Assessment Process

About Assessment

RIMYI provides the structure and rules governing Iyengar Yoga certification and assessment.

The IYNAUS Assessment Committee is tasked with conducting assessments for our members and implementing the RIMYI guidelines. Successful assessments involve many aspects, including training of assessors, exam writing, and venue coordination. While the IYNAUS Assessment Committee administers the assessment, RIMYI provides the certificates.

Applying for Assessment

For Aspiring Candidates Checklist for Assessment Candidates Register for Assessment Assessment Dates & Venues Wait-List Assessment Application Needs-Based Assistance

For Aspiring Candidates

Candidates aspiring to assess should work closely with their mentor to understand the assessment process. The mentoring teacher is familiar with the process and can offer guidance and support as the aspiring candidate prepares for assessment.

Upon acceptance to a mentoring or teacher education program, prospective teachers must join IYNAUS. At a minimum, candidates for assessment must have been members of IYNAUS for at least one year before applying for assessment. When applying for assessment, candidates must have been members of IYNAUS by May 1 of the previous year.

The Assessment Committee is grateful for your careful attention to the assessment process. Candidates should read the following documents:

IYNAUS Assessment Manual: Published by the IYNAUS Assessment Committee, this manual offers advice for teachers, aspiring teachers, and their mentors who are developing the art of teaching Iyengar Yoga. Keen students of Iyengar Yoga will find support for their practice by studying the syllabi from current and past assessment manuals reprinted here. For those considering undertaking the assessment process, this manual outlines the requirements for each level and an overview of the IYNAUS assessment process.
RIMYI Certification and Assessment Guidelines: This primary source document provides the requirements to assess and teach each level of certification, the syllabi and required reading, and an outline of the assessment process as envisioned by RIMYI.
RIMYI FAQs: These provide additional information that should be read and understood.

Checklist for Assessment Candidates

Upon entering into a mentoring relationship, mentees must establish IYNAUS membership. Candidates training for assessment must agree to teach yoga according to the techniques set forth by B.K.S Iyengar and not mix the techniques of Iyengar Yoga with any other system of yoga or any other discipline. As candidates prepare to apply for assessment, confirm with your mentor that you are ready to apply. If yes, allow time for your mentor to complete their recommendation form—we suggest a minimum of one month before the application deadline.

Use the following checklist to ensure that you are ready to apply for assessment:

Do you meet the training prerequisites and eligibility requirements to become an Iyengar Yoga teacher? For more information, see page 7 of the RIMYI Certification and Assessment Guidelines.
Have you read the 2024 Assessment Manual and the RIMYI Certification and Assessment Guidelines?
Do you have the capability to complete your online registration, pay your application fees, and communicate online throughout the assessment process?
The cost for the 2024 assessments are:
- Level 1: $650
- Level 2: $750
- Level 3: $850
- Reapplications: $375
Candidates should check with their regional association to see if financial assistance is available. IYNAUS is also offering needs-based assistance.
Have you checked the IYNAUS website to verify your correct contact information?

Applying early is appreciated but does not increase your chance of being given your first choice of date/venue. No applications will be accepted after the May 31 deadline; there are no exceptions. If you meet all the requirements and have completed your application correctly, you will receive an email with your assessment date and venue by the end of June.

To register for assessment, login to your IYNAUS account and navigate to the register for assessment link. Have the following information available to complete your assessment application:

— Mentor’s name
— Study history with your mentor and other CIYTs, including weekly classes and workshop attendance
— Mentoring/apprenticing history
— Convention attendance
— Trips to RIMYI
— Teacher training and teacher education history
— Iyengar Yoga community volunteer history

The deadline to register for assessment is May 31. Mentors will have until June 7 to complete their recommendations.

By late June, expect to receive notice of your date and venue assignment. The venue chair will contact you with further information.

Withdrawing an Assessment Application

Should you wish to withdraw your application, please use the following steps:

Within "My Page," go to the "Teacher" section and then "Assessment History."
Click on "Withdraw Assessment.
This process will result in the assessment chair being notified of your withdrawal and any refund of payment due. Should you decide to reapply, a new application will be required.

For withdrawals before the May 31 application deadline, a $50 processing fee will be charged. A $100 processing fee for withdrawals received between June 1 and August 1 will be charged. Thereafter, the processing fee is $150 until the assessment is underway. The assessment officially begins once the written exam has been sent by the venue chair. There are no refunds once the assessment has begun. Exceptions to this policy may be made for medical and family emergencies at the discretion of the assessment chair, including assigning the candidate to a later date, if possible.

Assessment Dates & Venues

In 2024, assessments will be offered for Levels 1, 2, and 3. Assessment venues will be online and in person. For online assessments, the entire assessment, including the conducted performance and the teaching presentation, will be conducted via the Zoom platform. The online teaching presentation may be done either with students on Zoom or in the same room with the candidate. Online candidates will provide their own students. In-person venues will provide appropriate volunteer students for the candidates. Written exams will be take-home and sent to the candidate approximately seven weeks before the assessment.

2024 Assessment Dates

Assessment venues include both online and in-person options. The online venues (those listed without a location) are conducted entirely online. In-person venues will require the candidate's physical presence at the hosting studio in the city listed. Candidates at in-person venues should plan on arriving Thursday and expect to be there through Sunday afternoon.

Level 1
- August 16 – 18
- August 23 – 25, Portland, Oregon
- September 6 – 8, Los Angeles, California
- September 13 – 15
- September 27 – 29
- October 18 – 20, Providence, Rhode Island
- October 25 – 27

Level 2
- August 23 – 25, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- September 13 – 15
- September 20 – 22, Asheville, North Carolina
- October 18 – 20
- November 1 – 3

Level 3
- August 23 – 25, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- September 13 – 15
- September 20 – 22, Asheville, North Carolina
- October 18 – 20
- November 1 – 3

Wait-List

IYNAUS may not be able to accommodate all applicants for assessment in a given year if the number of available assessment venues or assessors is insufficient. If the assessments are full, applicants will be given priority based on the following criteria: exam retakes, number of years of practice, and years of teaching experience.

If you are wait-listed, you must decide whether you are willing to wait and see if a spot opens in the current assessment year or postpone to the next assessment year. Inform the Assessment Chair of your decision. If a spot opens in the current year, you will be given the option to assess at the open date and venue. If you do not have the scheduling flexibility to be on-call for assessment and decide to wait until the following year, you must confirm your chosen venue with the Assessment Chair before the application deadline in the next year. A place will not be reserved for you unless you contact the Assessment Chair before the application deadline.

Assessment Application Needs-Based Assistance

2024 Assessment Application Needs-Based Assistance

In keeping with its mission to promote the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar, IYNAUS has created a program to offer needs-based assistance to IYNAUS members applying for the CIYT assessment in 2024. This support recognizes the dedication required to prepare for the assessment to become a CIYT and achieve a higher CIYT certification level.

The needs-based assistance will be up to 50% of the assessment application fee. Applicants will be emailed about assistance decisions by May 29, 2024. Assistance will be issued in the form of a partial refund of the 2024 assessment application fee.*

Eligibility to Apply

To apply for needs-based assistance, an applicant must be eligible for and applying for assessment in 2024.
Level 2 and Level 3 applicants must be Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers (CIYTs) in good standing and up-to-date with their continuing education hours.

Needs-Based Application Procedure

The needs-based application is separate from the assessment application; information from one application will not be available to reviewers of the other application.
Interested applicants must fill out and submit the application for the needs-based assistance in addition to an assessment application.
Applications are due May 20, 2024.
Applicants will be emailed about assistance decisions on or before May 29, 2024.
Needs-based assistance will be issued as a partial refund of a recipient’s 2024 assessment application fee.*

* As noted, needs-based assistance will be issued as a partial refund of the assessment application fee. Recipients will be responsible for submitting the full assessment application fee when applying, even if learning that they are to receive needs-based assistance before they submit the assessment application.

The Assessment Weekend

Assessors, the Zoom coordinator, students, and others behind the scenes have contributed volunteered time and effort for the weekend assessment. Many are volunteers. This whole process could not happen without them.

There will typically be three assessors serving during the assessment weekend. If any candidate is a student of one of the assessors, that assessor is allowed to assess that candidate.

Candidates accepted for assessment will receive an assigned date for their assessment. A typical assessment weekend is scheduled from Friday morning through Sunday afternoon. Approximately seven weeks before the assigned weekend, candidates will receive the written exam. They will have four weeks to complete the take-home exam.

All assessments begin Friday morning with a general informational meeting for candidates and assessors. Online assessments include a technical check with the Zoom coordinator. This is an opportunity for candidates to ask questions about the weekend or the technology.

The assessors and candidates will commence the assessment weekend with a group practice. This is an informal practice, a time for assessors and candidates to form preliminary impressions. Following this practice session, there will be time for discussion while having tea and a snack. On Friday afternoon, the demonstration component, including the Level 2 individual presentation and inversions practice will take place.

On Saturday and Sunday, the candidates will demonstrate their teaching skills with a group of appropriate-level students. Prior to the weekend, candidates will have received an assigned time for their teaching. Level 1 candidates will have 35 – 45 minutes to teach. Level 2 candidates will have 45 – 55 minutes to teach; the situation presentation will take place right after their teaching.

Once candidates have completed the teaching presentation and checked in with the assessors, the assessment weekend is over for Level 1 candidates. Level 2 candidates will then complete a separate situation presentation. Level 3 candidates will complete their situation presentation on Sunday. All candidates will be sent feedback from the assessors and an invitation to fill out a web form where they are encouraged to give the Assessment Committee feedback regarding their assessment.