Ratings | Cheryl Faust

Virtual Ratings Updates

We are so excited to announce that our July inaugural Virtual Ratings Site was a huge success! With a passing rate of 97%, our brave candidates did a fantastic job! Our examiners were exemplary and we only had some minor glitches to contend with on Zoom, which were handled with ease.

Our September 25-27 Virtual Master Site filled up immediately and we are preparing as it quickly approaches.

We have made a few updates to make the Virtual Exam process even better. Disciplines that have a written exam component (Group, Program Director, Moves, Choreography, and Free Skate) will now have what we call “initial assessment”. Our discipline chairs have edited the written exams to have true/false and short answer to become the “initial assessment”. These questions will be asked at the beginning of the exam. Drawings of turns, jumps, spins and patterns will still be part of the exam.

Are you ready to start working toward a rating exam? Remember—all the study guides are on the website for you to download for free!

Besides, the study guide, here are my top three recommendations when preparing for an exam:

1. Record yourself coaching. Just voice record, not video.

You’ll be surprised to hear that you don’t speak in full sentences!

2. Video record your walk-throughs on the ground. Speak as you walk through to explain each picture you are creating with your body.

3. Practice drawings! Take a marker and find the element on the ice and trace over it. Take a picture of it and practice drawing that picture in your notebook. Be able to discuss the marks that appear.

Remember that master rated examiners are everywhere across the country and are willing to help you! Contact me at any time to get connected with a master rated examiner.

No matter where you are or what is happening around you, the PSA is here for you to further your coaching education, which helps you and your athletes succeed.

As always feel free to contact me at any time!

In their words...

• Really like the virtual rating, especially right now with the pandemic.

• I had a very good experience, and loved getting constructive criticism and tips at the end of my exam!

• It was a really great experience! Thank you!

• Thank you for all your support throughout this process and for making my first rating exam an incredible experience.

• I enjoyed the virtual format.

• I was nervous about the ratings exam being held virtually, and more specifically about the written portion becoming oral too. But I had an overall great experience and received very good feedback from my examiners.

• Great experience; I appreciate how organized everything was beforehand to make the online rating exam possible.

• Just wanted to thank all those involved with the process of the inaugural virtual ratings exam.

• During this pandemic season with the loss of income, the amount of money I was able to save by doing the Summit and my Ratings Exam virtually was a blessing.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

If you are interested in validating your skating skills and teaching experience, visit skatepsa.com to learn about the PSA Rating System. A rated coach is an assurance that this individual is qualified to instruct at the level in which they are rated regardless of personal background and skating achievement.