Grades by country · USA

U.S. Figure Skating: skating skills

Not checked yet. The level lists on this page are a first draft by a non-expert, and no coach has seen them yet. Read them as a starting point and check them with a coach. Corrections are very welcome.

U.S. Figure Skating tests skating skills, the patterns once called moves in the field, at eight standard levels: Pre-Preliminary, Preliminary, Pre-Bronze, Bronze, Pre-Silver, Silver, Pre-Gold and Gold. Skate United tests use the same patterns, and adult and adaptive tracks take their own selections from them. The 2026-27 rulebook sets out every pattern with a diagram and names its focus: power, edge quality, extension, quickness, or a pair of them.

Each line below is one pattern, by its U.S. name. A pattern is several elements skated in sequence, so a line can link more than one page, and the links show one foot where the pattern is skated on both. Where a pattern is built from something the guide has no page for, the line says so.

Pre-Preliminary

• Forward perimeter stroking Forward stroking, Left forward outside crossover Straight strokes down the sides, crossovers round the ends, both directions.
• Basic consecutive edges Left forward outside edge, Left forward inside edge, Left backward outside edge, Left backward inside edge
• Forward right and left foot spirals Spiral
• Waltz eight Left forward outside three turn, Left backward outside edge

Preliminary

• Forward and backward crossovers Left forward outside crossover, Left backward outside crossover
• Consecutive outside and inside spirals Spiral
• Forward power three-turns Left forward outside three turn, Left backward outside crossover
• Alternating forward three-turns Left forward outside three turn, Left forward inside three turn
• Forward circle eight Left forward outside edge, Left forward inside edge
• Alternating backward crossovers to backward outside edges Left backward outside crossover, Left backward outside edge

Pre-Bronze

• Forward and backward perimeter power stroking Left forward outside crossover, Left backward outside crossover, Left forward inside mohawk The open C steps in it are mohawks.
• FO-BI three-turns in the field Left forward outside three turn, Left backward inside three turn
• FI-BO three-turns in the field Left forward inside three turn, Left backward outside three turn
• Forward and backward power change of edge pulls Left forward outside change of edge, Left forward inside change of edge, Left backward outside change of edge, Left backward inside change of edge, Power change of edge pulls
• Backward circle eight Left backward outside edge, Left backward inside edge
• Five-step C step sequence Left forward inside mohawk U.S. Figure Skating's C step is the turn British Ice Skating calls a mohawk.

Bronze

• Stroking: forward power circle Left forward outside crossover
• Stroking: backward power circle Left backward outside crossover
• Eight-step C step sequence Left forward outside mohawk, Left backward outside crossover U.S. Figure Skating's C step is the turn British Ice Skating calls a mohawk.
• Forward and backward free skate cross strokes Cross strokes, Left forward outside cross roll, Left backward outside cross roll
• Backward power three-turns Left backward outside three turn
• Forward double three-turns Left forward outside double three, Left forward inside double three

Pre-Silver

• Backward double three-turns Left backward outside double three, Left backward inside double three
• Spiral sequence Spiral
• Brackets in the field sequence Left forward outside bracket
• Forward twizzles Left forward outside 1½ twizzle
• Inside slide chassé pattern Left forward outside slip chassé, Left backward outside three turn The slide chassé is this guide's slip chassé, and its slide is the inside edge this pattern names.

Silver

• Inside three-turns and rocker S steps Left forward inside three turn, Left backward inside three turn, Left forward inside rocker, Left forward inside choctaw An S step is the turn British Ice Skating calls a choctaw.
• Forward and backward outside counters Left forward outside counter, Left backward outside counter
• Forward and backward inside counters Left forward inside counter, Left backward inside counter
• Forward loops Left forward outside loop, Left forward inside loop
• Backward rocker S step sequence Left backward inside rocker, Left backward inside choctaw An S step is the turn British Ice Skating calls a choctaw.
• Backward twizzles Left backward outside double twizzle

Pre-Gold

• Forward and backward outside rockers Left forward outside rocker, Left backward outside rocker
• Forward and backward inside rockers Left forward inside rocker, Left backward inside rocker
• Power pulls Power pulls
• S step sequence Left forward outside choctaw, Left forward inside choctaw, Step sequence An S step is the turn British Ice Skating calls a choctaw.
• Backward loop pattern Left backward outside loop, Left backward inside loop
• Straight line step sequence Step sequence, Left forward outside rocker, Left backward inside rocker, Left forward inside counter, Left backward outside double twizzle, Left forward outside chassé

Gold

• Sustained edge step Left backward inside three turn, Left forward inside rocker, Left backward inside double three
• Spiral sequence Spiral
• BO power double three-turns to power double inside rockers Left backward outside double three, Left backward inside rocker
• BI power double three-turns to power double outside rockers Left backward inside double three, Left backward outside rocker
• Serpentine step sequence Step sequence

Source: U.S. Figure Skating 2026-27 Rulebook, Skating Skills Diagrams