ID codes can have those courses articulated for certain Western theory courses at UCSC, including MUSC 14, 30A, 30B, and 30C (and 31: Ear Training).

Relevant theory C-ID articulations:

• MUS 110 -> MUSC 14
• MUS 120 & 125 -> MUSC 30A & 31
• MUSC 130 & 135 -> MUSC 30B & 31
• MUSC 140 & 145 -> MUSC 30C & 31

Students that have taken articulatable courses at a CCC should get in touch with the Music advisor <cgravesm@ucsc.edu> to determine next steps.

If you have taken theory courses elsewhere, or ones that do not fall under the C-ID blankets listed above, it is still required for you to take the Theory Placement Exam to determine placement, although these courses’ credits may transfer over and contribute to the student’s class standing.

If a student places into MUSC 14, rather than MUSC 30A, the major requirements they are eligible to complete in their first year may be affected. All potential and incoming Transfer students should email music@ucsc.edu to schedule phone or Zoom advising.

Students without a strong theory background should still plan to take the Theory Placement Exam. These students can plan to take MUSC 20A: Global Music Theory & Musicianship if they have very little prior theory experience, or MUSC 14: Beginning Western Theory & Musicianship if they have some background in Western theory. Students will not be able to enroll in MUSC 14 when online enrollment appointments open for the quarter – they must place into it via the Placement Exam (see above for info), and should attend the first day of class to receive a permission code from the instructor. Priority is given to music majors and minors by class standing. 

**If you require DRC accommodations, please get in touch with the Music office as soon as possible at <music@ucsc.edu>. When contacting the office, please include any DRC documentation you have received.**