Certificate of Merit (2025-2026)

We are excited to open registration for the Certificate of Merit (CM) Program for the 2025-2026 school year! Organized by the Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC), CM is a comprehensive program to help students build well-rounded musicianship. It includes repertoire across musical periods, technique, sight-reading, ear training, theory, and performance practice.

What’s Involved

  • Students progress through one CM level per year, with specific requirements for each level.

  • Evaluations happen in spring. You’ll need to perform your prepared repertoire and technical exercises, do a sight-reading test, and take part in a theory/ear-training portion.

  • Two evaluation options this year: in-person or online.

Important Dates & Deadlines

MilestoneDateApplication Registration OpensSeptember 1, 2025Application Registration ClosesSeptember 30, 2025Application Fee Payment Due (to MTAC)October 5, 2025In-Person EvaluationsFebruary 7–8, 2026 (Valley Christian Schools, San Jose)Online Performance Media Submission DueFebruary 17, 2026

In-Person vs Online Evaluations

In-Person Evaluations

  • Full live-performance experience, held in a single location (Valley Christian Schools, San Jose).

  • Same fees as online evaluations.

  • Requires travel, but worth it for the experience of performing live.

Online Evaluations

  • Submit video recordings of your performance.

  • Theory/sight-reading/tests done remotely.

  • More flexible schedule but needs more coordination for recordings/uploading.

Fees (Piano & Harp Levels)

LevelTimeFee (Online & In-Person)Prep / Levels 1–210 minutes$104Levels 3–515 minutes$110Levels 6–720 minutes$116Levels 8–925 minutes$123Advanced30 minutes$133

Registration Process

  1. Notify us if your student will participate by replying to us via email.

  2. We’ll pass your response to your teacher, who will open the application in the MTAC system.

  3. After the application is opened, you’ll receive an email from MTAC to complete the registration and submit fee payment.

Note: You are welcome to talk directly with your teacher anytime, but please reply to us first so we can track participation and stay in the loop.

What We Provide & How to Prepare

  • All materials (repertoire, technical exercises, theory homework, sight-reading, ear training) will be assigned in lessons.

  • Regular practice, keeping up with assignments, and using practice tests/examples will set students up for success.

  • We will track participation and send you helpful reminders and communications throughout the CM year to support you and your student.

Why Participate

CM isn’t easy—but it’s deeply rewarding. Students who participate:

  • Sharpen their performance and technical skills

  • Learn discipline, goal-setting, and time management

  • Gain confidence in live and recorded settings

  • Add a strong credential to applications (academic, musical, etc.)

If you have questions or are ready to enroll, please let us know! Reply to this page’s contact or get in touch with your teacher.