Taken the AKC pamphlet (with our comments)
The purpose of the AKC Hunting Tests is comparison of bird dogs against a standard, not competition against each other. A dog must be AKC registered in order to receive any AKC Hunting Test title. In the following, "Hunting Test" means an AKC licensed or member club hunting test.
In order to be awarded the Junior Hunter title (JH After the Name),a dog must have received Qualifying scores in four (4) Junior Hunting Tests. To be recorded as a Senior Hunter (SH After the Name), a dog must either qualify in five (5) Senior Hunting Tests or must have earned a Junior Hunter title and qualify in four (4) Senior Hunting Tests. To be recorded as a Master Hunter (MH After the Name), a dog must either qualify in six (6) Master Hunting Tests or must have earned a Senior Hunter title and qualify in five (5) Master Hunting Tests. Dogs that have received a Qualifying score in a Hunting Test at any level are ineligible to enter any Hunting Test at a lower level."
Dogs taking the Junior Hunting Test must demonstrate a keen desire to hunt, show ability to find and point birds, be trainable. (most Brittany puppies can do this by 6 - 9 months of age with little training) They cannot begun-shy. They may be restrained to prevent interference with another dog. Dogs taking the Senior Hunting Test must do the same things demanded of a junior hunting dog, but with definite improvement. They must also hold their point point until the bird has been shot or they are released. They must retrieve a shot bird but need not deliver to hand. They must initially honor another dog's point. (this is the hunting dog most hunter want and is the most common) And those dogs taking the Master Hunting Test must do the same things as Senior hunter, but show more experience. In addition must also show intensity and staunchness of the point, without breaking. (steady to wing and shoot) Must deliver to hand. They must demonstrate absolute honoring throughout the entire flush, shot and retrieve.