An important educational activity of all Guild chapters is certification of organists and choirmasters. Much like other professions that certify their members according to various specialties, such as CPA , the Guild conducts certification examinations to recognize professional achievement at various levels: SPC (Service Playing Certification), CAGO (Colleague), AAGO (Associate), FAGO (Fellow) and CHM (Choirmaster).
To view the current workshop and examination schedule, download this PDF by clicking here
Ordering Educational Resources for Certification:
To obtain detailed requirements for each examination, contact National Headquarters by email, fax, mail or telephone. To order Educational Resources for Certification, click here.
The Examination Hymn Booklet: 2013 Revised Edition With Service Playing Certificate Test Supplement is available in PDF format. Contact the certification office at exams@agohq.org to obtain a copy.
Articles for exam preparation that have appeared in recent issues of The American Organist include:
AGO Colleague Examination 2013/Improvisation Question/The Modulating Bridge, by Philip Gehring, FAGO, Oct. 2013, pp. 80-81; Correction shown on p. 60 of Jan. 2014
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, pp. 46-47, 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, pp. 52-54.
Regular Countersubjects in Fugue, by Walter Hilse, FAGO, March 2008, pp. 52-54.
Ten Tips on Sight Reading, by Jonathan B. Hall, FAGO, March 2009, pp. 84-85.
The Fugal Answer, by Walter Hilse, FAGO, April 2006, pp. 102-103
Transposition: Not a Four-Letter Word, by Kenneth Grinnell, FAGO, May 2008, pp. 82-83.
Two Additional Service Playing Test Anthems, by Joyce Shupe Kull, FAGO, ChM, April 2006, p. 104.
Two Additional Service Playing Test Pieces, by Kathleen Thomerson, FAGO, ChM, October 2009, p. 42.
For more information visit www.agohq.org/certification or contact Peggy Graff, chair of chapter certification at pgraff@myfumc.org.