My daughter is 9. She has been skating 4 months. Her teacher is starting to teach her patterns to prepare for her first test which I imagine is some time away still as she still needs to master backwards crossovers and the waltz jump. Is there a list online of what skills, elements, patterns, etc are needed for this test?

How long have most kids been skating or in lessons before they take the first test? I ask the question this way because I get confused whether people mean how long since they put on their first pair of skates or how long they have been in lessons. The kids her age who have passed this test all started skating for fun when they were really little and have been in lessons now 1-2 years. My daughter skated for the first time in her life 4 months ago which is also when she started taking lessons.

Check out Don Korte's site at http://www.sk8stuff.com. Under "Rules and Regs" you'll find lists for all the USFSA tests. I imagine your daughter is working on her Pre-Preliminary tests. Keep in mind that what is required on the test is much less than what will be required in competition. Many competitions separate Pre-Preliminaries into 2 divisions - High and Low. Pre-Pre High kids will be trying axels, but Pre-Pre Low kids will still have jumps through the lutz. Your daughter can pass her Pre-Pre Moves in the Field test and still compete Beginner, but once she passes her Pre-Pre Free Skating test there's no going back. Of course, she can take tests as soon as she's ready to pass them, but you should know that in competition other skaters will be doing much more difficult skills. I'm assuming you're doing USFSA testing here - if it's ISI it's a whole different thing, with skaters limited to the test elements for competitions. She can work ahead in Moves and take as many tests as she wants, though - it's the Free Skating test that determines the competition level.

Yes it is USFA testing. At our rink, once she passes her first test she can go from basic skills group lessons to their Elite Program. We weren't really thinking of competition just yet.

She doesn't need BXO's for the first test, which is Pre-Preliminary Moves in the Field. Trust your coach, I know who she is (I heard it on the grapevine), and she is one of the best when it comes to knowing when a student is ready to test and also knowing what the judges are looking for.

__________________

LOL DBNY, if you happen to see us at the rink, c'mon over an say hello. I'm the mom with the cutie russian Princess turned American Girl. Not sure if we will be there tomorrow (Sunday). She has group now on Thursdays and her private lesson on Friday.

Actually, I've been looking for you for a while, but I only go there on Mondays now. On Fridays I go to a rink on LI and then work at another one in Brooklyn afterwards.

__________________

What would be the reason for testing someone in MTF who doesnt have a waltz jump yet?Why would they start so early? encoragement? Due to age?
The basic pre pre test is easy and as far as I know , rarely failed.
Thanks

pre pre fs test
Jumps Waltz jump
Salchow
Loop
Flip

Combos Waltz-Toe Loop combination jump
Spins One-foot upright spin (optional free foot) (min 3 revs)
One-foot backspin (entry optional) (min 3 revs)
Sit spin (recognizable sit position) (min 3 revs)

Moves Connecting moves and steps should be demonstrated throughout the program
Rulebook 2006 Rulebook / TR 32.02 // Passing Avg: 2.5 / Duration: 1m30s


pre pre moves tests
Element Primary Secondary
1 Forward Perimeter Stroking Power Extension
2 Basic Consecutive Edges (FO, FI, BO, BI) Edge Qual
3 Forward Right- and Left-foot Spirals Extension
4 Waltz Eight Edge Qual
2006 Rulebook / TR 25.01 // Passing Avg: Pass/Retry / Duration: 8 min

Note: Moves elements are started from a standing, stationary position

Comp level pre pre programs with or without axle.
SINGLES FREESKATE

NON-TEST: Unlimited single jumps; Axels and Double jumps NOT allowed

Minimum 1 jump combination or sequence - Maximum 3 (no limit to number of jumps included in combination or sequence)

Minimum 2 different spins; minimum of 3 revolutions

1 Step OR Spiral sequence

PRE-PRELIMINARY: Same as Non-test, with the exception that the Axel IS permitted and may be repeated as individual jump, combination or sequence

The pre-pre FS test is elements only, no program and no connecting steps necessary.

I know two skaters who failed pre-pre moves. I was shocked at the first, because it was the test chair's and coach's fault, IMO. The student was to skate behind another student taking the same test, but had not been prepared him for that, and so started too soon, and that causing a mess up. Also, the student had not been told to look at the judges to see when they were ready for the next move. The other student actually skated one of the edge patterns twice and left one out, and passed! Very poorly run test session, IMO.

__________________

FREE SKATING PRE-PRELIMINARY
USFSA # FS 06 – Pre-Preliminary (Revised 06/13/2005)
Penalties: 0.2 Deduction for each extra or lacking element in the mark for Technical Elements
Single
Jumps
Jump
Comb or Seq. Spins Step OR Spiral
Sequence
�� 0.1 each mark for each illegal
element
�� 0.1 each mark for time violation
�� 0.1 in 1st mark for insufficient revs
and lack of connecting
steps/moves
Min 1
Max 3
(no limit to number
of jumps included)
Min 2 different
Min of 3 rev
1
Unlimited
Axel permitted
and may be repeated as
individual jump, comb or
sequence
Double jumps are
Not allowed T.E. P.C. Place


http://www.usfsa.org/content/Acc_200...er-Singles.pdf

sorry, got it from here.
Still not sure why one would test soon, unless for encoargement?
Maybe the coach is teaching moves but doesnt plan on test soon? I know my skater knows pre pre, pre and pre juv moves but hasnt tested yet.

The reason for the test is so that she can take lessons in the rink's Elite Training School which is a lot better than the regular Learn to Skate Program.

That's for competition, not testing. Much more is allowed in competition than at the test level, and test requirements are much lower than is allowed in competition.

__________________

I wouldn't say it's better, rather, more advanced. Right now the elite program is doing show rehearsals, but in the fall they will start again with moves, jumps, and spins. You might also want to check out the summer camp program at the rink.

__________________

I know that, I listed the test elements above.
I was just trying to explain the difference between testing and comps.

Sorry, I thought you were confused about it because the original question was only about testing.

Lippylulu, although BXO's are not on the Pre-pre moves test, the skater does need decent B edge control for the consecutive BO and BI edge patterns, and also for the Waltz-8, which has FO three turns and a stroke from BI to BO edge. I would guess that by the time she has achieved test level skill on those moves, she will also have BXO's and I know that her coach will start teaching her moves from the next level up before she has tested the current level.

To answer the second part of your question, it is entirely individual. Some kids work on pre-pre moves for a year or more before testing. Kids who don't have private lessons and only skate once or twice a week can take years to finish the Basic Skills program. Others are ready much faster. I believe my younger daughter took longer on moves because all she wanted to do was skate fast and jump and spin. She started private lessons at the same time that she started skating, and did a waltz jump in her second lesson. She had her axel within two years, but did not become a polished and in-control skater until she had a knee problem, missed a whole season, and was not allowed to jump for another six months. Focussing on moves worked wonders. I couldn't blame her coaches for not pushing moves more earlier because my daughter would have quit if she hadn't been allowed to move ahead with jumps and spins.

__________________

I don't see anything wrong w/ testing moves as soon as a skater is ready. Most skaters in my area are ahead of their freeskate level with their moves tests--for example one girl at my rink is moving up to juv. this year for competition, & is working on her junior moves.

Since competition only goes by FS test, I see no benefit to holding a skater's moves test back--actually I think it would be an advantage to let them keep moving up. The more testing they do the more they're used to being judged, and moves only make your skating better.

ITA! Especially the part about making your skating better.

__________________

Most kids here that compete dont test pre pre till axle.They can compete in non test and ISI to get used to be in front of judges.
Im not speaking of kids that already testing and are at a differnt level for moves. Iam just suprised at someone testing moves so soon that doesnt have a waltz and doesnt have backcrossovers yet.
Guess some rinks are different.

I would definitely agree with this. It seems like back edges are quite a bit harder than BXO's and by the time the back edges are ready for testing, the BXO's look pretty nice. In fact I know a number of kids who very quickly were ready to test everything but the back edges and then spent almost as much time getting the back edges ready as they did everything else.

I think the reason is that my daughter is advancing at a very fast pace. She put on skates for the first time in her life 4 months ago and skates like kids who have been doing this since they were tots, probably because she has this really incredible presentation even though she doesn't have all the skills yet. My daughter was adopted from Russia 7 months ago so she is basically playing catch-up in all aspects of her life whether it is skating, math or reading. I think my head would be exploding, but she is like a sponge and is eating it all up! Although, she doesn't have the backwards crossovers or waltz jump yet, she probably will within the next couple of weeks. The coach wants her to test so she can be in the more advanced skating school program at our rink which requires skaters to have passed that first test.

Lippylulu said "Her teacher is starting to teach her patterns to prepare for her first test which I imagine is some time away still". Obviously, Lippylulu's daughter is ready to begin working on pre-pre moves.

I don't think it is rinks, so much as coaches and students that are different.
It's true that if a skater wants to compete in USFS, they need to hold back on the FS tests probably until they have an axel and some doubles, but moves testing only makes stronger skaters. Most of the coaches at the rinks where I work and skate have their students take moves tests as soon as they are ready.

Waltz jumps have absolutely nothing to do with moves tests. One can test through Sr. Moves and never do a waltz jump.

__________________

I trust your judgement on her coach and the rink.
You are right, she is starting to teach moves.No, she doesnt need a waltz for any moves. I just hope the Op understand this is a long process.
We have kids testing within 6 months of putting on skates, in fact they are testing with my daughter.They get the concepts eaiser as they get older. They arent as fluld or polished, but they get the ideas faster.