Nordic Proficiency Awards

Welcome to the Nordic Proficiency Awards home page!

The newly developed Nordic Proficiency Awards are a new national framework for progressing cross-country skiing skills. Designed for all ages starting from participant’s first time on skis ranging up to a competent cross-country skier who would not be out of place skiing on a World Cup homologated course!

The proficiency awards aim to:

Standardise
Create a common understanding of cross-country ski technique
Communicate
Clearly share expectations for coaching qualifications and pathway programmes

Support
Provide our coaches with a technical progression framework
Motivate
Inspire by highlighting personal learning opportunities

Proficiency Levels

The scheme is based on 9 levels, which can all be completed on snow or roller skis. The boxes below set out the levels, you can use the buttons at the top to toggle to a description of what you might be working on at each level:

Level 1

If you’ve never tried cross-country or roller skis before, then you would be introduced to level 1 material in your first session. No prior experience required!

Level 2

Given cross-country / roller skiing a try? Maybe been to a taster session, but still looking for some instruction and support? Then you are probably working towards your level two award. On roller skis it is also the “safe to roller ski” award that lets you hire equipment and ski at facilities unsupervised.

Level 3

At level 3, you’re comfortable standing and moving around on skis and ready to learn some more complex and technique specific skills. Achieving this proficiency level is required for the Foundation (level 1) Coaching Qualification.

Level 4

At level 4, you’re no longer a beginner, you’ll be working on really finessing your ability to perform and switch between all the sub-techniques. This is the proficiency level for entering the development stage of the performance pathway.

Level 5

If you are working towards your level 5, you are competent in all sub-techniques and looking at sustaining momentum and utilising the terrain.

Level 6

If you are comfortable skiing on a wide variety of terrains and working on smooth transitions between tempos and techniques with topography, you’re working towards level 6.

Level 7

At level 7, you’re starting to really focus on fine tuning your timing and control of your technique. You’re a proficient skier, comfortable on a variety of terrain and skiing for extended periods of time.

Level 8

Level 8 is all about power. If you’re looking at how you get more oomph and are confident in your forward lean, your jump skates and that pole slam, you’re working towards your level 8.

Level 9

Can you ski a 5 km world cup homologated course continuously and in control? Then congratulations! You’ve hit the top of our proficiency awards. Welcome to level 9!

Level Achievements

Work is underway to link the levels with recognisable achievements:

First Experience – level 1 is our first experience badge, depending on your age and stage this could take a couple of hours up to a block of sessions to achieve. Welcome to cross-country skiing.
Safe to Roller Ski – level 2 is all about getting you comfortable and confident on roller skis, we’re aiming for this badge to allow you to hire equipment independently at our centres that hold roller ski kit.
Foundation Proficiency – level 3 is the technical standard required to do a foundation (level 1) coaching qualification. You need to demonstrate level 3 proficiency in both skate and classic (and also meet the other prerequisites) before attending a course. More details on our Coaching Qualifications page.
Development Proficiency – level 4 is the technical standard for entering our Nordic Development pathway.

More info on the mission, vision and how the awards work in this video. You can use the chapter guides to jump to sections of interest.

Full Assessment Criteria

Nordic Proficiency Awards

This PDF has the assessment criteria for all levels of the Nordic Proficiency Awards. It is designed as a reference manual for Proficiency Award assessors, but participants are welcome to have a look at what they will be assessed on and what skills and outcomes are coming up next!

Click on the thumbnail to open the Assessment Criteria as a PDF Flipbook.

Each level of the proficiency award is broken down into Core, Classic, Skate and Snow criteria. Participants can achieve a full level award or a technique award.

Award	Required Criteria
Level Award	Core + Classic + Skate
Skate Award	Core + Skate
Classic Award	Core + Classic
Snow Award	Core + Classic + Snow

The Nordic Proficiency Award Assessment Criteria is reviewed annually in April. As we want to make sure that the criteria is clear, fair and fit for purpose, we welcome input to the review from assessors, coaches, and participants who are interacting with the assessment criteria.

Raise for review

Getting Involved

The Nordic Proficiency Awards are a free resource to our clubs, centres and coaches, which can be used to run proficiency specific courses or within pre-existing club programmes.

Looking for a course? Check out our Course and Coaching Calendar for any upcoming proficiency sessions or courses.
Looking to run a course? Contact sarah@snowsportscotland.org for more info.

After attending a course, you will receive a progress report from your approved assessor, which can be uploaded to your Snowsport Scotland Sportlomo account to receive your award certificate. This is optional, but you may be required to upload a proficiency progress report to cover off your “personal skiing” credential for a coaching qualification or if you’d like to hire roller skis without instruction at a centre or hub.

Appointed Assessors

Your Nordic proficiency achievements will be signed-off by our appointed assessors who have gone through assessor training and are registered with us as an individual member or through a member club.

Our assessors can be volunteers, coaches or parent helpers who are actively engaged in delivering cross-country ski activity. The levels they can assess are dependent on their coaching qualifications and experience.

Qualification	Assessment remit
No coaching qualification	Levels 1 and 2 in a session set up by a qualified coach
Foundation Coach	Levels 1 – 4
Performance Coach or higher	All levels

Assessor Nominations

Clubs and facilities will be able to nominate individuals for assessor training. SSS will get in touch to arrange. Individuals are also able to nominate themselves.

Nominate an Assessor

Assessor Zone

This is an area for appointed assessors to access Proficiency Award resources, including progress tracking and reporting sheets, criteria by level, and assessment set-up suggestions.

You will need your Assessor Password at hand to access the page.

Assessor Zone Access

Currently Appointed Assessors

This list was updated: 20/01/23

Coach	Levels
Alex Standen	1-2
Andy Millar	1-9
Angus Maclean	1-2
Brian McInroy	1-2
Elizabeth Massie	1-9
Fern Cates	1-2
Frank Musgrave	1-2
Kirstie MacLeod	1-2
Maureen Douglas	1-2
Peter Thomson	1-2
Sarah Young	1-9