I'm currently writing a story where I need to come up with a way mages get promoted to "Archmage" status, and I've been thinking there are some conditions:
mage must be known by the archmages, and once he/she is known enough, the archmages discuss whether you should are eligible or not.
The mage must be an intermediate user in several classes at least, and have a specialization subject. meaning, a mage specializes in illusion, or combat magic, but is an intermediate or advanced user in every other category
once they are eligible they are brought before a few of the most successful archmages, and are assigned quite a few "quests" to be carried out, they have to accomplish a quite a few major assignments in addition to the ones they already have. the mage must also have taught classes for a certain number of years.
im also trying to think of ranks. obviously there are the normal ranks of apprentice, mage, and maybe grand mage, high mage, or some other specialization categories like glyph mage or whatever. there would also be "archmage, battlemage" and the highest rank of all would be acceptance into the psi'sol magiocrats which would most likely happen should one of them die since there would be a certain number.
any ideas would be helpful.