All entering graduate students at the UW School of Music (with the exception of Ethnomusicology students) are required to undergo diagnostic assessments prior to the start of Autumn Quarter. Our expectation is that any student with a bachelor's degree in music will have a background equivalent to that of our own graduates. The results of the diagnostic assessments will be used to advise students regarding coursework, ascertain areas of strength, and help students identify and work on areas where improvement is needed. Some students are advised after the assessments to audit undergraduate coursework in music theory or music history or, in the case of some non-native English speakers, to improve English writing and reading skills, prior to enrolling in graduate-level academic seminars at the School of Music.

The assessments are generally held in the week before school starts in September, and require a full day's attendance. More information about the assessments is mailed to newly admitted graduate students in June, with a followup reminder email in early September. Note that the School of Music does NOT require any testing at the application stage, only the diagnostic assessments for those students who are admitted.