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What jumps are required for the Pre-Preliminary USFS test?
TL;DR
Pre-Preliminary Free Skate typically requires a Waltz Jump, a Half Flip or Half Lutz, and a Single Salchow — no Single Loop yet.
This is the entry point into USFS free skate testing, so the focus is clean technique, not difficulty. Your child is showing judges they can control basic jumping motion with good posture, a quiet upper body, and a checked landing.
One technical note parents often get confused about: the Salchow takes off from a back inside edge (skating backward), not a forward edge. If your child is stepping forward into it, that is a common early-stage habit worth flagging to the coach.
Test requirements can shift slightly between test book versions, so always verify current elements with your coach or usfigureskating.org before test day.
Want to see this in your child's skating? SkateMarks analyzes every jump with per-second AI coaching notes.