Parent's Guide to Skate Canada STARSkate All Ages 2026-27

STARSkate covers five disciplines: Skills, Freeskate (singles), Ice Dance, Synchronized Skating and Artistic Skating. Skate Canada's page also lists Pairs as a pathway.

Skate Canada's 2025-26 STAR reminders say all five disciplines must be included in every STAR 1-5 skater's training program. They do not need to be taught every day, but each must appear in the program. Freeskate and Dance assessments are split into elements and program parts; Synchro assessments cover STAR 2 to 4 only.

Per Skate Canada's STAR assessment rules:

• STAR 1-5: all assessments are coach-assessed. Freeskate is done on club sessions.
• STAR 6-Gold: Skills and Artistic can be coach-assessed or Evaluator-assessed. Freeskate and Dance must be Evaluator-assessed.

An Evaluator must be at least 16 years old and hold a qualification in at least one discipline. Each assessment has one Evaluator or coach assessor, who must hold the matching discipline qualification.

Per Skate Canada's STAR assessment rules, Freeskate and Dance assessments (STAR 1 to Gold) are rated Gold, Silver or Bronze, with Silver as the passing standard.

Re-skates: up to two elements in Freeskate elements or Dance Step elements; Skills and Synchro allow the number listed on each assessment. Each element can be re-skated only once, and the better attempt counts. The candidate chooses whether to re-skate immediately or at the end of that portion.

Skate Canada's STAR assessment rules set these passing counts (elements at Silver or better):

Skate Canada updated the requirements for STAR 5 and Gold Free Skate effective July 1, 2026, so STAR 5 is not shown here. Synchro assessments cover STAR 2 to 4 only, with teams of 6 to 12 skaters.

From Skate Canada's STAR 1-5 delivery standards and STAR assessment rules:

• For STAR 1-5, skaters are assessed when they are ready, following a clear assessment procedure set with coaches. Skaters receive their result and assessment sheet on the day of the assessment, and results go to Skate Canada monthly (the advanced standard is online within one week).
• A STAR 6-Gold assessment session can last a few hours at one rink or span several days and ice surfaces.
• A skater can register only once for the same assessment per session.
• After an unsuccessful assessment, Skate Canada recommends waiting 24 hours before retrying.
• The club or skating school must submit results and fees to Skate Canada within three weeks.

Skate Canada's 2026-27 fee notice lists an assessment fee of $15.00 and a challenge fee of $75.00 (which includes the assessment fee). Skate Canada's STAR assessment rules add:

• The standard fee is paid before the assessment, and each element, program or dance is charged separately.
• A challenge (attempting a level without having passed the earlier levels, allowed for certain assessments) is $60 per part in addition to the standard fee.
• Clubs and skating schools cannot charge more than the official fee, except a possible administrative charge covering actual costs (no profit, disclosed in advance). No administrative charge applies to STAR 1-5 or coach-assessed Skills.
• All fees are payable regardless of the result.

Skaters must be currently registered with Skate Canada before an assessment; the assessment coordinator must confirm this, and the skater's Skate Canada number must appear on assessment and summary sheets. Skaters register through their club or skating school.

Skate Canada's 2026-27 registrant fees, effective August 1, 2026, are:

• Skate Canada registrant fee: $30.00
• Safe Sport fee: $5.00
• Injury Benefit: $0.70
• Section registrant fees vary by province or territory (for example $25.00 in PE and MB, $42.50 in SK).

Registration for 2026-27 opened through the Membership Site on Monday, August 17, 2026.

Skate Canada's STAR 1-5 minimum delivery standards say:

• A coach (NCCP Regional Coach In-training or higher) must be on the ice at all times, and coaches teaching STAR 1-5 must wear skates.
• Coach-directed time must be at least 75% for STAR 1-2, 50% for STAR 3-4 and 25% for STAR 5. At least 25% of training time must be in a class format.
• At least 90% of skaters should be moving during all session time.
• Every session has a set warm-up and cool-down plan, and each skater gets one-on-one attention during lesson time.
• Clubs must hold at least one parent information or interaction session per season.

The 2025-26 season reminders add that clubs must provide at least 25% of class time to STAR 1-5 skaters.

Skate Canada's STAR competition program requirements tie entry to assessments already passed. Examples for freeskate:

• STAR 1 to STAR 4: the skater must not have passed any part of the STAR 6 freeskate assessment.
• STAR 6 to STAR 9: the skater must have passed the complete STAR 5 freeskate assessment.
• STAR 10: the complete STAR 8 freeskate assessment.
• Gold: the complete STAR 8 freeskate assessment.

Age rules: STAR 1, 2 and 3 have no age restrictions. STAR 4 and STAR 5 may use up to three age groups: Under 10, Under 13 and 13 and over. From STAR 6 upwards, skaters may be grouped by age if numbers warrant.

Freeskate program assessments can also be taken at a competition where the organizing committee offers them, and must then be done by a qualified Evaluator separate from the officiating panel.