USA Fencing Ratings Explained
What A, B, C, D and E actually mean, how you earn them at tournaments, and how they expire.
Fencing's skill ranking isn't a belt you test for — it's a rating (also called a classification) you win by placing well at tournaments. Everyone starts unrated, and the letters run from E up to A. Here's exactly how the system works.
- Ratings, highest to lowest: A, B, C, D, E — and U (unrated), where everyone begins.
- You earn a rating by placing well at a tournament. No test, no minimum experience.
- How strong a rating an event can award depends on how many fencers compete, how many are already rated, and how those rated fencers finish.
- Ratings are written with a year — A24, C22 — and a more recent year seeds higher within the same letter.
- The only way to lose a rating is time: after 4 years without re-earning, it drops one level.
What the letters mean
There are five earned ratings plus "unrated." A is elite — fewer than 10% of competitive fencers ever reach it, and it can take many years.
| Rating | What it signals |
|---|---|
| A | The top tier. Hard to earn, harder to hold. |
| B | Strong, experienced competitor. |
| C | Solid regional-level fencer; the threshold for some open national events. |
| D | Developing competitor with real tournament results. |
| E | The entry-level rating — your first classification. |
| U | Unrated. Every fencer starts here. |
You don't have to climb in order. It's entirely possible to jump from U straight to a D, or from C to A, in a single strong result.
How ratings are written (and seeded)
A rating always carries the year it was last earned: A24, C22, E21. The letter matters first, but within the same letter the more recent year ranks higher — so for seeding, a B24 outranks a B21, who outranks a C24. That seeding decides your pool placements; a higher seed generally means an easier pool.
How you earn a rating
Ratings are handed out like prizes at the end of an event, and a tournament's rating-awarding power scales with its strength. Three things determine what's on the table:
- The total number of fencers entered.
- The number who are already rated (and at what level).
- How well those rated fencers place.
A small local event might only award an E to the winner. A large, deep event can hand A's to the top eight and E's down into the 40s. As a concrete example, a "C2"-strength event needs at least 25 fencers including four D-rated and four E-rated competitors; if all four D's finish in the top 8, the event can award a C to 1st place, a D to 2nd–4th, and an E to 5th–8th.
How you lose a rating
There's only one way down: time. If four years pass without re-earning your rating at that level or higher, it's downgraded one notch — an A24 that isn't renewed becomes a B in 2028. So ratings reward not just peaking once, but staying competitive.
Why ratings matter
Two practical reasons beyond bragging rights:
- Seeding. Your rating (and its year) sets your initial seed, which shapes your pools and bracket.
- Eligibility. Many events are rating-gated — "C and under" or "E and under" locals, while some open national events require C or higher. Ratings also define the Divisions (I, II, III) you can enter.
Looking for a rating-restricted event, or a deep field where ratings are on the line? Search tournaments by weapon, level and location →