Passing moves tests

[hopskipjump]

Does it get harder to pass with each level?  Or because skaters are always improving that it feels the "same" to them each time they test?

[jjane45]

Does it get harder to pass with each level?  Or because skaters are always improving that it feels the "same" to them each time they test?

From what I understand, the difficulty progression is comparable to freestyle. But different skaters have different strengths and their achievement in each discipline may differ.

[Skittl1321]

For me personally, each test has gotten much harder to master.

[icedancer]

The Moves tests become exponentially more difficult.

This often comes as a surprise to a skater who seemingly has no problem passing the first 4 moves tests (in the standard track) - when they hit Intermediate and Novice they are surprised when it gets so much harder and also harder to pass as the standard has gotten higher... exponentially.

[hopskipjump]

So if you typically test every 4-6 months, is there a longer time span between tests as they get more difficult?

[Skittl1321]

Or you increase the amount of time you practice (which is typical as you move up the levels).

But yes, as you move up the test structure, expect to take longer to master the tests.  Your daughter may not continue to master a test in just 4 months.

[jjane45]

And sometimes it may even feel like I cannot do it... Or it's not worth it (compared to the sacrifice).

While there are only eight or nine moves tests, not every skater tests up to senior moves.

[hopskipjump]

I can understand better why one of her coaches introduces and has her practice items on the tests that she has off in the far, far future - so they aren't a surprise later.  So far she has been ready (per coach) every 4 months but with our schedule and the testing schedule and school schedule she hasn't tested that frequently (closer to 6months). 

[sarahspins]

And sometimes it may even feel like I cannot do it... Or it's not worth it (compared to the sacrifice). Not every skater tests up to senior moves.

Agreed.. many don't.  Some get stuck trying to pass Intermediate (twizzles) or Novice (loops) and don't go any further.  Junior and Senior can also be especially difficult for some skaters to master.  Then there are 10 year olds who have passed their senior moves seemingly with ease... so it's hard to say.

I have ambitions of someday testing through senior moves... but at the same time I don't know that I can or will - but I am working on moves patterns much higher than my current test level (I passed pre-pre back in 1996, then never tested again).  I expect to pass adult pre-bronze and bronze with no problems, I'm working on silver (spirals are what is primarily holding me back there, but I suspect by the time I get through the others, I'll be much closer to being ready to test silver), but I'm also working on most of the gold moves and a fair number of intermediate and novice moves as well.  My coach likes to have me working on things I am not yet ready to master so there is some familiarity when it comes time to work on them... like loops and twizzles.  Those aren't something that can simply be taught in a session or two, and I can do some of them, but not others, so working on them remains a bit of a challenge... and it's fun, because when I get a little farther with them in a practice, I actually feel like I've made a lot of progress, even if they are nowhere near being test-ready.

[Kim to the Max]

I am currently working on Senior moves and I can tell you that they get a lot harder to master to the level that the judges are expecting. I passed all of the other moves before the change, so I had some really new elements, but, if you pass the tests the way they are designed now, you will have a good basis for the "final" exam, which is what senior is. Now, obviously, the quality of each of those will be expected to be higher (a 2.5 twizzle vs. a 1.5 twizzle).

I have been working on Senior moves for about 2 years now - have tried testing them 3 times and am testing for a 4th on June 2nd.

[hopskipjump]

Good luck Kim! 

[JSM]

It definitely gets harder!  And it's a good thing that the more difficult tests take longer to master, because the moves really do form the basis for good skating.  It doesn't replace figures, of course...

I'm currently working on novice.  My last moves test was in the mid 90s, so a lot of these elements (loops, twizzles) were not included on the tests at the time.  It's a learning curve.  My coach thinks I'm progressing well and could potentially test in the fall.  I've only really been working on them a month and a half, so I've made good strides, but it's ALL I've been working on.  I haven't really jumped in 6 weeks, and every lesson has been moves.  With limited time to practice, I'm kind of wondering if it's worth it for me.  But I'm an adult, so the earlier you can get them done, the better, IMHO.  How I wish I would have done this test 15 years ago!!

[Schmeck]

My daughter found the novice moves test to be the hardest, and had a retry on that one. What we found helpful was that the judging sheets gave good pointers on what really needed to be fixed. Also found that skating synchro really, really helped with moves, as you have to be able to do your twizzles and loops (and other moves) at exactly the right time in a program with 15 other girls, or oops! Doing them on a sheet of ice all to yourself seemed so much easier to her.

Now, this was all before the change, but she found novice to be her stumbling block, and sailed though junior and senior moves. I think they evened out the difficulty with the changes, yes?

Good luck in June, Kim!

[skatingmum2]

My daughter (who sailed through everything previously) failed her junior MIF tests. To be fair she was having a really bad skate that day - slightly anxious and went into everything too quickly. (Judges told her the edges were clean and correct but control especially upper body not perfect and that they had only just failed her). Daughter reckon the judges are more picky at higher levels.

[Kim to the Max]

My daughter (who sailed through everything previously) failed her junior MIF tests. To be fair she was having a really bad skate that day - slightly anxious and went into everything too quickly. (Judges told her the edges were clean and correct but control especially upper body not perfect and that they had only just failed her). Daughter reckon the judges are more picky at higher levels.

"picky" isn't the half of it from my experience

[Schmeck]

We were fortunate to have so many clubs in our area that we could avoid the clubs that tended to get the 'pickier' judges. Skating Club of Boston has very high standards for their judges - so that means that if you pass a test at SCOB, you are definitely a master of the requirements.  My daughter passed her ice dance tests there, and was quite thrilled to do so.

Her moves tests (that she needed to pass to skate synchro) were strategically taken at smaller clubs. I think that she might not have passed her novice moves at SCOB, ever! Her spiral sequence was always a weak point, and never up to a SCOB standard. Her junior and senior moves were taken at a bigger club (not SCOB, but not a small, local one) and she had worked longer on them, and wasn't skating synchro at the time. She just wanted to pass them before high school graduation.  She was borderline ready to take the senior moves, but it was May and she wanted to try. She really pulled it together that day, and passed!