PSIA-certified Level II alpine instructors must be able to ski all green and blue terrain (including bumps and other un-groomed conditions) and groomed, moderate black terrain.PSIA-certified Level II alpine instructors are expected to teach adults and children through Level 7.
The Alpine Level II assessment involves two parts:
- An online professional knowledge exam
- A three-day assessment
You must take and pass each part. The online professional knowledge assessment must be passed with at least a score of at least 83% before registering for the on-snow assessment. A passing score on the professional knowledge assessment is valid once it is passed. Once you have taken the Professional Knowledge assessment and passed it you do not need to retake it, even if you do not pass on the on-snow portion.
You are also required to take Alpine Level II prep clinics before attempting this assessment, the requirements have changed please see below:
Attend any 2 of the below 3 options below within a 3-year period before attending the assessment (they can be done in any order):
- Teach/People Prep – 2 days
- Technical/People Prep – 2 days
- Mock Assessment Prep – 2 days
**NOTE: If a candidate is unsuccessful at an on-snow assessment, they must attend one of the above clinics before attending another on-snow assessment.
***NOTE: To honor the “expiration date” of last season’s Alpine Level II Preps, anyone who took the 3-day prep from Dec 2022 to March 2023 can take the assessment this season. However, we encourage participation in the on-snow clinics. Starting the 2024-25 season, all candidates will be under the above.***
If the above description is sufficient for your understanding, feel free to stop reading here!
However, if you’d like to know more about the reasoning behind these changes, please read on by clicking on the plus sign on the left.
The alteration from a single 3-day prep clinic to a series of 2-day courses enables attendees to focus their growth of knowledge and skill more specifically. These courses are designed to enable you to choose which triangle of the Learning Connection you want to grow and to enable practice in a more pressured environment of a mock assessment.
Here are some quick descriptions of the three choices of on-snow prep courses. The Teach Prep will focus on teaching, allowing time for attendees to teach to their peers, incorporate feedback and enhance the understanding of the Teaching Fundamentals and the assessment criteria. The Tech Prep will focus on demonstrating different blending of skills and the communication of movement analysis. In other words, this is where you would work on Assessment Activities and giving/receiving/incorporating feedback.
The Assessmemt Prep is a 2-day mock assessment set up with just one education staff member. The clinic will be run as an assessment, focusing on giving feedback relative to the candidate’s performance as if the assessment were that day. The mock assessment will give those that want/need the exposure and experience of the assessment environment, though it is not an actual assessment.
The on-snow portion of the assessment consists of a three-day interactive assessment focusing on teaching, understanding and performing effective movement patterns in skiing. This will involve demonstrations, tasks, free skiing and teaching segments. The tasks, demonstrations and teaching segments are designed to allow every candidate the opportunity to demonstrate that they meet the PSIA Alpine Certification Standards (Level II).
All parts of the assessment are scored and you will be given written and verbal feedback at the end.
The Alpine Level II Professional Knowledge Exam is now handled on the PSIA-AASI website. You will then see the online exams that you are eligible to take. Remember that professional knowledge exams must be completed successfully before signing up for any on-snow assessment.
1. Why did you change the requirement again!?
We want you to gain the training and in-depth practice time the old 3-day prep didn’t allow. In the past, we tried to do this in 3 separate one-day options but found the candidates needed two whole days per teach/people and tech/ people to meet their training needs. Four days total of prep will give each participant a much more thorough understanding and direction of what and how to train to succeed at the exam.
2. What happens if I don’t pass the on-snow assessment?
If a candidate is unsuccessful at the assessment, they are then required to attend any option they desire of the on-snow prep before they can attend the on-snow assessment again. The assessors will recommend which prep course(s) would be most beneficial for the candidate before attending another on-snow assessment.
Recommended Certificates
- Children’s Specialist 1
- Freestyle Specialist 1
Related Documents
- PSIA Alpine Certification Standards
- PSIA Certified Level II Assessment Forms
- PSIA Certified Level II Alpine Professional Knowledge Exam
Reference Materials
We recommend that you take a look at the online store on the PSIA website. The following books are extremely helpful to your career and professional development as a ski instructor:
- Alpine Technical Manual
- Core Concepts Manual
- Teaching Snowsports Manual
- Children’s Alpine Teaching Handbook
