We use the following self assessment criteria from the Amateur Chamber Music Society Inc.
Depending on playing proficiency and experience, members are graded into the following categories: F = fair C = competent G = good E = excellent P = excellent and professional, may be used by a member who earns his or her living as a player. Members are asked to assess themselves by means of a simple self-scoring test sheet. This is derived from a self evaluation system used by the Amateur Chamber Music Players, Inc. in the USA, with some alterations to allow for local conditions. It may be easier to save and print this page off-line, and then complete it at your leisure
Score yourself against each of the following questions, answering as honestly and objectively as you can. Then go to the bottom of of the form and work out your score.
TECHNICAL TRAINING 1. What level of technical training did you achieve as reflected by AMEB or similar exam criteria? Score 1 to 8 for Grades 1 to 8, score 9 for Diploma in Music, 10 for Licentiate, 11 for Bachelor of Music. (maximum score 11, minimum 1)
CHAMBER MUSIC SKILLS 2. How many of the following works (or their equivalents) have you played three times or more? Pianists: Sonatas for violin & piano by Handel, Corelli, Tartini; continuo parts in trio sonatas by Bach, Handel, Leclair,; Beethoven trios Op.1 & Op.11; Haydn trios. String Players: The 30 selected Haydn quartets; the celebrated Mozart quartets; Beethoven's Op.18 quartets; most, score 2; many, score 1; few, score 0
3. How many of the following works (or their equivalents) have you played three times or more? Pianists: Mozart trios, quartets, quintet with winds; Beethoven trios Op.70 & 97, quintet with winds; Schubert trios and quintet; Dohnanyi quintet Op.1; Dvorak trios, quartets & quintet; Faure quartet Op.15; Franck quintet. String Players: Beethoven Op.59, 74 & 95; Brahms quartets, 2 viola quintets; quartets by Debussy, Franck, Sibelius and Verdi; most, score 2; many, score 1; few, score 0
4. How many of the following works (or their equivalents) have you played three times or more? Pianists: Brahms trios, quartets, quintet, trios for piano/violin/horn and piano/clarinet/cello; Mendelssohn trios; Ravel trio; Shostakovich trios and quintet; Faure quartet Op.45. String Players: the late Beethoven quartets; quartets by Bartok, Shostakovich, Reger and Hindemith; most, score 2; many, score 1; few, score 0
5. Imagine that you are playing a little known work of the difficulty of those mentioned in question 2 with fairly good players. Would you be immediately conscious of a musical mistake (wrong rhythms, false entry, wrong modulating note, etc.) made by another player? Almost certainly, score 2; probably, score 1; probably not, score 0
6. Imagine that you are playing a little known work of the difficulty of those mentioned in question 3 with fairly good players. Would you be immediately conscious of a musical mistake (wrong rhythms, false entry, wrong modulating note, etc.) made by another player? Almost certainly, score 2; probably, score 1; probably not, score 0
CURRENT PLAYING SKILLS 7. You are asked to sight read with very good players something with which you are unfamiliar, of the difficulty of the works mentioned in question 2. Would you be seriously lost at any point? probably not, score 2; possibly, score 1; probably, score 0
8. You are asked to sight read with very good players something with which you are unfamiliar, of the difficulty of the works mentioned in question 3. Would you be seriously lost at any point? probably not, score 2; possibly, score 1; probably, score 0
CURRENT FLUENCY Note: the following questions determine your MINUS points!
9. How many hours a week do you play? More than 10, deduct 0; 3-10 deduct 1; less than 3, deduct 2
10. How many hours a week do you practice technical material (i.e. not just repertoire)? More than 5, deduct 0; 1-5 deduct 1; less than 1, deduct 2
11. How long is it since you had regular lessons? This year, deduct 0; 1-5 years deduct 1; more than 5 years, deduct 2
12. How long is it since you played chamber music regularly (i.e. at least monthly)? This year, deduct 0; 1-5 years deduct 1; more than 5 years, deduct 2
Now work out your score: -Add up your points from questions No.1 to 8 -Deduct your points from questions No.9 to 12
Rate yourself as follows: The maximum score is 25 Less than 8 is rated FAIR (F) 8 to 11 is COMPETENT (C) 12 to 15 is GOOD (G) 16 and over is EXCELLENT (E)