Do test judges know about retries?

[mikawendy]

So, when a person is taking a USFS skating test that they're retrying, do the judges know that this is a retry? Or would they only know that if the skater mentions that while they talk to the judges before the test?

[cecealias]

Technically no, they don't. But, if they happened to judge the test you failed one month ago, they'll probably remember you.

However, they are supposed to judge what they see in the moment and not let previous tests interfere with their current judgement. If you've made an improvement, they'll judge it as they see it. If you haven't made a change they'll probably write the same criticisms.

The judges are typically fair with what they see, unless you have the rare case of a judge that is severely biased against you and you have good evidence of it. In that cases you might want to report it to the test chair.

[nigrafeles]

No...I'm almost a judge...one maybe two test sessions away for applying for my bronze appt...and even though I only do a couple of test sessions a month, I usually don't even remember someone from session to session unless I know them in some other way, for example a girl I've skated with for years. And even if they do know that its a retry that won't hurt or help your chances of passing, whether its your first or 20th retry on the same test.

[Perry]

If you have the same judges, they'll probably remember. We have a total of five international dance judges around here (actually, we only had four until last month) and usually use the same 3. Add that to the fact that there's only three girls testing international dances and these judges have known me since I was 4, and they certainly remember when my test is a retry. They tend to be way more lenient the second time around, though, so I'm not complaining.

[jenlyon60]

Unless there's something really rememberable about the test, i don't normally remember the outcome of the tests I judge. In fact, I don't necessarily know until afterwards how the other 2 judges marked the test. I may remember a skater over time--for example if I trialed one or more of their low-level tests and then judged them a couple times and then saw them out for higher level tests. But that's more of a "watching skaters progress" type of thing.

[Kristin]

As a test judge, I don't care if it is a retry or not. If it is, fine, if not, that's fine too. I only care about the test that I see in front of me at that moment in time!

And if I know that it is a retry, that will not influence my final judgement of the test that day.

Hope that helps!

Kristin
Bronze test judge

[NickB]

Another bronze judge here. I usually do happen to remember tests and skaters I have seen before, but if it was a skater I had never seen before I would have no idea if the test was a retry or not. The judges are certainly not notified of that fact, so whether the judges know would depend on whether the judges had seen or known about the test the previous time and remembered it.

I certainly agree with Kristin that remembering whether the test was a retry would not change my judgment of it. I've seen everything from skaters improving drastically to skaters doing worse than the previous time and have marked the test how I've seen it that day. Of course I feel bad for a skater who has retried a test several times, but it would not be fair to not hold him/her to the same standard as everyone else just because I knew the test was a retry.

[jenlyon60]

Definitely if I remembered that skater A got a retry on a previous test session, I would not let it interfere with my honest assessment of the test I'm watching.

I do keep track on my schedule of how I marked a test, and maybe some basic comments about the test. Just in case there are questions or comments later. But if the skater re-takes the test 28+ days later, and I happen to be the judge, I judge what I see on the day of the test.

Now, IF is the key word, since my club's MIF/FS test sessions are usually all-day marathons.

--jsl