How Figure Skating Scoring Works: GOE and PCS

Updated: October 13, 2026

That distinction explains why a technically demanding program does not automatically earn the highest score: execution matters element by element, while PCS captures qualities that shape the performance as a whole. Here’s how figure skating scoring works and how GOE and PCS fit together.

Score element	What it assesses	Scale or calculation
TES	Jumps, spins, step sequences and other elements	Element base values adjusted by GOE
GOE	Execution of an individual element	−5 to +5; added to or subtracted from base value
PCS	Program qualities, including skating skills and performance	0.25 to 10
TSS	Total for the segment	TES + PCS − deductions

How is a figure-skating segment score calculated?

The Total Segment Score (TSS) is calculated by adding the Technical Element Score (TES) and Program Component Score (PCS), then subtracting any deductions: TSS = TES + PCS − deductions. TES and PCS score different parts of a figure-skating program: the elements performed and the way the overall program is delivered.

TES covers credited technical elements such as jumps, spins and step sequences. Each element has a base value, adjusted by its Grade of Execution (GOE), which ranges from −5 to +5; GOE can raise or lower the value of an element. PCS, by contrast, evaluates the program’s presentation through skating skills, transitions, performance and composition, using marks from 0.25 to 10.

Deductions are subtracted from the combined TES and PCS, rather than added as a third source of points. For example, a deduction lowers the TSS even if the skater has earned points for both technical elements and program components.

What does the Technical Element Score measure?

The Technical Element Score (TES) measures the value of a skater’s individual elements—jumps, spins and step sequences—adjusted for how well each is performed. It is distinct from the Program Component Score (PCS), which evaluates the program’s overall presentation.

Base value and element identification

Each element has a base value, and the technical panel’s identification determines which value is entered for that performance. A harder element carries a higher base value, but that value is not the element’s final contribution: judges assess its Grade of Execution (GOE), which can raise or lower the points.

The International Skating Union’s figure-skating explainer describes the sequence: the element’s base value is determined, then judges assess its execution through GOE. The scale runs from +5 to -5, so the same identified element can contribute differently depending on its execution.

How does GOE change an element’s value?

GOE changes an element’s value by adding or subtracting points from its base value, with judges grading execution on a scale from −5 to +5. This is an element-by-element assessment: two jumps of the same type can contribute different amounts if one is executed better.

For a jump, the landing is one concrete detail that can affect the GOE. The ISU’s explainer uses a beautifully landed jump as an example of positive execution; the mark adjusts that jump’s base value rather than changing the value assigned to every element in the program.

GOE is not PCS

GOE applies to an individual technical element, such as a jump, spin or step sequence. The Program Component Score (PCS) is separate: it assesses the program’s broader presentation, including skating skills, transitions, performance and composition, on a scale from 0.25 to 10. In short, GOE answers how well a particular element was performed; PCS evaluates qualities of the program as a whole.

What does the Program Component Score assess?

Program Component Score (PCS) assesses how well a skater presents and constructs the performance as a whole; it does not assign a base value to each jump, spin or sequence. Skating skills, transitions, performance and composition are the criteria, with marks ranging from 0.25 to 10.

What the component marks describe

These criteria address different aspects of the program, rather than the difficulty and execution value of individual elements. U.S. Figure Skating describes its three program components as being marked in 0.25-point increments, so judges’ marks move in quarter-point steps across the stated scale.

• Skating skills: assesses the skating itself as part of the program.
• Transitions: considers the links between elements.
• Performance: evaluates how the skater presents the program.
• Composition: considers how the program is put together.

U.S. Figure Skating’s scoring-system page also describes how component marks are combined: the highest and lowest mark for each component are removed, and the remaining marks are averaged. This trimmed average contributes to PCS, keeping the component score focused on the judges’ marks that remain after those two extremes are excluded.

Why can a difficult element still score poorly?

A difficult figure-skating element can still contribute fewer points than its base value suggests because its Grade of Execution (GOE) can add to or subtract from that value. Difficulty sets the starting point; execution affects the element’s technical contribution.

Common scoring misunderstandings

GOE and Program Component Score (PCS) describe different parts of a skate. GOE assesses an individual technical element, such as a jump, spin or step sequence, on a scale from -5 to +5; PCS separately evaluates the program’s skating skills, transitions, performance and composition, on a scale from 0.25 to 10.

Keeping those marks distinct clarifies why a skater can earn technical points for elements while receiving a different assessment for the program’s overall qualities.

What should you check when reading a result?

When reading a figure-skating result, start with the Total Segment Score (TSS): it combines the Technical Element Score (TES) and Program Component Score (PCS), then subtracts any deductions. Check the breakdown rather than treating the TSS as a single measure: TES records the technical elements, while PCS reflects the programme’s presentation.

• Technical detail: Look for the listed jumps, spins and step sequences, each element’s base value, and its Grade of Execution (GOE). GOE marks run from −5 to +5 and adjust the credit for how an element was performed.
• Program presentation: Check the component marks and the scale stated for the event. The range is 0.25 to 10; the U.S. Figure Skating scoring page specifies increments of 0.25 and says the highest and lowest marks for each component are removed before the rest are averaged. Check the event’s published rules before assuming that trimmed averaging applies.

Component arrangements also need checking: the U.S. Figure Skating page describes three program components, while skating skills, transitions, performance and composition are four criteria. Don’t assume those descriptions use an identical arrangement; read the event’s rules to see which components are listed and how they contribute to PCS.

The short version

• TSS combines TES and PCS, then subtracts deductions.
• GOE ranges from −5 to +5 and adjusts an element’s base value.
• PCS assesses program qualities such as skating skills, transitions and performance.
• U.S. Figure Skating describes three components scored from 0.25 to 10 in 0.25 increments.

Common questions

Sources

• isu-skating.com — “How do you score points in Figure Skating?”
• olympics.com — “How does the figure skating points system work?”
• Adults Skate Too LLC — “What Is a Good Figure Skating Score? A Quick Reference Guide”
• usfigureskating.org — “Scoring System – U.S. Figure Skating”
• Krigor Studio — “How Figure Skating Scoring Works: GOE, PCS & IJS Explained”