AIM Level 1A, 1B, 1C and 2 exams are taken entirely on one day in March.

Students will be evaluated on the following areas:

• Keyboard Skills: Sight-reading, keyboard geography, aural skills and harmonization.

• Technique: Major and minor five-finger patterns, 2-note slurs, B Major scale and cross-hand arpeggios.

• The performance of two memorized repertoire pieces.

• A one-page written exam (for Level 2 students only)

The Theory Exam is administered on the last two Sundays of January (or the last Sunday of January and the 1st Sunday of February, depending on the calendar).

During the Theory exam, students are evaluated on the following areas:

• Keyboard Skills: sight-reading, sight rhythm, harmonization, transposition, melody playback.

• Written Exam: music theory concepts including: music vocabulary and symbols, score analysis, and musical history.

• Aural Skills Exam: identification of intervals, chord qualities, and chord progressions, and a dictation.

On the Performance Exam, students are evaluated on:

• Technique: Five-finger patterns, scales, chord progressions, triads and inversions, four-note chords, and arpeggios.

• The performance of repertoire pieces that span the major historical music eras. At least two pieces at each level must be played from memory.

Please review page 10 of the NSMTA AIM packet (linked here) for detailed instructions about the Level 12 exam.

The Level 12 Exam begins with registration for the Theory Exams.

• The Level 12 Theory Exam is taken in January (or Feb if applicable) on one of the Theory Exam dates.

• The Level 12 Technique Exam is performed in the same year as the Theory Exam was taken. Students will play at one of the in-person Performance exams dates, or submit their video by the remote video submission date.

• The Level 12 Repertoire Exam is performed at a date and time and venue determined by the student and their teacher. The Repertoire Exam may be performed/submitted any time by December 31st of the same year the Theory and Technique exam was completed.

  • If an extension is needed, Level 12 students are granted the following full calendar year (Jan-Dec) to complete their exam. A $20 re-registration fee applies.

  • If still not completed after the one-year extension, the student will be considered Not Completed and their registration will be closed.

Repertoire Approval: Teachers of Level 12 students must request approval of their repertoire program from the ISMTA State Repertoire chair, Stephanie Myers (see section below).

Teachers must obtain Level 12 repertoire approval by the state AIM Piano Repertoire Coordinator at least 5 months prior to the exam or recital (or March 31 at the latest).

Download, fill out and email the Level 12 Program Approval Submission form linked here to Stephanie Myers at hisamimyers@gmail.com.

• List all four pieces in chronological order with reference to the Syllabus (i.e. Level 12, p. 31)

• If there is a piece that is not from the Syllabus, you will need to request substitution approval before January 15 separately (see AIM Repertoire Substitution Request Procedures).

• AIM students are required to play a Sonata Allegro (list B) piece at either Level 11 or Level 12. If the student fulfilled this requirement at Level 11, please list that piece in the Sonata-Allegro section of the form.