How are dressage movements marked?
B · Beginner · The test · 2 of 3Each judge gives every numbered movement a mark from 0 to 10, where 10 is excellent, 5 is sufficient and 0 means the movement was not performed. Half marks may be used. Some harder movements count double through a coefficient. One collective mark at the end covers harmony and the pair's training.
How it works
- The range: "from zero (0) to ten (10) by each Judge, zero (0) being the lowest and ten (10) the highest mark".
- The words: 10 excellent, 9 very good, 8 good, 7 fairly good, 6 satisfactory, 5 sufficient, 4 insufficient, 3 fairly bad, 2 bad, 1 very bad, 0 not executed.
- Half marks: from 0.5 to 9.5, at the judge's discretion.
- Not executed: "practically nothing of the required movement has been performed".
- What is marked: all movements and certain transitions, each numbered on the sheet.
- Coefficients: certain difficult movements and the collective mark can count more than once. The FEI fixes which.
- The collective mark: given after the performance "for Harmony and demonstration of the Training Scale".
- Remarks: judges should give a reason, especially for marks of 5 and below.
- Final: once a sheet is signed and handed in, a judge cannot change a mark.
- Independent: each judge marks separately, and no running score should be visible to the judges during a test.
The glossary has the marks and percentage entry, the collective marks entry, the movement and the judges.
Tricky cases
Is a 10 ever given?
Yes. The scale runs to 10 for excellent, and nothing in the rules holds it back. It is rare in practice.
What mark does a movement get if the horse does something else instead?
It depends on how much of the movement was shown. A 0 is for when practically nothing of it was performed.
Do all movements count the same?
No. Some carry a coefficient, usually 2, so their mark is counted twice.
Can a judge go back and raise a mark after seeing the rest of the test?
No, not once the sheet has been signed and handed in. Before that, a corrected mark must be initialled.
Why the rule exists
Marking each movement separately means one mistake costs one mark and not the whole test, and it gives the rider a sheet that says exactly where the points went. The words attached to the numbers are there so that a 7 means the same thing from every judge.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Set tests | Whole and half marks | FEI Dressage 423.4 |
| Freestyle | Half marks for technique, tenths for the artistic marks | FEI Dressage 423.6 |
| Young horse tests | Marks in tenths | FEI Dressage 423.7 |
From the rule book
Fédération Équestre Internationale, Dressage Rules 2026, articles 421, 423, 425.1 and 426.4. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: FEI Dressage Rules 2026 (PDF).