How are figure skating competitions judged?

Figure skating events are scored on the points-based International Judging System (IJS) that the ISU introduced in 2004, which replaced the “6.0 system” that was often controversial because it depended upon the subjectivity of judges. (The 6.0 system is still used in some lower-level competitions not overseen by the ISU.) The IJS consists of two parts: the technical score and the presentation score. The technical score is determined by a five-member Technical Panel that assigns a “grade of execution” (+3, +2, +1, 0, −1, −2, or −3) for each element of a skater’s performance. This grade is then added to or subtracted from each element’s preassigned point value (which varies based on the difficulty of each element), and the results are added together to create the technical score. The presentation score is determined by a group of up to nine judges, who grade the presentation based on five components: skating skills, transitions, performance, composition, and interpretation of the music/timing. The judges grade each component on a scale of 0.25 to 10 points in 0.25-point increments. The technical and presentation scores are then added together to give the final score for a performance.