UIS Licenciatura en Música admission test: what it's like and how to prepare
At UIS, your score for the Licenciatura en Música (music education degree) comes from a four-part test: aural perception, prepared exercises, aptitude and instrument. Here's how to prepare.
To enter the music education degree program at Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS) in Bucaramanga, you take a musical aptitude and knowledge test with four components: ear training, prepared exercises, musical aptitude, and an instrumental audition, worth a total of 100 points. According to UIS, your admission score for this program comes from that test.
In the latest admissions cycle we reviewed (2027-1), the test was scheduled for November 17, 2026. Here we explain what each component assesses, which exercises you should prepare, and how to organize your preparation.
In short
- UIS offers one undergraduate music program in Bucaramanga: a 10-semester music education degree leading to the title of Licenciado en Música.
- To apply, you must have taken Saber 11 in 2021 or later and scored at least 31 points in each subject area; for this program, your admission score comes from the musical aptitude and knowledge test.
- The 2027-1 test had four components: ear training (20 points), prepared exercises with sight-reading (20), musical aptitude through imitation (30), and instrument (30), plus an interview.
- The instrumental audition involves a piece of your choice, but to be considered for a place in guitar, voice, piano, or percussion, you must perform one of the published required pieces.
- UIS admits students in both semesters and publishes the available places for each term on its registration page.
The music education degree at UIS
This is a 10-semester, in-person undergraduate program at Campus Central in Bucaramanga, part of Escuela de Artes, that trains music teachers. It is UIS's only undergraduate music degree, so if you want a performance qualification (Maestro en Música), you will need to consider other universities. We explain the difference in a music performance degree or a music education degree?.
One important detail: according to the test page, once you are admitted, your instrument assignment depends on the places available in each instrument studio. That is why UIS publishes which instruments have openings and asks during the interview about a possible alternative main instrument.
Requirements, scores, and dates
For in-person undergraduate programs in Bucaramanga in 2027-1, UIS required applicants to have completed or be attending grade 11, to have taken Saber 11 in 2021 or later, and to have at least 31 points in each subject area (mathematics, critical reading, social studies and citizenship, natural sciences, and English). The university publishes Saber 11 weightings by program, but states that the music education admission score comes from the musical aptitude and knowledge test.
| Stage | Published date |
|---|---|
| Application fee payment | September 23 to November 10, 2026 |
| Online application | September 24 to November 12, 2026 |
| Musical aptitude and knowledge test | November 17, 2026, starting at 7:30 a.m., in the Daniel Casas building |
| Results published | November 25, 2026 |
Each applicant receives their time slot on the day, so UIS suggests keeping the entire day free. As a statistical reference, the university lists a maximum weighted score of 72.00 and a minimum of 60.00 for the music education program in previous admissions cycles, and explains that cutoffs vary with each cycle's applicants. This is not an official minimum score, but it gives you an idea of the level.
The four test components
| Component | What it assesses | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Ear training | Recognizing the properties of sound, intervals, and triads. | Up to 20 |
| Prepared exercises | One rhythmic exercise and one rhythm-and-melody exercise from the published list, chosen by the panel, plus a similar sight-reading exercise. | Up to 20 |
| Musical aptitude | Pitch and rhythm exercises through imitation. | Up to 30 |
| Instrumental audition | A piece of your choice on your preferred instrument. | Up to 30 |
There is also an interview about your musical training. UIS expects you to arrive with basic knowledge of tonal theory: major scales and their key signatures, treble and bass clefs, the structure and recognition of major chords, and intervals within an octave, identified both by ear and on the page.
Prepared exercises and sight-reading
This is the part you can prepare most thoroughly in advance. UIS publishes a PDF list of exercises: rhythmic reading in duple meter with simple note values (you can use any syllable, as long as the rhythms are clear), and singing notated melodies in a major key, using stepwise motion and tonic triad arpeggios. The panel chooses some on test day, then asks you to sight-read similar phrases.
- Download the list and study all the exercises, not just the ones you like: you do not know which one you will be asked to perform.
- First speak the rhythm with a metronome, then sing the pitches, and only then put the two together.
- Record each exercise and compare it with the sheet music: pitch accuracy, rhythm, and flow.
- For sight-reading, read a new phrase in the same style every day, without stopping when you make a mistake.
We offer a step-by-step method in rhythmic and melodic reading for the entrance exam.
Aptitude, ear training, and the instrumental audition
Musical aptitude and ear training account for half the score. Practice daily: sing back short phrases and rhythms someone gives you, and recognize intervals and triads by ear. Our ear training tool lets you practice intervals and chords in just a few minutes a day.
For the instrumental audition, you perform a piece of your choice and bring two copies of the sheet music for the panel. You can audition on any instrument, but to compete for guitar, voice, piano, or percussion places, you must perform one of the published required pieces. For example:
| Instrument | Options |
|---|---|
| Piano | Schumann's Álbum para la juventud No. 5, Bach's Invención No. 13, or the first movement of a Haydn sonata in C major. |
| Singing | Exercise No. 1 from the Vaccai method, Scarlatti's O cessate di piagarmi, or Giordani's Caro mio ben; transposition and backing tracks are allowed. |
The test page, labeled 2026-2 in that section, listed available places for clarinet, double bass, French horn, euphonium, flute, oboe, saxophone, trombone, trumpet, tuba, viola, violin, and cello, among others. Check the current list: if there are no places for your instrument, ask what options you would have before registering. For the piece of your choice, see how to choose repertoire for your admission audition.
How to prepare for the UIS test
| Month | Focus | Suggested routine |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | Theory and prepared exercises | Review major scales, key signatures, chords, and intervals; read the rhythmic exercises on the list. |
| Month 2 | Ear training and singing in tune | Imitate rhythms and melodies, recognize intervals and triads, and sing the melodic exercises on the list. |
| Month 3 | Mock exams | Run through all four components without stopping, including the complete piece of your choice and a new sight-reading phrase each day. |
Since this is a teacher training degree, prepare for the interview too: your musical background, why you want to teach, and which instrument you would play if yours had no openings. Our guide to the music admissions interview can help. UIS also suggests theory references on its website that are useful for review.
Whether you are in Bucaramanga or another city, you can prepare with teachers in online lessons at Gissi: music theory, reading, ear training, and instrument, with a plan built around your test date. Find out how in music entrance exam preparation, and get an overview in how to prepare for a music entrance exam.
Frequently asked questions
Does Saber 11 count toward admission to the UIS music education degree?
It is a requirement: you must have taken it in 2021 or later and scored at least 31 points in each subject area. However, UIS states that the music education admission score comes from the musical aptitude and knowledge test.
Which instrument can I audition on at UIS?
You can audition on any instrument with a piece of your choice. To compete for guitar, voice, piano, or percussion places, you must play one of the published required pieces, and your final instrument assignment depends on the openings in each studio.
What are the prepared exercises?
A list of exercises in rhythmic reading and singing from notation that UIS publishes before the test. The panel chooses some on exam day, then asks you to sight-read similar phrases. They are worth up to 20 of the 100 points.
What is the minimum score for admission?
We did not find an official minimum score. As a statistical reference, UIS lists a maximum weighted score of 72.00 and a minimum of 60.00 for this program in previous admissions cycles, and warns that cutoffs change with each cycle.
How often does UIS open admissions for its music education degree?
UIS holds admissions in both semesters. For 2027-1, online applications ran from September 24 to November 12, 2026, and the test was scheduled for November 17.
Sources
We checked the facts in this article against these sources on October 22, 2026.
- Universidad Industrial de Santander: entrance test for the undergraduate degree in music education (2027-1 term)
- Universidad Industrial de Santander: 2027-1 undergraduate registration in Bucaramanga (dates, fees, and requirements)
- Universidad Industrial de Santander: undergraduate selection criteria and weighted scores
- Universidad Industrial de Santander: prepared exercises for the Music entrance test
- Universidad Industrial de Santander: repertoire for the Piano admission test
- Universidad Industrial de Santander: repertoire for the Voice admission test