Achievement in Music

The Illinois State Music Teachers Association has a leveled program to mark a child’s musical progress. (ISMTA) Achievement in Music (AIM) is a unique program for piano, organ, voice, and strings students. The AIM program has three key components:

  • Technique

  • Repertoire

  • Music Theory

ISMTA members may enroll students in the AIM program. Benefits of participation include:

  • a goals-based curriculum which provides structure for both students and teachers

  • independent evaluation of a student’s individual progress

  • a low-stress, non-competition-based testing environment

There are 12 levels in the AIM program. Each level has specific theory and performance requirements each student must master before graduating to the next level. Testing is conducted by experienced judges in comfortable, non-competitive settings. Students are tested individually, not in relation to others.

Each level typically takes students 1 year to complete. The exception is Level I which is subdivided into A, B, and C levels enabling younger beginners to progress more slowly. Students may begin in a level where they are competent in the theory and performance requirements.  The AIM program continues to grow with almost 3,000 students across several states participating in the examinations each year.

More information about the AIM Program is available here.    ISMTA.org/AIM