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What's the difference between the Free Skate test and the Moves in the Field test?
TL;DR
USFS uses two parallel test tracks at every level — Free Skate (tests jumps, spins, and program elements) and Moves in the Field (tests skating skills like edges, turns, and stroking). Skaters must pass BOTH tracks at each level to move up. Many parents don't realize MIF exists until their skater hits a wall on it.
When parents first learn about USFS testing, they often think there's "one test per level." There are actually two — and the second one (Moves in the Field) trips up more skaters than the jumps test does.
Free Skate test
- Tests jumps, spins, and a step sequence — the elements that look like a performance
- Performed to music, in a structured short program
- Required elements grow level by level: Pre-Preliminary needs Waltz Jump, Single Salchow, Single Toe Loop; Preliminary adds Loop, Flip, Lutz, plus a combination; higher levels add the Single Axel, then doubles, then triples
Moves in the Field (MIF) test
- Tests skating skills — the foundation that jumps and spins sit on top of
- No music, no program — the skater performs prescribed patterns: perimeter stroking, basic edges, three-turns, mohawks, brackets, counters, etc.
- Each pattern has very specific judging criteria for edge quality, posture, power, and consistency
- Required patterns get more complex level by level — Pre-Preliminary MIF includes basic edges and the Waltz Eight; higher levels add more advanced turns and edge work
Why both exist
Free Skate measures performance. MIF measures the underlying skating skills that make performance possible. A skater can have a beautiful Single Lutz and still fail a basic edges pattern — they're testing different things.
Order matters less than you think
There's no rule that you have to pass MIF before Free Skate at the same level (or vice versa). Most coaches alternate — pass Pre-Preliminary MIF, then Pre-Preliminary Free Skate, then Preliminary MIF, then Preliminary Free Skate, etc. But some skaters pass several Free Skate tests while still working through one MIF level. That's not unusual.
Why MIF often slows skaters down more than Free Skate
- MIF demands carved edges that hold their shape, not skidded ones — this takes time to develop
- Body posture, knee bend, and arm position matter as much as the foot pattern
- There's no "performance" cushion — the test is about technique discipline, not flair
- Coaches sometimes underweight MIF practice in favor of jump practice because jumps are more fun
If your skater is stuck on a MIF level for several months, that's normal. Edge quality is one of the hardest things to teach and learn in skating.
Both tracks must be passed
You cannot move up to the next level (e.g., compete at Preliminary level events that require having passed Preliminary tests) without passing both Free Skate and MIF at the current level.
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