Listening paper had no nasty surprises in questions one to four'A question on Berlioz included a challenging dictation question, while the Mozart question was very student-friendly.' Photograph: The Irish Times Peter McGuireFri Jun 19 2026 - 14:58 • 2 MIN READThe higher-level music paper rewarded students who had made a thorough study of their set works, but there were challenges in the Irish music and aural skill sections, a teacher has said.“The composition paper gave students the platform to bring something extra to the pieces while not imposing any strange twists that might make the heart skip a beat,” said Ciara Coleman, a music teacher at the Institute of Education.Coleman said that the listening paper had no nasty surprises in questions one to four.“The format of these questions was similar to recent years, with a broad range of questions on musical features and instrumental and compositional techniques. “The layout of the Irish music listening question differed slightly from previous years, but the questions asked were mostly in line with student expectations. “The question on aural skills was arguably the most challenging of the paper, due to the broad range of styles featured, and the inclusion of questions which required more than a ‘surface’ listening to the work,” Coleman said.A question on Berlioz included a challenging dictation question, while the Mozart question was very student-friendly, Coleman said. Well-prepared students would be happy with the question on Raymond Deane, while The Beatles classic, Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, offered plenty of chances for students to pick up marks. There was a slight change to the layout of the Irish music question, with four musical excerpts instead of three, said Coleman.In question six, students were asked to analyse a broad range of musical styles within an orchestral context.“This question was arguably the most challenging section of the paper,” said Coleman.“While some students may have recognised excerpts and interpretations of music from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, they will have been less familiar with music by Florence Beatrice Price and Arturo Marquez.“In the composition section of the paper, Coleman said most students would have opted for questions one and five. “Students were tested on their knowledge of both big and minor tonalities, with a big melody featured in question one and a minor harmony featured in question five. “In question one, there was plenty of scope for imagination here, without anything to worry a well-prepared student, and question five was similarly student-friendly,” she said.IN THIS SECTION