• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

American Guild of Organists

Member
Login

  • Home
  • About
    • AGO AT-A-GLANCE
    • Mission, Vision, and Value Proposition
    • Strategic Growth Plan
    • History & Purpose
      • Past AGO Wardens and Presidents
    • National Council
      • Officers
        • President
        • Vice President/Councillor for Competitions & New Music
        • Secretary/Councillor for Communications
        • Treasurer/Councillor for Finance & Development
        • Chaplain
      • National Councillors
    • National Committees & Task Forces
    • AGO Young Organists
      • AGOYO Fridays at Noon Online Events
    • Regions & Chapters
      • Northeast
      • Mid-Atlantic
      • Southeast
      • Great Lakes
      • North Central
      • Southwest
      • West
    • Headquarters
    • AGO Reorganization Plan
    • Guild Documents
  • News
    • AGO Affirms That Black Lives Matter
    • Response to COVID-19
      • COVID-19 and Organists: Q & A
    • 2020 National Election Results
    • AGO & Organ News
    • Antitrust Compliance
  • Membership
    • Why Join?
    • Join the Guild
      • Join As a Chapter Member or Friend
      • Join As an Independent Member
      • Subscribe to The American Organist (TAO)
      • AGO Affiliate Membership for RCO Members
      • Church Music Institute Special Discount
    • Welcome New Members
    • Chapter Websites
    • Chapter Leadership Toolkits
      • Chapter Leadership Webinars
      • Online Programming for Chapters
    • Membership Comparison & Dues
    • Renew Membership/Update Personal Information
  • Shop
  • Contribute
    • AGO Funds
      • Annual Fund
      • Endowment Fund
      • New Organist Fund
      • Nita Akin Fund
      • Edward A. Hansen Memorial Fund
      • S. Lewis Elmer Fund
      • St. Cecilia Endowment Fund
    • Clarence Dickinson Society
    • Lifetime Membership
    • 2020 Gala
  • Education
    • Education Committees
    • Webinars
      • Upcoming Webinars
      • Past AGO Webinars and Supporting Documents
    • The New Organist
    • Certification
    • Scholarships
    • Pipe Organ Encounters
    • Educational Resources
    • Academic Degree Programs
  • Careers
    • Positions Available
    • Find an Organ Teacher
    • Find a Substitute Organist
    • Grievances
    • Codes & Procedures
    • Employment
    • Career Development & Support
      • Employing Musicians Handbook
  • Competitions & New Music
    • New Music Competitions
      • AGO/ECS Publishing Award in Choral Composition
      • AGO/Marilyn Mason Award in Organ Composition
      • Ronald G. Pogorzelski and Lester D. Yankee Annual Competition
      • AGO Student Commissioning Project
    • Performance Competitions
      • RCYO
      • NYACOP
      • NCOI
    • AGO New Music Commissions
    • Looking for New Music?
  • TAO & Advertising
    • Read TAO Online
    • The American Organist
      • Subscribe to The American Organist (TAO)
      • TAO Feature Articles
      • In the Moment Series
      • Submit Material
        • Recent Installations
        • Calendar Dates
    • Advertising
      • Advertise in The American Organist Magazine
        • Submit Material
      • Advertise on the AGO Website
  • Conventions
    • OrganFest
    • National Conventions
    • Regional Conventions
    • January Jubilee

AGO Colleague Certification

For organists who have already received the Service Playing Certificate or have service playing proficiency, Colleague certification is the next logical step. The CAGO examination consists entirely of your performances, and the examination is like a recital or the musical part of a service of worship, where the organist is expected to perform each item creditably. This examination is designed to test the candidate’s mastery of all aspects of the organist’s art, since this is the demand that is placed upon the professional church musician. Membership in the AGO is not required for Colleague certification; however, there is a $100 surcharge for nonmembers.

The colleague exam is entirely practical and has seven basic requirements that fall into two categories: repertoire and keyboard skills. For additional details, see the AGO Professional Certification Requirements for 2021. The CAGO exam is given twice a year: in May and November. The specific dates are published each year in the Professional Certification Requirements. Any chapter of the AGO can administer the  exam for you (contact a particular chapter).  Currently, the test is recorded, and the recordings are sent to AGO Headquarters for evaluation. Candidates usually receive the results two to three months after taking the test; if unsuccessful, they have five years to successfully compete the section they missed. The requirements are as follows:

  • Perform organ literature of moderate difficulty.
  • Accompany a choral anthem and a vocal solo.
  • Lead and accompany a congregational hymn.
  • Sight-read a brief passage of organ music on three staves.
  • Harmonize a melody.
  • Transpose a hymn-like passage.
  • Improvise a simple interlude involving modulation.

pdf-large-typeManual of Procedure for the Colleague Exam

pdf-large-type100 Strategies for Successful AGO Certification

pdf-large-typeDetailed Professional Certification Requirements (2021)

pdf-large-typeAGO Bibliography for Examination Preparation

 

2021 Examination Dates and Fees

The next exams are currently planned for May 7, 2021 and November 12, 2021. Examination fee: both sections, $175; single section, $150. Student rate: both sections, $150; single section, $125. Surcharge for non-AGO members: $100. Application deadlines are September 15, 2020, for the November 13th CAGO exam and March 1, 2021, for the May 7th CAGO exam.

Performing Colleague Repertoire

Performing repertoire and accompanying anthems, solos, and hymns require highly developed skills and are an essential part of the certification exams. Many Colleague candidates will be encountering the current year’s repertoire pieces for the first time. As a general-practice procedure, candidates should start by listening to a new piece while playing it slowly, analyzing what is heard, and familiarizing themselves with its background while gaining a firm grasp of the appropriate style elements. Each year, articles by Certification Committee members appear in The American Organist. The articles focus on the specific study and practice aspects of the current year’s exam repertoire.

Grading Criteria for AGO Certification

Repertoire:  Awareness of stylistic period; imagination and musical excitement; phrasing and articulation; rhythm; tempo; note accuracy; registration.
Sight-reading: accuracy of notes and rhythm; keeping a steady beat without hesitations; tempo is moderate, not rushed or halting.
Hymn playing:  Accuracy; rhythm; sensitivity to text via registration and articulation; leaving space for breathing; consistent spaces between stanzas; harmonizations that enhance singing but do not get in the way of singing or message of hymn text.
Transposition:  Accuracy of notes and rhythm; keeping a steady beat and maintaining voice lines and voice leading.
Accompanying:  Accuracy of notes and rhythm; attention to text and breathing places for singers; care in registrations so that support is provided without being aggressive; awareness of dynamics, tessitura, voice leading, and interpreting accordingly.
Harmonization/Modulation:  Good voice leading, ease with keyboard harmony, and a sense of rules of counterpoint; form: use of motive, sequence, four- and eight-measure balanced phrases, having a “plan” without meandering.
Following directions is a key factor.

Contact the AGO Certification Administrator and request an application, or call 212-870-2311, ext. 4303.

Past Colleague Exams and AGO Educational Resources

The colleague exams are practical and taken at the organ; there are no written solutions.
2019 Colleague Exam
2018 Colleague Exam
2017 Colleague Exam
2016 Colleague Exam
2015 Colleague Exam

Study Guide for AGO Colleague Certification
Preparing for AGO Certification (reprints of articles from TAO magazine)

Past TAO Articles for Exam Preparation

AGO Colleague Examination 2013/Improvisation Question/The Modulating Bridge by Philip Gehring, FAGO, Oct. 2013 (revised)
AGO Service Playing Anthem Accompaniment/Thou Wilt Keep Him in Perfect Peace: Approaches to Wesley’s Most Popular Anthem by Jonathan B. Hall, FAGO, ChM, August 2012
“It Don’t Mean a Thing if You Can’t Make ‘Em Sing”/Leading Hymn Singing from the Organ: A Practical Checklist by Kenneth Grinnell, FAGO, ChM, April 2006
Regular Countersubjects in Fugue by Walter Hilse, FAGO, March 2008
Ten Tips on Sight-Reading by Jonathan B. Hall, FAGO, ChM, March 2009
The Fugal Answer by Walter Hilse, FAGO, April 2006
Transposition: Not a Four-Letter Word by Kenneth Grinnell, FAGO, ChM, May 2008
On Modulation by Dean Billmeyer, FAGO Handout from a 2008 Convention Workshop
Two Additional Service Playing Test Pieces by Kathleen Thomerson, FAGO, ChM, October 2009

For more information or to request an application, contact AGO Headquarters by email or at 212-870-2311, ext. 4303. Purchase this year’s repertoire at Lois Fyfe Music or Cliff Hill Music.

 

Primary Sidebar

AGO Professional Certification Links

Service Playing Certification
Colleague Certification
Choirmaster Certification
Associateship Certification
Fellowship Certification

Footer

Lessons for the New Organist

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Search

Search help:

Put double quotation marks around multi-word searches. Hit Enter to process.

Mission Statement

The mission of the American Guild of Organists is to foster a thriving community of musicians who share their knowledge and inspire passion for the organ.

Achievement Awards
AGOYO
Antitrust Compliance
Ask the Organbuilder
Change of Address
Chapter Deans List
Chapter Documents
Chapter Liability Insurance
Chapter Toolkits
Classified Ads
Contact Us
Find an Organ Teacher
Insurance for AGO members
Official Guild Documents
Pipe Organ Encounters
Positions Available
Privacy Policy
Salary Guidelines
Strategic Growth Plan

PROFESSIONAL LINKS

Organbuilders & Associations
OrganLive
Other Organ and Choral Music
Other Professional Associations

Pipedreams
Spreckels Organ Livestream
Vox Humana

Don’t Fall for Scams

Scammers are everywhere and chapter officers need to be vigilant. Don't respond to requests to send funds unless you know for sure that the request is valid.
American Guild of Organists 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1260 New York, NY 10115
Phone: 212-870-2310 Email: info@agohq.org
Major support for this website was provided by the New York City AGO Chapter’s Centennial Millennium Fund.
GDPR CONSENT: The American Guild of Organists uses cookies on this website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept” you consent to the use of cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT