If, say, I were to go and test ONLY the standard track, and get pre-preliminary and preliminary, would I be able to compete at bronze level competitions without taking the bronze tests, or is that still required? And as for standard track competitions - I know there are age maximums for the lower levels at Nationals. Does this also apply to, say, Regionals or other competitions? And at what level does the age limit go away?

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I think to skate at Adult Nationals, you must take the adult test - no standard track substitutions.

Age restrictions apply for only qualifying competitions (Regionals, Sectionals, Nationals) in the standard track. Novice is the first level with no age restrictions.

That is correct. You MUST pass the adult freestyle test for each level in order to compete at that level.

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Yes, but there are also crossover points, which I'm not remembering the specifics about off the top of my head.

But for example, if you pass through pre-juv FS, you don't have to take Adult prebronze MIF/FS & bronze MIF/FS, you start right at adult silver FS. That may not be the right crossover spot; check the chart. My point is, you can jump over and take only the one test you need to qualify for adult competition, you don't have to take all the tests up to that level on the adult side.

Correct; the adult FS test must ALWAYS be taken to qualify to skate at that said FS level.
(Passing the standard MIF tests allows you to bypass the corresponding adult MIF tests.)

The crossover points are noted here on page 4 and 5:
http://www.usfsa.org/content/05Adults-ROA.pdf

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Also, I think if you take standard track tests you can disqualify yourself from skating at a certain level in adult qualifying competitions....that is, standard track tests cannot qualify you to skate, for example, at AN, but if you pass above a certain level, they can disqualify you from certain levels of competitions. (For example, passing a standard track FS test above the prelim FS test would disqualify a person from competing at Bronze FS at AN, even if they have not passed higher than Bronze FS in the adult track.)

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