The National Qualifying Series (NQS) consists of existing nonqualifying competitions that have been earmarked by USFSA to be part of the U.S. Figure Skating Qualifying Season. Skaters competing in singles, pairs, and ice dance at juvenile through senior levels earn scores which provide them with a regional, sectional, and national ranking within their registered level. They are also competing to advance to the Sectional Singles, U.S. Ice Dance Finals and U.S. Pairs Finals held in November.

Skaters wishing to participate in this series must register for it via EMS before their first NQS competition. Note that all competitions are held starting in July through early October (see the list of competitions). Registering for NQS is critical for advancement since skaters qualify for finals based on their NQS ranking and not their final standing at any individual competition.

Singles skaters may register and compete in a maximum of 3 approved NQS competitions for the season. Pairs and ice dance teams may register and compete in as many competitions as they like – they do not have a registration limit. All skaters must register for and compete in at least 1 NQS competition in order to post a score and potentially advance to Sectional Singles, U.S. Ice Dance Finals, or U.S. Pairs Finals.

Since there are limited opportunities for singles skaters to compete in qualifying competitions, these skaters are encouraged to compete in nonqualifying competitions to hone their skills, try out new elements in their programs, and gain additional competition experience.

For more details, see the NQS Participant Handbook or visit the USFSA NQS Competition Central page for all the latest news.