"We have a very definite set of membership standards and values," Mr. Lewis said.

Other officials said numbers were necessarily imprecise because Al Qaeda had no clear membership standards.

Many have criticized the exam to be excessively difficult, equivalent to membership standards in the United Kingdom.

Gakusei Kai prides itself on the following five membership standards and looks for the same in potential new members:

Founded as an honor society for independent students (students who were not members of social fraternities or sororities), Tomahawk maintains this membership standard to this day.

For example, the brochure provided to buyers by Residential Warranty says, "Builders are screened annually to ensure their performance remains consistent with membership standards."

These tutors are to be empowered with greater responsibility than previously when new membership standards are instituted.

Decisions regarding membership standards and requirements are left to individual chapters.

They provide access to information, training courses and consultancy services for all bureaux, and regularly audit individual bureaux against the requirements of their respective membership standards.

The other performance unions do not have minimum membership standards, but joining the union bars one from working on non-union productions.