Quote Originally Posted by Jasdoif View Post
Okay, I dug around...and while successfully training Padawans (or depending on where you look, a Padawan) is the most common, one can also attain the title of Master by completing a modified version of the Trials of Knighthood, or being recognized by the High Council for service to the Republic.

Of course, if anything of the sort had been intended from the beginning, those trials would have their own fancy title (like Trials of Mastery) like most things in Star Wars; so this sounds like an official excuse for the discrepancy you noted, and the "service to the Republic" bit is probably supposed to justify Anakin's expectation of being made a Master on his appointment to the High Council.
Taking a look at it it seems like the current canon might be 'the council feels you are a Jedi Master so you are - no other criteria needed, no specific responsibility confered', if that is accurate then it does imply a direct snub to Anakin i.e 'you can sit at the cool kids table because we have been told we had to let you, but let us be clear you are not one of the cool kids'.