Scales and Scale Degrees
What is tested
Expect to write a named scale with or without a key signature, and to identify degrees by their technical names — tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, leading note. Melodic minor going up and coming down is the classic trap.
Common mistakes
Melodic minor is the standard trap. The sixth and seventh degrees are raised on the way up and return to the key signature on the way down, so the scale is not symmetrical. Write both directions out in full rather than mirroring what you wrote first.
Practice with
The tool below checks your answer against the theory engine, so you get the same verdict a marker would.