When I was a 14-year-old preliminary skater, there was nothing to do except practice and test if you were over 13 and below intermediate level. Club competitions below juvenile were only for younger kids.
It would have taken a real push for me to pass that third figure test in time to compete intermediate at 17. I was skating 10-15 hours a week, and that wasn't enough to keep up. So I quit.
Now there are plenty of options for skaters who start late, with average ability and moderate practice and lesson time. With today's options, I probably would have stayed in for most of my high school years and enjoyed practicing a program and occasionally competing in preliminary and prejuvenile and open juvenile against other teens or younger kids.
I see a lot of kids in similar situations for whom passing the intermediate tests and competing at regionals at least once before college is their ultimate goal. It would have been for me if there had been anything else to do in the meantime.
They might not get there until they're 17, and they might only manage to squeak past the intermediate test or through the short programs with a couple of iffy doubles, but it's a goal. The minimum requirements for intermediate are achievable for most kids who start at middle school age and put in the ice time. But just meeting those minimum requirements won't get them competitive success at intermediate level.
Lower level or test track events open to teens give them opportunities to compete freestyle in the meantime.
Or they might decide they prefer to focus on artistic events or synchro or solo dance or whatever. At my current club, those options seem to be more popular than test track.