Achievement in Music (AIM)
The Achievement in Music (AIM) Program, which is sponsored by the Illinois State Music Teachers Association, is a comprehensive theory and performance curriculum comprised of 14 levels of achievement for piano students. The local associations are in charge of administering the exams in their areas. Over 3000 students from Illinois, as well as several other states, participate in these exams each year. Separate AIM programs have also been written for voice and strings.
NOTE: Examples of aural skills to be used with the sample aural skills test at each level in the Syllabus may be found at https://nsmta.org/aim/. Here is the direct link to their audio files: https://nsmta.org/aim/aim-aural-skills-practice/
Click here for the new version of the Aural Skills practice exam.
*Send checks to *names
January Exam: Sunday, January 30, 2022
Registration Deadline: December 15, 2021
AIM Levels 3-12 Theory Exams
Fees: $30 for levels 3-12 (covers theory and performance exam)
Co-Chairs: Helen Chang*, Mary Anne Block
This year's ISMTA AIM Theory exams for Levels 3-12 will be conducted online on Sunday, January 30th due to venue limitations and the recent Covid-19 surge in our area. While this may not be the ideal scenario for these exams, we feel online exams are the safest option for our students and teacher's collective well-being at this time. We thank you for your patience and understanding under these changing circumstances.
1.Keyboard Exams- Scheduled by NWSMTA and the judge will contact students with their meeting information. Zoom or other appropriate platforms (Google Meet, Skype, FaceTime etc.) may be used as agreed to by the student and the assigned judge. The Keyboard exam is played live and includes the sight-reading, rhythm, harmonization, transposition and playbacks (Levels 3-6). Students will receive the Sight-reading and harmonization examples in their Email by 8:00am for the morning session or 12:00pm for the afternoon session. They may wish to print it out at home or simply play from a tablet.
2.Aural Skills-Each student will receive email attachments with blank exams to print out on the exam day (by 8:00am for the morning session or 12:00pm for the afternoon session). All Level 3-12 students go to https://auralskillsplayer.weebly.com/ to hear the Aural Skills. Every student will be given a unique, one time access code (under their teacher’s OPERA page). Practice aural skills examples are at https://auralskillsplayer.weebly.com/with practice access code 123-456-789. THIS IS DIFFERENT FROM THE ACTUAL CODE USED ON EXAM DAY; YOU WILL GET YOUR UNIQUE, ONE TIME ACCESS CODE FROM YOUR PRIVATE TEACHER.
3.Written Exams- Blank written exams can be printed out and completed with paper and pencil. Some students may wish to complete the exams by importing/exporting the PDF to an app that allows annotation (such as Notability). Either way, the completed Aural Skills and Written Exams must be emailed back to nwsmta.aimexams@gmail.com by 7:00pm on Sunday, January 30th.
**ONLY PDF FORMAT WILL BE ACCEPTED (NO PHOTOS). STUDENTS WITH PAPER AND PENCIL TESTS MUST COMBINE ALL PAGES INTO A SINGLE PDF USING A PRINTER/SCANNER OR A SCANNING APP ON A MOBILE DEVICE SUCH AS NOTES, SCANNER PRO, CAM SCANNER OR TURBO SCAN. PLEASE RENAME THE PDF WITH THE LEVEL, STUDENT FIRST AND LAST NAME AND THEIR PRIVATE TEACHER CODE (NOT YOUR JUDGE’S CODE).
EXAMPLE: Level 5 John Smith-1700056
Exams will be graded and totaled the week following the exam and scores will be released to teachers only thereafter.
Any questions concerning the exam process can be directed to Helen Chang at helenlchang66@gmail.comor Mary Anne Block at mablock1221@gmail.com. Thank you for your dedication and support of the Aim program. We hope the exam will be a valuable experience for your students.
Helen Chang and Mary Anne Block
Theory Level 3-12 Co-Chairs
March Exam: Sunday, March 13, 2022
Registration Deadline: February 13, 2022
AIM Levels 3-9 Performance Exams
Co-Chairs: Vonnie Mrozinski: lmrozinski@sbcglobal.net
Helen Grosshans: thegrosshans@yahoo.com
April Exam: Sunday, April 10, 2022
Registration Deadline: March 10, 2022
Level 12 Recitals: By July 31, 2022
AIM Levels 1-2 Complete and Levels 10-12 Performance Exams
Fees: $20 for levels 1 and 2. (Levels 10-12 fee was collected during the Theory exam)
Co-Chairs: Suzanne Fleer*: suzannejf2@comcast.net
Suzanne Murray: smurraypiano@gmail.com
REPERTOIRE APPROVAL
All repertoire that is not on the AIM Piano Syllabus Repertoire List must be approved by January 15, 2022
Repertoire Approval Required for ALL Level 12 students (exams and recitals) by January 15, 2022
Approval for Level 12 is required even if the repertoire is from the Syllabus listings.
Email requests to Illinois Repertoire Substitution Chair Stephanie Myers at hisamimyers@gmail.com
PDF FORMS
AIM Levels 1 ABC and 2; Theory Levels 3 and 4
- General Information
- AIM Parent Letter
- CODA Online Piano Repertoire Search (Login required)
- OPERA ONLINE ENROLLMENT for all exams
NOTE: Examples of aural skills to be used with the sample aural skills test at each level in the Syllabus may be found at https://nsmta.org/aim/. Here is the direct link to their audio files: https://nsmta.org/aim/aim-aural-skills-practice/
Click here for the new version of the Aural Skills practice exam.
*Send checks to *names
January Exam: Sunday, January 30, 2022
Registration Deadline: December 15, 2021
AIM Levels 3-12 Theory Exams
Fees: $30 for levels 3-12 (covers theory and performance exam)
Co-Chairs: Helen Chang*, Mary Anne Block
This year's ISMTA AIM Theory exams for Levels 3-12 will be conducted online on Sunday, January 30th due to venue limitations and the recent Covid-19 surge in our area. While this may not be the ideal scenario for these exams, we feel online exams are the safest option for our students and teacher's collective well-being at this time. We thank you for your patience and understanding under these changing circumstances.
1.Keyboard Exams- Scheduled by NWSMTA and the judge will contact students with their meeting information. Zoom or other appropriate platforms (Google Meet, Skype, FaceTime etc.) may be used as agreed to by the student and the assigned judge. The Keyboard exam is played live and includes the sight-reading, rhythm, harmonization, transposition and playbacks (Levels 3-6). Students will receive the Sight-reading and harmonization examples in their Email by 8:00am for the morning session or 12:00pm for the afternoon session. They may wish to print it out at home or simply play from a tablet.
2.Aural Skills-Each student will receive email attachments with blank exams to print out on the exam day (by 8:00am for the morning session or 12:00pm for the afternoon session). All Level 3-12 students go to https://auralskillsplayer.weebly.com/ to hear the Aural Skills. Every student will be given a unique, one time access code (under their teacher’s OPERA page). Practice aural skills examples are at https://auralskillsplayer.weebly.com/with practice access code 123-456-789. THIS IS DIFFERENT FROM THE ACTUAL CODE USED ON EXAM DAY; YOU WILL GET YOUR UNIQUE, ONE TIME ACCESS CODE FROM YOUR PRIVATE TEACHER.
3.Written Exams- Blank written exams can be printed out and completed with paper and pencil. Some students may wish to complete the exams by importing/exporting the PDF to an app that allows annotation (such as Notability). Either way, the completed Aural Skills and Written Exams must be emailed back to nwsmta.aimexams@gmail.com by 7:00pm on Sunday, January 30th.
**ONLY PDF FORMAT WILL BE ACCEPTED (NO PHOTOS). STUDENTS WITH PAPER AND PENCIL TESTS MUST COMBINE ALL PAGES INTO A SINGLE PDF USING A PRINTER/SCANNER OR A SCANNING APP ON A MOBILE DEVICE SUCH AS NOTES, SCANNER PRO, CAM SCANNER OR TURBO SCAN. PLEASE RENAME THE PDF WITH THE LEVEL, STUDENT FIRST AND LAST NAME AND THEIR PRIVATE TEACHER CODE (NOT YOUR JUDGE’S CODE).
EXAMPLE: Level 5 John Smith-1700056
Exams will be graded and totaled the week following the exam and scores will be released to teachers only thereafter.
Any questions concerning the exam process can be directed to Helen Chang at helenlchang66@gmail.comor Mary Anne Block at mablock1221@gmail.com. Thank you for your dedication and support of the Aim program. We hope the exam will be a valuable experience for your students.
Helen Chang and Mary Anne Block
Theory Level 3-12 Co-Chairs
March Exam: Sunday, March 13, 2022
Registration Deadline: February 13, 2022
AIM Levels 3-9 Performance Exams
Co-Chairs: Vonnie Mrozinski: lmrozinski@sbcglobal.net
Helen Grosshans: thegrosshans@yahoo.com
April Exam: Sunday, April 10, 2022
Registration Deadline: March 10, 2022
Level 12 Recitals: By July 31, 2022
AIM Levels 1-2 Complete and Levels 10-12 Performance Exams
Fees: $20 for levels 1 and 2. (Levels 10-12 fee was collected during the Theory exam)
Co-Chairs: Suzanne Fleer*: suzannejf2@comcast.net
Suzanne Murray: smurraypiano@gmail.com
REPERTOIRE APPROVAL
All repertoire that is not on the AIM Piano Syllabus Repertoire List must be approved by January 15, 2022
Repertoire Approval Required for ALL Level 12 students (exams and recitals) by January 15, 2022
Approval for Level 12 is required even if the repertoire is from the Syllabus listings.
Email requests to Illinois Repertoire Substitution Chair Stephanie Myers at hisamimyers@gmail.com
PDF FORMS
AIM Levels 1 ABC and 2; Theory Levels 3 and 4