An adult figure skating test is a set of skills you skate for judges at a club's test session, and the result is a pass or a retry, never a ranking. Before your first one, pick your track with your coach, join U.S. Figure Skating, sign up through the host club by its deadline and skate a mock test or two. These ten things cover the rest.
Key takeaways
- Testing is optional, and plenty of adults skate for years without it.
- Adults 21 and over can test on the adult track or the standard track.
- You need a U.S. Figure Skating membership, and you register and pay through the club hosting the session.
- You're ready when you can skate every element comfortably on an ordinary day, not just a good one.
If you've spent any time around a rink, you've heard someone say they're working on their Bronze. Those are U.S. Figure Skating tests, and they're one of the clearest ways to mark progress in this sport. Your first one can feel like a big deal, mostly because nobody explains the process until you're in it. This list goes through it in the order you'll meet it, from deciding to test to getting your result.
U.S. Figure Skating updates its rules, so check the current rulebook or ask your club's test chair before you rely on any detail here. Our page on U.S. Figure Skating test levels explains how the whole system fits together. This one is about getting through the first test itself.
1. Testing is optional
Plenty of adults skate happily for years without testing, and plenty love having a test to work toward. Tests matter most if you want to compete at U.S. Figure Skating events, because the tests you've passed help set your competition level. A passed test stays on your record with U.S. Figure Skating. If you're unsure, treat your first test as an experiment and see how you feel about the process.
2. There are two tracks
Adults aged 21 and over can test on the adult track, a series just for adults, or on the standard track that younger skaters take. The adult track runs Pre-Bronze, Bronze, Silver and Gold, then adult Intermediate, Novice, Junior and Senior. Standard-track Bronze is not the same test as Adult Bronze, so when someone mentions a level, ask which track they mean. Talk it through with your coach before your first test, because the right track depends on your goals.
Everything the judges look for at your level
Every element on the Pre-Bronze to Gold tests, a practice log and a mock test for each level, and a page for test day.
Get the pack3. Two main kinds of test
Skating skills tests are set patterns of edges, turns and stroking that show how well you control your blade. Singles tests are a program to music with the jumps, spins and footwork required for that level. There are also adult pattern dance and free dance tests if you like moving to music more than jumping. From Bronze up, adult skating skills tests come in a 21+ version and a 50+ version.
4. You need a membership to test
To test, you need to be a U.S. Figure Skating member. Joining a member club usually includes it in the dues, though Learn to Skate USA membership alone isn't the same thing. Sort out your membership well before the session's deadline, so it isn't a rush at the end.
5. Sign up through the club
Clubs hold test sessions on set dates and post a registration deadline for each one. Each test has a registration fee set by U.S. Figure Skating, which you pay to the host club, and clubs can add their own charges. Some clubs open their sessions to non-members, like the Skating Club of Boston. U.S. Figure Skating also lets skaters test by submitting a competition protocol for some free skate, pairs and free dance tests, including select adult levels.
6. You'll know when you're ready
Start by asking your coach which test makes sense first and what's on it. A good sign you're ready is when you can skate every element comfortably on an ordinary day, not just a good one. Practice the whole test in order, including the bits between the elements, so the sequence feels familiar. Our Adult Test Prep Pack puts every element for Pre-Bronze to Gold on paper, with a page for test day.
7. A mock test helps
A few weeks out, try a mock test. Ask your coach or a skating friend to watch you skate it once from start to finish, without stopping, the way you will on the day. It shows you where nerves creep in, and it gives you a chance to practice carrying on after a wobble. Our practice tracker is a handy place to note how each run-through went.
8. Ask what skaters wear for tests
Test outfits are their own topic, with skating dresses or fitted pants, skating tights and hair that stays put. For a test, ask your coach what skaters at your club usually wear. Skate in the outfit at least once before the day, so nothing pinches or rides up when it counts.
9. Test day goes by quickly
On the day, you'll check in, warm up and then skate your test while the judges watch. Your coach will usually be at the boards to send you off. It goes by much faster than you expect, and being nervous is completely normal. If nerves are a big part of it for you, our page on building confidence on the ice has ideas that work for tests too.
10. A retry is not a fail
The result is either a pass or a retry, and most tests can also be passed with honors or with distinction when the marks are high enough. A retry isn't a fail, just a sign that you're not there yet. Skating skills tests and adult pre-bronze and bronze singles tests can be taken again from the 13th day after a retry. Passing a test is a proud moment at any age, so celebrate it however you like.
Sources
- Adults Skate Too, Understanding U.S. Figure Skating Testing Levels: tracks, kinds of test, membership, signing up, readiness, mock tests, test day and results, which Erika wrote and checked against the rulebook.
- U.S. Figure Skating, Test Structure & Figure Skating Levels page: the adult track for skaters 21 and older and testing by competition protocol.
- The Skating Club of Boston, Test Sessions page: sessions open to club members and non-members.
- Adults Skate Too, What to Wear Ice Skating: test outfits.
- Adults Skate Too, The Real Cost of Adult Figure Skating: membership through a member club.
