ABSTRACT
The primary reason to test for musical aptitude is to identify a child who has outstanding potential so that it can be properly nurtured. A test can sometimes identify the child who will need extra help and experiences to reach her potential. Just about all musical aptitude tests are based on norms. To establish norms, a test is given to many students from a variety of settings and backgrounds. Many music stores advertise that they will give a free piano lesson with a test that predicts the child's potential. Creating a good test of a child's musical potential is difficult and time consuming. Teachers ask the child to attempt to play an instrument so they can check things like body and finger size as it relates to the instrument. A test that is based on norms is called a standardized test. Every standardized test produces a variety of scores.
