how exactly do tests sessions work?

[gardana]

Is there only 1 skater out there at a time? or are there several skaters on taking tests? I beieve you need a passing score by 2/3 of the judges, is this right?

I used to be on my high school speech/forensics team, and had to deal with Judges every Saturday for an entire semester, so the skating test system is sort of interesting to me.

[backspin]

For a freestyle test, they put you into a group, usually by level. Your group warms up together, & coaches are allowed to direct their skaters during the warmup (though they aren't on the ice w/ them).

They'll call a 1 minute warning for when the warmup time will be over.

Then all the skaters get off the ice, and each one goes out individually to perform their program for their test. For freestyle tests, a skater may have 2 re-skated elements, i.e., the judges may ask you to re-skate something, & you'd do that element alone, not in the context of your program.

You need to get 2 out of the 3 judges to give you a passing score (which changes for each level--gets higher!)

Dance tests are pretty much the same, but you get no re-skates. Lucky freestylers! :x

The very first level of dance (preliminary) may *occassionally* have 2 skaters on the ice at once, starting from opposite ends of the ice. The reason for this is that the prelim. test requires only 1 judge & is not scored, only pass/fail. So they can have 2 skaters out there & have a different judge watching each one. I've seen this happen when a test session is running late & they're trying to make up time.

Adult pre-bronze freestyle works the same way, needs only 1 judge.

There's more, but those are the basics. I believe a moves test allows 1 re-skate, am I right?

[blue111moon]

For pre-pre moves and free, I've seen the judges put the whole group out at a time; the skaters make a line and each one does the first element, one after the other.

When I took my pre moves, as an adult, the judges let me take mine separately from the kids. I warmed up alone, tested alone. I think I would rather have been out with the kids, even if they're better than I am. All that empty ice is scary, plus my blades sounded like buzz saws in all that silence! But I passed with flying colors from all three judges, so it was okay.

[sk8er1964]

Originally posted by backspin
I believe a moves test allows 1 re-skate, am I right?

Yes, fortunately!!!

[Clarice]

Depending on how the session is set up, there could be several skaters testing at the same time. Once you have a program, freestyle tests are done one at a time, of course, but I've seen Moves tests double-paneled up through Intermediate. That happened on my daughter's Intermediate test - she'd practiced the power circles on the center circle, but at the test had to do them at one end of the rink because a second skater was testing at the other end. She did the back power circle fine, but on the long exit edge slammed into the wall and fell down. She was so embarrassed she just lay there for a few moments, and we all thought she'd been knocked unconscious! The judges offered to let her collect herself off ice and start the test over, but she carried on from where she'd left off and ended up passing with flying colors. Moral of the story: practice moves tests on both ends of the rink as well as in the middle, because you never know!

[dani]

My prebronze FS was double panelled with a pre-pre freestyle test. It was a little weird, but ... My little 10 year old friend's pre-pre moves test had 3 skaters triple panelled with each skating the "big" patterns at the same time and each taking a different line for the edges etc.

I would think that the test session coordinator could tell you what the policy is if you know who yours is, as the club seems to have some leeway wrt moves test in particular.

[jenlyon60]

At most of our dance test sessions, we double-panel unless it's a Pre-Gold or higher dance test, or if the test chair can't schedule double-panel due to availability of judges or which coaches have students at what level.

For our MIF tests, at the Pre-Pre and Pre-Bronze level, there will be 6 candidates out on the ice at the same time (single judge tests). They'll do the perimeter stroking and spirals (as required) more or less at the same time (staggered starts) then go to "their" judge for further instructions.

For some of the higher MIF tests, if they're double-paneling (normal for my club), 2 skaters will be on the ice at same time, opposite ends of the ice. They will either start at the same time, or alternate each MIF, depending on level and how much ice an individual MIF element normally requires (to avoid collisions).

For FS tests, a group will warm up together, then each skater will do their program and any required re-skates.

[Elsy2]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by backspin
[B]
The very first level of dance (preliminary) may *occassionally* have 2 skaters on the ice at once, starting from opposite ends of the ice. The reason for this is that the prelim. test requires only 1 judge & is not scored, only pass/fail. So they can have 2 skaters out there & have a different judge watching each one. I've seen this happen when a test session is running late & they're trying to make up time.

Adult pre-bronze freestyle works the same way, needs only 1 judge.

Thought I should clarify that there are several tests that only need 1 judge (Silver or higher). Pre-prelim. and Preliminary moves and free,
Adult Pre-bronze and Bronze moves and free, Preliminary, Pre-bronze and masters Pre-Bronze compulsory dance tests. Juvenile, Intermediate and Masters Intermediate free dance tests. Preliminary and Adult Bronze pair tests.

Also one judge of the appropriate rank may judge all solo dance tests.

[Mrs Redboots]

These things vary from country to country, but by and large the systems are very similar. We always have at least two judges (three for higher-level tests, which are not taken locally but at regional test centres), and the tradition is that if you pass, they shake your hand. Since the new levels were introduced, we also get written comments, and our marks, but the judges still give you any comments verbally, too.

One friend of mine was taking her Free Dance test, and the judges passed her, but then, would you believe, one of them made her reskate it to show her coach what she (the judge) hadn't liked about it! I made a quick dash over to the other side of the rink to explain to the rest of the audience (including the skater's mother) exactly what was happening before panic set in! As far as I can tell, the judge had no idea of failing the skater, but simply hadn't really liked the dance, and wanted to share her views on what a Solo Free Dance should look like to the coach.