How to read a ski instructor's certification: APSI, CASI, CSIA, NZSIA, and what Levels 1 to 4 mean

The short answer

In all four systems a higher number means a higher level, and a rarer one. These certifications are all widely held, with exams run in Japan, China and in each system's home country.

What each level can teach

A Level 3 exam usually includes a component on how to bring someone up to Level 1, which is why Level 3 and above is generally taken to mean a coach who can train other coaches.

A certification is a qualification, not teaching experience

Passing the exam means you are qualified to teach. What it cannot show is the method, the approach and the judgement. Between two Level 3 coaches, one who has taught hundreds of students and one who just passed will read a lesson very differently.

That is why FUYU runs internal training every week, with every coach on the same teaching system.

Of our 30 coaches, 29 hold Level 2 or above, and 13 are Level 3 or higher.

See the coaching team and their certifications

How to become a ski instructor

Level 1: about a month, if someone is guiding you

With someone guiding you, Level 1 is not hard. In roughly a month you can cover everything a Level 1 instructor is expected to have:

• Reading a student's problem correctly
• Accurate demonstration
• Judging the learning environment
• Understanding the mental side for the student

Level 2 and 3: it varies

How long the next levels take varies from person to person, and the marking standard can differ year to year. For Level 2 and 3 it is worth sitting the exam once to judge whether you are ready for it.

What the exam covers

Broadly a riding exam and a teaching exam, each hard in its own way. If you want to pass first time, the single most useful thing is to practise with a coach first.

The part most people skip: practising the teaching

Do not underestimate the teaching exam. Most people drill their riding and never drill their teaching, but teaching is the part that takes time to understand.

Is a certification enough to teach in Japan?

No. To teach in Japan you need all four of these:

1. An instructor certification for the discipline you teach
2. A work visa
3. Backing from a ski school
4. Registration with the resort

How FUYU picks coaches

Technique can be trained; character and service attitude are very hard to teach. So when FUYU hires, the first thing we look at is how someone talks and communicates.

Training and developing coaches is FUYU's biggest strength. New coaches go through several rounds of training at the start of the season, are signed off by management and the Technical Directors, and then work through a shadowing and assessment period before they teach on their own.

Want to become an instructor: the FUYU House camp

FUYU House is a camp run by coaches at Level 3 and above with teaching experience behind them. For anyone working towards a certification it is an intensive camp to move quickly, covering:

• Teaching: method, core concepts, and the standards a coach judges against
• Riding: how to plan technical training, the logic of the order, and how to assess it
• The exam: what that system's exam weights, the training standard, and a plan

To join the FUYU House camp, message us directly.

Meet the Technical Directors