The test structure is the backbone of U.S. Figure Skating. Passing skill tests presided over by official judges advances the skater to the next level. Skaters test in Skating Skills, Free Skating, Pairs, and Ice Dance. As a skater advances, the tests become more difficult. The highest achievement in each discipline is passing the senior, also called "gold," test. When a skater passes a gold test, he or she earns the designation "U.S. Figure Skating Gold Medalist."  Becoming a U.S. Figure Skating Gold Medalist is the culmination of many years of hard work and dedication to the sport. In a typical year, approximately 40,000 U.S. Figure Skating test levels are completed by athletes; of those, about 1,300, or 3 percent, are at the gold or senior level.