Success in music theory studies appears to be simply a matter of learning the rules and applying them. This is not the case with aural skills, which include labelling a scale played on piano, or writing a rhythm heard on a drum. Student success in aural tasks is not always consistent, and the student skill seems to fade over time if there is no practice on a regular basis. Final music examinations, such as Victorian Certificate of Education and tertiary entrance exams, don't allow students to reproduce the sound during the examination. The reason for this is obvious--students cannot share results in an exam situation--but this also makes for a much more difficult task. So what is the key to steady and lasting improvement in aural skills? The following literature review explores various approaches which could be of use in the Australian classroom.