What are the program components and how are they marked?

There are three program components, each marked by every judge from 0.25 to 10.0 in 0.25 steps:

• Composition: the intentional, developed and/or original arrangement of all types of movements into a meaningful whole, using proportion, unity, space, pattern and musical structure.
• Presentation: the demonstration of engagement, commitment and involvement based on an understanding of the music and composition.
• Skating Skills: the ability to execute the skating repertoire of steps, turns and skating movements with blade and body control (including variety and clarity of edges, balance and glide, flow, and power and speed). In pairs, unison is part of Skating Skills.

Mark bands (ISU Communication 2788): 10 Outstanding, 9.75 Excellent, 9.00-9.50 or 8.00-8.75 Very good, 7.00-7.75 Good, 6.00-6.75 Above average, 5.00-5.75 Average, 4.00-4.75 Below average, 3.00-3.75 Weak, 2.00-2.75 Poor, 1.00-1.75 Very poor, 0.25-0.75 Extremely poor.

Serious errors: falls and mistakes that break the delivery of the program. With one serious error, each component is capped at 9.50. With two or more, the cap is 8.75. A fall by both partners in pairs counts as two errors.

Sources: ISU Communication 2788 (Season 2026/27), https://isa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2788-SP-Levels-and-GOE-2026-Updated-MAY-19-1779351385-9626.pdf (national federation copy of the ISU communication); Skate Canada, https://info.skatecanada.ca/index.php/en-ca/rules-of-sport/52-marking-of-skate-canada-competitions.html