Examination Dates:
SERVICE PLAYING CERTIFICATE TEST: October 1, 2019 through March 31, 2020.
COLLEAGUE EXAMINATION: November 15, 2019; May 8, 2020 and November 13, 2020.
CHOIR MASTER EXAMINATION: June 3, 2020 (morning and afternoon).
ASSOCIATESHIP EXAMINATION: June 4 and 5, 2020 (paperwork section both mornings; organ playing one of the afternoons).
FELLOWSHIP EXAMINATION: June 4 and 5, 2020 (paperwork section both mornings; organ playing one of the afternoons).
Eligibility
In compliance with the status of the AGO as a not-for-profit educational organization, the examinations are open to AGO members and nonmembers. Nonmembers will pay a surcharge. The Associate, Choir Master, Colleague, and Service Playing examinations may be taken in any order. The Associateship certificate, however, must be acquired at least one year before the Fellowship Examination may be taken. Holders of the ARCO or ARCCO certificates are considered eligible to take the FAGO Examination, provided that applicants send copy of the ARCO or ARCCO certificate with the completed application form.
Application Procedures
Service Playing Certificate Test:
Contact National Headquarters for application after July 1, 2019. The completed application may be submitted between September 1, 2019 and February 1, 2002. Tests may be taken at any chapter where a suitable organ and recording equipment are available, since the tests are recorded and the recordings are sent to National Headquarters for evaluation.
Colleague Examination
Contact National Headquarters for application form after July 1,2019 for the November 2019 exam; after December 1, 2019, for the May 2020 exam; and after July 1, 2020, for the November 2020 exam. The completed application must be submitted by September 15, 2019, for the November 2019 exam; by March 1, 2020 for the May 2020 exam; and by September 15, 2020, for the November 2020 exam. Both sections of this examination (repertoire and keyboard skills) may be taken on the same date, or each section may be taken singly. Exams may be taken at any chapter where a suitable organ (not normally played by the candidate) is available, and recording is feasible, since the exams are recorded and the recordings are sent to National Headquarters for evaluation.
Choir Master, Associateship, and Fellowship Examinations
Contact National Headquarters after January 1, 2020, for application forms and a manual of procedure. The completed application must be submitted by April 1. Both sections of these examinations (paperwork and performance) may be taken in the same year, or each section may be taken singly. If only the paperwork section is to be taken, the examination may take place at any chapter, since the papers are sent to National Headquarters for evaluation. But if the performance tests, or both sections, are to be taken, the examination must take place at one of the designated regional examination centers, since two examiners must be present for the performance tests. A list of these examination centers is available on the website. The candidate may choose the center that is most convenient.
AGO/NPM Joint Certification
Candidates who are members in good standing of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians may obtain Service Playing or Colleague certification in both organizations by earning a passing grade on these examinations, and, for the Colleague only, passing a written test administered by NPM. (Separate application must be made to NPM to take the written portion of the NPM CAGO exam.) In applying to AGO Headquarters for the examination, candidates must indicate their desire for joint certification, and for the joint CAGO, candidates must also register with NPM. Certain options in each examination, indicated in the list of requirements, must be chosen. NPM joint certification candidates should be fully aware of all NPM certification requirements. Each examination will be graded by at least one examiner who is a member of NPM.
Examination Fees
Service Playing Certificate Test: $150. Student rate $125.
Colleague: both sections $175, single section $150. Student rate both sections $150, single section $125.
Choir Master: both sections $300, single section $250. No student rate.
Associateship: both sections $300, single section $250. Student rate both sections $275, single section $225.
Fellowship: both sections $300, single section $250. No student rate.
Surcharge for nonmembers of the AGO: $100.
The same fees apply for reexamination. To qualify for the student rate, candidate must be age 25 or younger with proof of valid student ID. All checks should be sent to National Headquarters and be made payable to the American Guild of Organists. Fees must be sent with completed application forms; checks must be dated by application deadline. Requests for cancellation of any examination must be received by Headquarters one full month prior to the examination date in order for a refund to be issued. In the case of all examinations, there is a nonrefundable portion ($20) of the fee.
Certificates
Choir Master, Associateship, and Fellowship certificates will be issued to those who obtain at least 50% of the points for each item and 70% of the total maximum marks in each section (i.e., practical work and paperwork). In the case of the Colleague Examination, the certificate will be issued to those who either—a. take both sections of the examination at the same time and obtain at least 50% of the points of each item and 70% of the points for the entire examination; or b. pass each section separately, by obtaining at least 50% of the points for each item in that section and 70% of the total maximum marks in that section. The Service Playing Certificate will be issued to those who pass each item and the entire test by the same minimum scores. Information on academic regalia is available from Headquarters.
Credit
Either or both sections of the Colleague, Choir Master, Associate ship, or Fellowship Examinations may be taken on any designated examination date. Credit will be given for sections passed. Candidates must pass the remaining portion of the examination (and the NPM written exam in the case of dual Colleague certification) within the five succeeding years.
Preparation
Materials from Headquarters are available to assist candidates who are preparing for Guild examinations. These include: examinations and solution booklets from the previous five years; the current editions of the Colleague Examination Study Guidelines and the Service Playing Certificate Test Study Guide; ear-training CDs for AAGO, ChM, and FAGO examinations; and Preparing for AGO Exams: Articles Reprinted from The American Organist. (See the Educational Resource page in THE AMERICAN ORGANIST for current prices on these items.) For practice purposes, it is highly recommended that candidates for Choir Master, Associate ship, or Fellowship certificates work out a full set of a prior year’s paperwork tests, within the time limits specified, some time before the actual examinations are given. For those taking the Colleague Examination or Service Playing Certificate Test, the respective study guidelines offer comprehensive approaches to preparation. Finally, the above-mentioned collection of exam-related articles drawn from THE AMERICAN ORGANIST contains information that may prove helpful to candidates at all levels. The 2013 Revised Edition of the Examination Hymn Booklet is available as a PDF. Previous editions are no longer valid. Requests should be sent to Paul Wolfe, Certification Program Administrator, at exams@agohq.org. The updated Manuals of Procedure for the Service Playing Test, Colleague Examination, and Associateship/Fellowship Examinations are available online as PDF documents at agohq.org/certification.
Examination Work Sheets
Paper will be supplied for paperwork sections. For the Choir Master, Associateship, and Fellowship Examinations, no papers or books may be brought into the examination room. All candidates’ answer sheets are retained at National Headquarters. Candidates will receive examiners’ comments as a matter of course.
Disabilities Accomodations
The AGO aims to make the certification examinations inclusive of all qualified organists and conductors, regardless of disabilities. To that end, the AGO invites candidates with disabilities to submit requests for reasonable accommodations using our standard “Request for Reasonable Accommodations” form. This form is available on request from the program administrator. All requests shall be handled in strict confidence. For all upper-level exams, these requests must be received in proper form by February 1. For the Service Playing exam, they must be submitted between August 1, 2019 and January 1, 2020. For the Colleague, the respective deadlines are August 1, 2019, January 1, 2020, and August 1, 2020.