Abstract: In the aspect of test construct, the classic musical ability tests, containing subtests of basic cognitive ability, aesthetic ability, and creativity ability, have transited to the very mode ones also including playing an instrument or singing, performance and communication ability, and personal quality as extension. Analytic method, on the other hand, has turned its direction from the traditional summative assessment towards formative assessment, in which the cognitive diagnose assessment (CDA) has been proved to be feasible by analyzing items of National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) on attribute level. Future researches should allot more attention on integrity and coherence of musical ability tests, and on applying CDA in practice.

Key words: musical ability test, test construct, cognitive diagnose assessment (CDA)