Rankings among Keybearers aren't terribly complicated. There is master and apprentice. A Master Keybearer can choose an apprentice through the Rite of Inheritance, usually given to young children. The apprentice -or apprentices- train under their master until they are deemed experienced enough to try for the title on their own, and training usually takes many years.

An apprentice earns the rank of master once they pass an exam called the Mark of Mastery, which can be administered by any master, but most typically their own. The exam differs depending on who administers it, and it is up to the master giving it whether the apprentice passes.

Masters are also beholden to important knowledge and skill, and these are not shared with other Keybearers until they become a Keyblade Master themselves.