What Is Certificate Of Merit?

In California I am a member of the Music Teachers Association of California (MTAC). The organization provides a instrument proficiency test for the entire state. Students who successfully complete the test will receive a certificate of merit. Thousands of students participate each year and so far the program has been very successful.

So what are the requirements?

There are two requirements for this test. First, requirements from the state.
----1. Need to a have a teacher who is a member of MTAC.
----2. Need to complete all portions of the test: theory, sight-reading, technique, and repertoire.
----3. Pay the exam fines and register online.

Then there are my personal requirements:
Before taking a test, you must complete the required music lessons books.

Why the personal requirement?

I find that a lot of parents want their kids to take the test at all costs. However, their kids are clearly not ready for some of the higher levels. Lots of them don't practice enough within a year to be able to transition from 1 level to another. This is where I try to balance things. I let parents know that if their child wants to take the next level test, they need to make sure that all piano assignments are completed. If they are not completed by the due date, I will not sign them up for certificate of merit. By doing this I make sure that all my students practice enough to make it to the next level, or so parents understand why I held them back a year.

You can look at the requirements by clicking on the pdf below. Enjoy!