Test Policies:

Test applications are available at scoco.org and generally must be postmarked around fourteen days before the test session; exact dates will be posted on the club website. Test schedules will be posted at scoco.org at least 24 hours in advance of the session and are typically posted about a week in advance. Fees are not refundable for any reason except a death in the immediate family; fees for contingent tests are non-refundable. SCOCO strongly discourages skaters from scheduling contingent tests. Skaters must be in the rink and prepared to test at least 45 minutes prior to their scheduled warm-up.

 

Order of Testing:

Tests will generally be scheduled in the following manner:

   1) Tests will be scheduled in descending order by skill level, with Adult tests slotted in based on U.S. Figure Skating crossover guidelines.

   2) Within skill levels, home club members will be scheduled first, followed by associate members, and then non-club members.

   3) Pre-Preliminary, Preliminary, Adult Pre-Bronze and Adult Bronze tests may be scheduled on freestyle ice immediately before or after a scheduled test session, at the discretion of the test chair, if there is insufficient time to include these test on the test ice.

 

Exceptions:

Exceptions to the above policies may be made based on judge and ice availability (e.g.: lower-level tests may be scheduled before higher-level tests to place the higher-level tests after an ice resurface) or test chair’s discretion.

 

Out-of-session tests: Requests for tests outside of regularly scheduled test sessions will not be accepted, with the following three exceptions:

 

Low-level Tests:

Requests to test Pre-Preliminary and Preliminary MIF and free skating tests, as well as Adult Pre-Bronze and Bronze MIF and free skating tests, outside of a regularly scheduled test session may be fulfilled depending on judge availability. These tests will take place on regularly scheduled Chiller LLC sessions, and the skater is responsible for all ice costs. Regular fees, including guest fees, will apply.

 

Graduating Seniors:

SCOCO members (home or associate) who have graduated from high school and are leaving the greater Columbus area for college may be accommodated for higher-level tests outside of a regularly scheduled test session if judges and ice time are available. An applicant must have taken advantage of all regularly scheduled test sessions to the extent possible; skaters may not rely upon a specially scheduled test session in place of regularly scheduled one. The skater will be responsible for regular fees, ice and judge costs.

 

Examples:

- Juno retries her Senior Free in May and June; there is no regularly scheduled July test session in the greater Columbus area, and she will leave for college before the regularly scheduled August test.

 

- Athena passes her Junior Moves in June and will leave for college before the regularly scheduled August test and wishes to take her Senior Moves before leaving.

 

- Minerva passed her Junior Free last year, and does not attempt her Senior Free at the regularly scheduled January, February, March, or May test sessions; because she passed up at least one opportunity to test, her request will not be accommodated.

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Figure Tests:

Home club members of SCOCO who wish to take figure tests  must pay Skating Club of Central Ohio a test fee ranging from $15-$25 depending on the level of the test. In addition to the test fee,  the skater is responsible for all additional costs, including judges’ expenses and ice. The SCOCO test chair will work with the skater’s coach to secure qualified judges and be responsible for providing the paperwork and filing the appropriate papers and fees with U.S. Figure Skating. Local judges will be used when available. The coach and skater or parent/guardian will be notified of judges’ expenses and must agree in writing to pay these expenses. It is the skater’s responsibility to secure and pay for his or her own ice through the Chiller LLC and give the SCOCO test chair at least 30 days notice to secure judges. (DO NOT pay for the ice until judges have been confirmed.)   It is in the skater’s best interest to provide at least two possible dates for the test to increase the likelihood of judge availability. Coach or skater must provide the SCOCO test chair with the skater’s full name, USFS number when requesting a Figure Test.

Columbus FSC members may also request a Figure Test through the SCOCO test chair using the information above with two exceptions. Fees for Columbus FSC members range from $25-$35 depending on the level of the test and the skater must submit a permission to test letter/email from the Columbus FSC test chair.

 

Other US Figure Skating Member Clubs:

US Figure Skating members are eligible to participate in test sessions hosted by other US Figure Skating member clubs.

Please carefully follow all instructions stated by the host club as application forms vary between clubs. Allow sufficient time before the test application due date to acquire any necessary signatures. Home club members must notify the test chairperson of the Skating Club of Central Ohio in advance whenever they plan to participate in a test session at another US Figure Skating member club.  It is best to email SCOCO's test chair with all the details of the test at the time the application is being submitted to the host club.