Your preparation for the entrance exam consists of:
Prepare an assignment that you can perform in 10-15 minutes with a group of five to eight people. For example, a pop song, musical song, classical piece, children’s song or jazz standard. Bring sheet music, a text with chord symbols or other materials.
- If your main instrument is instrumental: prepare four pieces in different styles, characters and expressions, plus four vocal pieces. For example, you could choose a pop song, a musical song, a classical song, a children’s song and/or a jazz standard.
- If your main instrument is voice: prepare six pieces in various styles, characters and expressions. You must accompany yourself on a chord instrument for at least two of them.
In addition to your main instrument, you may also perform on another instrument during your entrance exam. We appreciate it if you can accompany yourself and are always curious to hear your own musical work.
As part of the admission process, we will discuss what you know or remember about CKV and general art, and how you view these secondary school subjects.
At ArtEZ, we look at the end goal from the start: training the best music teachers. You must have a talent for music, have a reasonably good singing voice, play one or more instruments and ideally accompany yourself on a chord instrument. We do not train performers; we look for candidates with a solid foundation and the potential to develop into skilled teachers and musicians.
The entrance exam takes place over one day. We will assess:
At the start of the day, you will provide the committee with:
You will work from 10 am to 4 pm with other candidates and current students, while the committee observes how you lead and collaborate. You will then perform your prepared repertoire. The committee may also ask you to do a short improvisation. At the end of the day, you will hear whether you have been admitted to the programme.
Together with other candidates, you will talk about your experiences with and views on music, art and cultural education.
During the admission day, you will take an individual music theory test lasting about 20 minutes. Alongside basic musical knowledge and skills, we will mainly assess your ability to develop and your readiness to start the first year without problems. If some areas still need improvement, you may get a chance to retake this part of the admission process. You will also receive materials to help you prepare for a second attempt.
• 14-02-2026
• 07-03-2026
• 21-03-2026
• 09-05-2026
• 30-05-2026
Want to prepare for the entrance exam? Then come to the open day in November. You can also complete a trial Music Theory admission process and a voice assessment.
You can also choose one of our preparatory programmes to increase your chances of admission. Options include an all-inclusive preparatory programme, an external programme at one of our partner schools, an online programme or an intensive music theory course.
After the entrance exam, the lecturers will provide their advice to the Exam Board of the ArtEZ Academy of Music. The Board checks that the procedure has been carried out correctly and decides whether or not you will be admitted to the programme. You will notified of the outcome in writing.
An offer of admission is only valid for the programme you have applied for and for the academic year directly following the entrance exam. An offer or a rejection for the Bachelor of Music in Education programme is binding for ArtEZ in both Enschede and Zwolle. If you would like to begin your programme a year later, please submit a written request to the Exam Board to defer your admission for up to one year.
If you disagree with a negative admission decision or believe that incorrect procedures were followed during the admissions process, you may lodge an appeal with the Exam Board.