When a gymnastics coach says a skill is an A, B, C, D or E, the letter refers to the skill’s Value Part (VP). It’s difficulty rating in the USA Gymnastics Women’s Development Program.
- Quick Guide: USAG A–E Value Parts
- What Is a Value Part in Gymnastics?
- What Is an A Value Part?
- What Is a B Value Part?
- What Is a C Value Part?
- What Is a D Value Part?
- What Is an E Value Part?
- How Many A, B and C Value Parts Does Each USAG Level Need?
- Can a Harder Value Part Replace an Easier One?
- Why A, B and C Values Are Not Simply Added Together
- Value Parts vs. Special Requirements
- Do Value Parts Apply to Vault?
- USAG Value Parts vs. FIG Difficulty Values
- Does Performing More D and E Skills Give a Higher Score?
- What Happens If a Skill Is Not Credited?
An A is generally easier than a B, a B is easier than a C, and so on:
A → B → C → D → E
These letters are especially important in optional gymnastics, Levels 6–10, because each level requires a certain number of Value Parts. At the higher levels, difficult D and E skills can also help a gymnast earn bonus.
Under the current 2026–2030 Development Program Optional Code of Points, the Value Part requirements have changed slightly for Levels 6 and 7, while Levels 8–10 continue to build toward increasingly difficult routines.
Quick Guide: USAG A–E Value Parts
| Value Part | General Difficulty | How It Is Used |
|---|---|---|
| A | Easier | Basic required Value Part |
| B | Medium | Required from Level 6 upward |
| C | Higher | Required at Levels 9 and 10 |
| D | Very high | Primarily used for difficulty bonus at upper levels |
| E | Highest | Higher-value bonus skill, mainly seen at Level 10 |
For the basic Value Part calculation, USA Gymnastics lists:
- A = 0.10
- B = 0.30
- C = 0.50
D and E work differently. Rather than being additional required categories in the basic VP count, they are primarily used as upper-level difficulty and bonus elements. Under the Development Program bonus system, a D generally earns +0.10 difficulty bonus and an E +0.20 at Level 10 when the applicable bonus rules are satisfied. Level 9 handles D/E elements differently, as explained below.
Important: These numbers should not be confused with FIG elite difficulty values. USAG Development Program Value Parts and the FIG A–J Difficulty Value system are different scoring systems.
This is already clear. I’d only make a few small changes for smoother flow and slightly more natural wording:
What Is a Value Part in Gymnastics?
A Value Part is the difficulty classification assigned to a recognized gymnastics element.
For example, an optional routine might include:
- several A skills,
- several B skills,
- one or more C skills,
- and, at the higher levels, D or E skills.
Judges identify the Value Part of each credited element and check whether the gymnast has enough of the required A, B and C skills for her level.
Value Parts are only one part of the Start Value, which is the maximum score a routine can earn before deductions. These rules apply to optional Levels 6–10. Levels 6–9 also have difficulty restrictions, while Level 10 has no general difficulty restriction on bars, beam or floor.
What Is an A Value Part?
An A Value Part represents the easier end of the optional skill difficulty scale.
USA Gymnastics assigns an A Value Part a value of:
A = 0.10
A skills form the foundation of optional routines. Even Level 10 gymnasts still need A Value Parts because routine construction is not simply about performing eight of the hardest skills possible.
Examples of familiar elements that can fall in the A category include basic acrobatic, dance and dismount skills. The exact rating depends on the apparatus and technical definition of the skill.
For example, previous Development Program materials identify a back walkover on beam as an A element and certain basic flyaway dismounts on bars as A elements.
How Many A Skills Are Required?
Under the current 2026–2030 rules:
| Level | Required A Value Parts |
|---|---|
| Level 6 | 4 |
| Level 7 | 4 |
| Level 8 | 4 |
| Level 9 | 3 |
| Level 10 | 3 |
One notable change for the new Code cycle is that Level 6 and Level 7 now require four A skills, rather than five under the previous cycle.
What Is a B Value Part?
A B Value Part is one step more difficult than an A.
Its basic Development Program value is:
B = 0.30
B skills become increasingly important as a gymnast progresses through the optional levels.
For example, the Development Program has classified skills such as a back handspring step-out on balance beam as B difficulty. Other familiar B-rated skills exist on bars and floor as well. (USA Gymnastics)
The important point is not that every B skill is equally difficult for every gymnast. The letter represents the official difficulty classification, not how difficult the skill personally feels to an athlete.
Required B Value Parts by Level
| Level | Required B Value Parts |
|---|---|
| Level 6 | 2 |
| Level 7 | 3 |
| Level 8 | 4 |
| Level 9 | 4 |
| Level 10 | 3 |
This creates a clear progression.
A Level 6 routine needs only two B skills, while Level 8 requires four B skills. Levels 9 and 10 then begin adding required C skills.
What Is a C Value Part?
A C Value Part represents a higher level of difficulty.
USA Gymnastics lists:
C = 0.50
C skills become part of the actual required Value Part count beginning at Level 9.
However, gymnasts can encounter C skills before Level 9. This is where the rules become a little more complicated.
C Skills at Levels 6–8
Levels 6–8 do not require C Value Parts.
Instead, the current rules allow certain C elements depending on the event and level, but an allowable C generally receives B Value Part credit for the routine’s required VP count.
USA Gymnastics summarizes this as:
Allowable C’s = B value
The exact restrictions vary by apparatus.
For example, the 2026–2030 rules allow selected C skills on bars at the lower optional levels. Beam and floor also have specific rules governing which C dance or acrobatic elements are allowed. Performing a restricted skill can cause a 0.50 deduction from the Start Value, with no VP or Special Requirement credit for that element.
So a Level 8 gymnast performing a C does not suddenly have a Level 9-style C Value Part requirement fulfilled. For Level 8 VP counting, an allowable C is generally treated as a B.
C Skills at Levels 9 and 10
At Level 9, the gymnast needs:
3 A + 4 B + 1 C
At Level 10, she needs:
3 A + 3 B + 2 C
C difficulty therefore becomes a normal part of routine construction at the two highest Development Program levels.
What Is a D Value Part?
A D Value Part is a very high-difficulty element in the Development Program.
Examples include advanced release moves, tumbling elements and beam skills. A Pak salto and several low-to-high bar releases such as the Shaposhnikova and Maloney have been classified as D elements in Development Program materials.
D skills are most relevant at Levels 9 and 10. They are not simply another required category after C. There is no rule saying that a Level 10 gymnast must have a certain number of D skills.
Instead, they help with replacement and bonus.
D Skills at Level 9
The current Level 9 requirement remains:
3 A + 4 B + 1 C
For VP purposes, allowable D/E elements are treated as:
D/E = C value
The first eligible D or E can also receive +0.10 difficulty-value bonus at Level 9. However, the Level 9 bonus structure caps difficulty bonus at that tenth; the remaining bonus generally comes from Connection Value.
There are also apparatus-specific restrictions on which D/E skills can be performed. For example, current beam and floor rules allow D/E dance elements but limit restricted D/E acrobatic elements. Bars has its own list of allowable and restricted elements.
D Skills at Level 10
Level 10 has no general difficulty restriction. D skills can therefore be used freely within routine construction and can contribute to difficulty bonus.
Under the DP bonus system, a D element normally contributes:
D = +0.10 difficulty bonus
provided the element receives credit and meets the applicable bonus rules.
What Is an E Value Part?
An E Value Part represents some of the most difficult skills in the Development Program.
For example, the double layout flyaway from uneven bars is listed as an E element in Development Program materials. The new 2026–2030 Code also raised the value of the Ejova bar transition from D to E.
At Level 10, an E generally carries:
E = +0.20 difficulty bonus
when eligible for bonus.
Because E elements are difficult, they can help a Level 10 gymnast reach the bonus needed for a 10.0 Start Value more quickly. But they are never automatically better routine choices.
A poorly executed E could lose considerably more in execution deductions than the bonus it adds.
How Many A, B and C Value Parts Does Each USAG Level Need?
The current 2026–2030 requirements for bars, beam and floor are:
| Level | A | B | C | Required VPs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 |
| 9 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
| 10 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
The progression is easier to see this way:
Level 6: 4 A + 2 B
↓
Level 7: 4 A + 3 B
↓
Level 8: 4 A + 4 B
↓
Level 9: 3 A + 4 B + 1 C
↓
Level 10: 3 A + 3 B + 2 C
As the gymnast progresses, the routine gradually contains a larger proportion of harder Value Parts.
Can a Harder Value Part Replace an Easier One?
Generally, yes. The Development Program uses the principle that a higher Value Part can replace a lower required Value Part, but a lower Value Part cannot replace a higher one.
For example, if a Level 10 gymnast needs:
3 A + 3 B + 2 C
and performs enough higher-level elements, a D or E can be used to help satisfy a missing A, B or C requirement while still remaining eligible for the appropriate bonus.
Replacement is one-for-one, not based on adding the numerical values together. So one D does not replace several A skills simply because it is harder.
Example
Suppose a Level 10 routine has:
- 3 A
- 3 B
- 1 C
- 1 D
The D can replace the missing second C for the required Value Part count.
The routine therefore has the necessary eight Value Parts. The D may also contribute difficulty bonus if all bonus conditions are met.
Why A, B and C Values Are Not Simply Added Together
This is one of the most common sources of confusion.
Seeing:
- A = 0.10
- B = 0.30
- C = 0.50
might make it seem as though judges simply add the values of every skill to create a difficulty score.
That is not how USAG Development Program optional scoring works. Instead, the routine must contain the required number and mix of Value Parts.
For example, a Level 8 needs:
4 A + 4 B
A gymnast cannot simply perform a collection of skills whose numerical values add to the same total and assume the requirement is satisfied.
The Value Part count, Special Requirements, Composition Credit and, at Levels 9 and 10, bonus all work together to determine the Start Value.
Under the current Code:
| Level | Required VPs | Base SV* | CC Available | Bonus Available | Maximum SV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 4 A + 2 B | 10.00 | — | — | 10.00 |
| 7 | 4 A + 3 B | 10.00 | — | — | 10.00 |
| 8 | 4 A + 4 B | 9.80 | +0.20 | — | 10.00 |
| 9 | 3 A + 4 B + 1 C | 9.50 | +0.20 | +0.30 | 10.00 |
| 10 | 3 A + 3 B + 2 C | 9.20 | +0.30 | +0.50 | 10.00 |
*Assuming the basic difficulty and Special Requirements are fulfilled before CC and bonus are added.
Value Parts vs. Special Requirements
Value Parts are only one part of the Start Value.
Every optional bars, beam and floor routine also has four Special Requirements.
Each missing Special Requirement costs:
0.50
For example, a beam requirement might involve an acro series, a 180-degree leap or jump, a turn, or an appropriate dismount.
A gymnast can therefore have all her A, B and C Value Parts but still lose Start Value because one Special Requirement is missing.
A simple way to separate the terms is:
| Term | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Value Part (VP) | Difficulty rating of an individual skill |
| Special Requirement (SR) | Required type of skill or combination |
| Composition Credit (CC) | Additional construction credit at Levels 8–10 |
| Difficulty Value Bonus (DV) | Bonus from higher-difficulty skills |
| Connection Value (CV) | Bonus from qualifying skill connections |
| Execution deductions | Errors in how the routine is performed |
Do Value Parts Apply to Vault?
Not in the same way.
The A/B/C/D/E Value Part requirements are primarily used for uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise.
Vault has its own vault tables, and each vault is assigned a specific Start Value. USA Gymnastics publishes separate 2026–2030 vault-value charts for Levels 6–8, Level 9 and Level 10.
So a gymnast does not need “four A vaults and four B vaults” at Level 8. She performs an allowable vault and receives the Start Value assigned to that vault.
USAG Value Parts vs. FIG Difficulty Values
The letters look similar, but the systems should not be mixed together. In FIG elite gymnastics, element difficulty runs from A upward and has numerical values such as:
A = 0.10
B = 0.20
C = 0.30
D = 0.40
E = 0.50
The FIG D-score is then calculated using counting skills, composition requirements and connection bonus.
USAG Development Program gymnastics uses a different system. For example, its basic VP values are:
A = 0.10
B = 0.30
C = 0.50
and optional routines still work toward a defined Start Value rather than an open-ended FIG D-score. So a USAG B Value Part is not automatically worth the same number of points as a FIG B element.
Does Performing More D and E Skills Give a Higher Score?
Not necessarily. D and E skills can add difficulty bonus, but judges still deduct for execution errors.
Imagine two Level 10 gymnasts:
Gymnast A
- performs several D and E skills,
- takes large steps,
- bends her legs,
- misses handstand positions,
- and has an uncontrolled landing.
Gymnast B
- uses slightly easier difficulty,
- still reaches a 10.0 Start Value,
- and performs the routine much more cleanly.
Gymnast B can easily receive the higher final score.
That is why optional routines are usually constructed around the most difficult skills a gymnast can perform consistently and cleanly, rather than simply the hardest skills she can attempt.
What Happens If a Skill Is Not Credited?
Simply attempting an element does not guarantee its Value Part. The gymnast must perform the skill well enough for judges to recognize it as the intended element.
Technical errors can sometimes cause an element to receive a lower Value Part or no VP credit at all. For salto elements, for example, failure to land on the bottom of the feet first can result in no Value Part or Special Requirement credit.
That can create a chain reaction:
Skill not credited → missing Value Part → lower Start Value
It can also affect Special Requirements, Composition Credit or bonus if those depended on the missing skill.
For exact skill classifications and event-specific restrictions, the current 2026–2030 USA Gymnastics Women’s Development Program Optional Code of Points should always take priority, as individual element values can change between Code cycles.
