Additional Certification Resources

ALL EXAMS

Videos Demonstrating Certification Exam Procedures
100 Strategies for Successful AGO Certification

 

Service Playing Certificate

2024-2025 Sight-Reading Test
Service Playing Test Sight-Reading Examples
100 Strategies for Successful AGO Certification

Past TAO Articles for Exam Preparation

“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
Ten Tips on Sight-Reading by Jonathan B. Hall, FAGO, ChM, March 2009
Transposition: Not a Four-Letter Word by Kenneth Grinnell, FAGO, ChM, May 2008

 

COLLEAGUE (CAGO)

Past Colleague Exams

Previous colleague exams were practical and taken at the organ; there are no written solutions.

2025 Colleague Exam (Fall) Solutions
2025 Colleague Exam (Spring) Solutions
2024 Colleague Exam (Fall)
2024 Colleague Exam (Spring)
2023 Colleague Exam (Fall)
2023 Colleague Exam (Spring)
2022 Colleague Exam (Fall)
2022 Colleague Exam (Spring)
2021 Colleague Exam
2020 Colleague Exam
2019 Colleague Exam
2018 Colleague Exam
2017 Colleague Exam
2016 Colleague Exam
2015 Colleague Exam

 

CHOIR MASTER (CHM)

Webinars for Choir Master Certification

Monday, May 13, 2024
Compositional Techniques (AAGO, ChM, and FAGO)
Presented by Vince Carr, FRCO, ChM, André Lash FAGO, and Wayne Peterson FAGO, ChM

Monday, May 6, 2024
Ear Tests (AAGO, ChM, and FAGO)
Ear Test Handout
Ear Test Solutions
Q&A
Presented by Vince Carr, FRCO, ChM and Eric Birk FAGO

Past Choir Master Exams

Choir Master Exam 2025  Solutions for 2025 exam
Choir Master Exam 2024
Choir Master Exam 2023
Choir Master Exam 2022  Solutions for the 2022 exam  Ear Test A   Ear Test B
Choir Master Exam 2021  Solutions for the 2021 exam
The 2020 Choir Master exam was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Choir Master Exam 2019  Solutions for the 2019 exam
Choir Master Exam 2018  Solutions for the 2018 Exam
Choir Master Exam 2017  Solutions for the 2017 Exam
Choir Master Exam 2016  Solutions for the 2016 Exam
Choir Master Exam 2015  Solutions for the 2015 Exam

Past TAO Articles for Exam Preparation

Preparing for AGO Exams (reprints from past TAO magazine articles)
“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
Ten Tips on Sight-Reading by Jonathan B. Hall, FAGO, ChM, March 2009
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

 

ASSOCIATE (AAGO)

Webinars for Associateship Certification

Monday, May 13, 2024
Compositional Techniques (AAGO, ChM, and FAGO)
Presented by Vince Carr, FRCO, ChM, André Lash FAGO, and Wayne Peterson FAGO, ChM

Monday, May 6, 2024
Ear Tests (AAGO, ChM, and FAGO)
Ear Test Handout
Ear Test Solutions
Q&A
Presented by Vince Carr, FRCO, ChM, and Eric Birk FAGO

Monday, April 29, 2024
Fugue (AAGO, FAGO)
Q&A
Presented by Vince Carr, FRCO, ChM, and Eva Sze FAGO

Monday, April 24, 2023
Transposition (CAGO, AAGO and FAGO)
Presented by Gregory Gyllsdorff, FAGO, ChM
Handout

Monday, March 27, 2023
Fugue: Modulation, Episode (AAGO and FAGO)
Presented by Eva Sze, FAGO
Handout

March 20, 2023
Fugue: Subjects, Answer, Countersubject (AAGO and FAGO)
Presented by Eva Sze, FAGO
Handout

Past Exams for Associateship Certification

Associateship Exam 2025 Solutions for the 2025 exam
Associateship Exam 2024
Associateship Exam 2023
Associateship Exam 2022          Solutions for the 2022 exam          Ear Test A          Ear Test B
Associateship Exam 2021          Solutions for the 2021 exam
The 2020 Associateship exam was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Associateship Exam 2019          Solutions for the 2019 exam
Associateship Exam 2018          Solutions for the 2018 exam
Associateship Exam 2017          Solutions for the 2017 exam
Associateship Exam 2016          Solutions for the 2016 exam
Associateship Exam 2015          Solutions for the 2015 exam

 

FELLOW (FAGO)

Webinars for Fellowship Certification

Monday, May 13, 2024
Compositional Techniques (AAGO, ChM, and FAGO)
Presented by Vince Carr, FRCO, ChM, André Lash FAGO, and Wayne Peterson FAGO, ChM

Monday, May 6, 2024
Ear Tests (AAGO, ChM, and FAGO)
Ear Test Handout
Ear Test Solutions
Q&A
Presented by Vince Carr, FRCO, ChM and Eric Birk FAGO

Monday, April 29, 2024
Fugue (AAGO, FAGO)
Q&A
Presented by Vince Carr, FRCO, ChM and Eva Sze, FAGO

Monday, May 8, 2023
Certification: Renaissance Counterpoint (FAGO)
Presented by David Shuler, FAGO
Handout

Monday, May 1, 2023
Orchestrations
Presented by Texu Kim
Handout

Monday, April 24, 2023
Transposition (CAGO, AAGO and FAGO)
Presented by Gregory Gyllsdorff, FAGO, ChM
Handout

Monday, March 27, 2023
Fugue: Modulation, Episode (AAGO and FAGO)
Presented by Eva Sze, FAGO
Handout

March 20, 2023
Fugue: Subjects, Answer, Countersubject (AAGO and FAGO)
Presented by Eva Sze, FAGO
Handout

Past Fellowship Exams

Fellowship Exam 2025 Solutions for the 2025 exam
Fellowship Exam 2024
Fellowship Exam 2023
Fellowship Exam 2022  Solutions for the 2022 exam  Ear Test A  Ear Test B
Fellowship Exam 2021  Solutions for the 2021 Exam
The 2020 Fellowship exam was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Fellowship Exam 2019  Solutions for the 2019 Exam
Fellowship Exam 2018   Solutions for the 2018 Exam
Fellowship Exam 2017  Solutions for the 2017 Exam
Fellowship Exam 2016  Solutions for the 2016 Exam
Fellowship Exam 2015   Solutions for the 2015 Exam

Past TAO Articles for Exam Preparation

Preparing for AGO Exams (reprints from TAO magazine articles)
”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