Figure skating, explained
From your first time on the ice to your first test and competition: the skills, the levels, how skating is scored, and the skaters who set the bar.
The test ladder
U.S. Figure Skating tests go in eight levels, each with a skating skills test and a singles test. The levels were renamed in 2023; see how testing works.
- 1Pre-Preliminary Skating skills · Singles
- 2Preliminary Skating skills · Singles
- 3Pre-Bronze (was Pre-Juvenile) Skating skills · Singles
- 4Bronze (was Juvenile) Skating skills · Singles
- 5Pre-Silver (was Intermediate) Skating skills · Singles
- 6Silver (was Novice) Skating skills · Singles
- 7Pre-Gold (was Junior) Skating skills · Singles
- 8Gold (was Senior) Skating skills · Singles
Great for both mind and body
Figure skating is a graceful and competitive winter sport where individuals or pairs perform intricate routines on ice, combining athletic prowess with artistic expression. It involves a series of choreographed movements, spins, jumps, and lifts set to music, judged on technical difficulty, execution, and artistic presentation. Skaters compete in singles (men's and women's), pairs, and ice dance categories, aiming to impress judges with their skill, creativity, and ability to interpret music through their performance. Figure skating is not only a sport but also an art form that captivates audiences with its beauty and athleticism.
Whether you are a beginning skater and are looking to learn how to skate, an advanced skater, a parent, or a coach, you will find a lot of useful figure skating information on GoFigureSkating.com.
You can learn a lot about skating from our pages on:
If you are just getting started with skating you will want to check out our introduction to figure skating pages. You will also need to know about figure skating training. Our figure skating skills section includes information on figure skating jumps, figure skating spins, turns and more.
Why skate?
- Figure skating is a great sport.
- Anyone can learn to figure skate
- Figure skating competitions are fun and you can compete even at the lowest level
- Figure skating builds self esteem.
- Why do figure skaters have great figures?
- This web site is the best place to start learning about figure skating.
- Most every ice rink has a learn to skate program.
- Check back often because we are continually updating this site with the latest information on figure skating.