Vancouver Island Judges Bureau

Guidelines for Test Days

At the end of the skating season each year

- check your supply of test sheets and summary sheets to make sure you have a supply ready of most current forms for the next season.

3 weeks (21 days) before test day:

- obtain test list from coaches

2 weeks (14 days) before test day:

- coaches will give you their scratches and or additional tests - this is the final test list - any scratches after this point, except for medical reasons, must be entered on the summary sheet as a Retry and the fees must be paid

- submit tentative test list to area coordinator and give out test envelopes or sheets for each participating skater

- these envelopes list all of the tests the skater will try and the fees

-the envelopes must be returned to you prior to test day with the test fees

-call revised list in to area coordinator who will finalize his/her schedule

- line up helpers for the test day - you will need:

- 1 or 2 runners for test papers, coffee, messages, etc.

- a timer with a stop watch if there will be any freeskate tests

- an ice captain (works at the gate getting skaters on and off the ice etc. )

- music players, preferably one to watch the judges and skaters and one to operate the tape deck, CD player

- food person - responsible for arranging food for the officials and workers - I am told that they (the judges) would prefer not to have chili - often soup and sandwiches with some sweets are ok - also have coffee and muffins etc. ready when they first arrive

-audit room help - you may be needed at ice level so it pays to have someone to do the paperwork or whatever if you are not available

- if the day will be a long one if may be wise to schedule your workers in shifts - it can get awfully cold standing by the gate for 6 hours

-arrange for a room to use as an audit room - this room will be off limits to everyone but you, the judges and anyone you designate as audit room helpers - this especially applies to coaches, results are only to be made available first to the coach if available and then parent then if no coach or parent to the skater , it is up to you to keep these results confidential

- you will also need a room where the judges can eat - some prefer to eat alone and others are quite willing to share a room with the test day workers and others - you will need to check with your judges

1 week (7 days) before test day;

- the area coordinator will call you with a schedule as soon as possible - sometimes there are problems contacting judges of other difficulties that hold things up

- post the schedule (without names of the Judges on the list) and tell skaters what time they need to be at the arena (usually one hour before their test is scheduled)

- prepare all test papers and summary sheets, filling in all information (remember to put summary sheet # on each test paper)

- use a separate summary sheet for each evaluator - more than one test can be on each sheet as long as the same judge/evaluator did each test - they will sign in the appropriate place for each test - any other clubs attending your test day will fill out test papers and summary sheets for their skaters

-if you do have skaters coming from another club make arrangements to get their test papers (and summary sheets) well in advance of the test day - I have found it too confusing and too stressful to have the skaters bring their own papers the day of the tests - this will give you time to review the papers, correct any mistakes and put the papers in their correct order on the judge's clipboard

Test Day

- try to arrive at the arena one hour before your judges arrive

- make sure that the judges room/audit room are easy to find - you may need to post signs

- put each judge's test papers, a copy of the schedule, and two sharp pencils on a clip board ready for them to pick up when they arrive

- put the coffee on

-confirm that your workers have arrived and they know what their jobs are - each of them should have a schedule too

runner - stands near the judges to carry completed test papers to the audit room, relay information to or from the judges etc.

timer - sits near the judges with a stop watch to time free skate programs

ice captain - is in charge of getting the skaters on the ice, making sure the next skater is ready, keeping order at the gate, relaying information or requests to or from the judge, answering questions etc.

-try to start the tests on time

- your main job on test day is to make sure that things are running smoothly - being visible in the arena and making yourself available to answer questions can head off trouble before it starts - remember after the judge YOU are in charge of the test day and what you say, goes

-as the completed test papers come into the audit room you and/or your helpers check the results on the test paper - i.e. addition, incorrectly marked boxes (if there is a mistake refer back to the judge, no one can change a paper except the judge)

-when the results are confirmed enter the results on the summary sheet - keep the test paper with the summary sheet until the judge is available to sign it

-if the judge will be looking at tests for quite a while some of them are willing to sign summary sheets during skater's warm ups so that those skaters who are waiting for results can leave - ask your judges if this is okay

- when the judge/evaluator has signed the summary sheet the results of the test may be released to the skater or their coach (or parents) - this is done by handing out the bottom part of the test paper with the results clearly written on it - either a P or an RT written in red prevents mistakes

-please make sure that no one "leaks" results or allows anyone to see the test papers before the judge has checked the results and signed the summary sheet - there is too much room for error if all of the checks and balances are not carried out and skates could be given the wrong information - this is why you need to keep everyone out of the audit room

- only release the test papers to the appropriate people - no one has any business looking at them unless the skater allows it

- as summary sheets (3 copies) are signed and completed remove the middle yellow copy (or one copy if you only have photocopies) and put it aside to send to Mel Pettett (Region Statistician) along with a completed Judges Committee Computer Form (one for each judge/evaluator) - the one copy goes, along with the test fees, to the Skate Canada and the other stays in your club records as does the top of the test paper for out of club skates keep one sheet to submit along with your own and give everything else to the skater's home club

-when a judge is finished for the day have an expense sheet ready for them to fill out and have your club treasurer available to write them a cheque right away

- a thank you note and or a small gift for the judges is often appropriate as are thank yous for your test day workers

- as soon as possible - certainly within two weeks - after your test day submit your summary sheets to the appropriate places - there is nothing to be gained by holding onto the paper work and the Skate Canada is saying that it will not credit skaters with tests if the information is not received within three weeks

-remember to send $3.00 per test to the Judges Bureau (Region Treasurer – Judy Burwash) and to send the Statistician reports to Mel Pettett.

Tips for the Statistician reports:

(i) 1 judge per sheet i.e. 6 judges 6 sheets

(ii)compare number of tests on summary sheet with number of tests on stat sheets

(iii)Arena name - use club name (error on form - I think now corrected on form)

(iv)use a highlighter to help Mel pick out the test info from the stat sheet

(v)Stapling summary sheets to stat sheet is helpful

(vi)the club hosting the test day submits the summary sheets and stat sheets to Mel

Suggestions on how to handle special situations relating to central test day ice costs:

•include the cost of ice rental charged during ice cleans and any left over ice not used at the end of the day - the way to calculate this and bill each club is divide the cost of the extra ice (ice cleans and left over ice) by the number of tests taken and then multiply that number by the number of tests taken by each club and add that to the account sent to the club for the ice rental used for tests

•the above procedure regarding unused ice would ordinarily not apply when a club cancels its regular sessions to be used as a test day but has had enough advance warning that they do not need all of the ice so that they could have their club use the ice for one of their own sessions - so the other clubs would not have to cover the cost of that additional ice