Dressage Level Comparator: Your Level in Other Countries and at FEI Level
A horse advertised as “Z2” in the Netherlands, “M-platziert” in Germany, “Amateur 1” in France or “Third Level” in the United States has, in each case, been asked for roughly the same movements. The names hide that. This tool translates one federation’s level into another’s by the movements the tests require, and shows the official test sheets behind both so the claim can be checked.
Pick the federation and level your horse competes at, then the federation you want to compare with. The result names the equivalent level or, where the other federation has no class at that stage, says so and shows the nearest classes below and above. Twelve federations are covered: the FEI, the three Belgian federations, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Denmark, the United States, Japan, India and China. Pony, para, young-horse and freestyle tests are outside the scope, and so are score conversions and rider licences.
Compare two levels
Show the full ladder: 12 rungs across 12 federations
How the 12-rung ladder works
Two levels are treated as the same level when their tests ask for the same movements. The ladder has 12 rungs, from walk and trot only up to Grand Prix. Each national level is placed on one rung, or on several when its own numbered tests differ in difficulty.
Rung 1: Walk–trot only
Defining movements: No canter. Working walk and trot, 20 m circles, changes of rein, halt. Rising trot allowed.
Must not contain: No canter, no lengthening, no lateral work.
Same level across federations: Pure walk–trot classes exist only in DK (LD), US (Intro A/B), JP (JEF 1), CN (初三级) and as children's/entry competitions in BE/NL/DE. NL, FR, IN have no walk-trot level in the standard ladder.
Rung 2: Introductory walk–trot–canter
Defining movements: Working walk, trot and canter; 20 m circles/half circles; simple transitions; halt–salute. No lengthenings, no lateral work.
Must not contain: No lengthened/medium strides, no leg-yield, no rein-back.
Same level across federations: Entry canter level. Same level: DE E ≈ DK LC ≈ US Intro C ≈ BE Initiatie/Accueil/Prépa ≈ FR Club 4 ≈ IN Children-II. NL starts one rung higher (B already has lengthenings); LRV B also.
Rung 3: Preliminary / Training (working gaits + lengthenings)
Defining movements: Working gaits plus a few lengthened strides in trot (and canter), stretching the neck on a circle/diagonal, shallow loops, serpentines, 15 m (–10/12 m) circles, free/medium walk; change of canter lead through trot.
Must not contain: No leg-yield in trot (leg-yield in walk may occur), no shoulder-in, no rein-back, no collection.
Same level across federations: 'Training/Preliminary'. Same level: NL B ≈ LRV B ≈ US Training ≈ FR Club 3 ≈ DK LB ≈ LEWB Initiation ≈ JEF 2A/2B ≈ CN 中三级 (FEI Challenge Prelim). Not the same: DE has no separate rung-3 class (E is rung 2, A already has rein-back/medium = rung 4); PV Initiatie is rung 2.
Rung 4: Novice / First (leg-yield, medium gaits, rein-back)
Defining movements: Leg-yield in trot, medium (lengthened) trot and canter across the diagonal, halt–rein-back, 10 m voltes/half-voltes, first counter-canter exposure (single loop) and change of lead through trot; walk–canter transitions.
Must not contain: No shoulder-in, no collected gaits, no simple change through walk, no half-pass.
Same level across federations: 'Novice/First'. Same level: NL L1/L2 ≈ LRV L1/L2 ≈ DE A*/A** ≈ US First ≈ FR Club 2/Club 1 ≈ BE Niveau 1 (PV & LEWB) ≈ DK LA1/LA2 ≈ JEF 2C/2D ≈ IN Elementary ≈ CN 中二级. Caveat: DE A tests read contain rein-back and medium gaits but no leg-yield; DK LA1 already has simple change through trot and counter-canter (upper end).
Rung 5: Elementary / Second (shoulder-in, collection begins, simple changes)
Defining movements: Collected trot and canter begin; shoulder-in; travers may appear; counter-canter along the long side/serpentine; simple changes (through trot or walk); halt–rein-back 3–5 steps; (quarter) turn on the haunches / Kurzkehrt; medium gaits.
Must not contain: No half-pass in trot, no flying changes, no extended gaits as a defining element.
Same level across federations: 'Elementary/Second'. Same level: NL M1/M2 ≈ LRV M1/M2 ≈ DE L* ≈ US Second ≈ FR Club Elite/Amateur 3 ≈ BE Niveau 2 ≈ DK LA3/LA4 ≈ JEF 2E/3A ≈ IN Medium ≈ FEI Children. Not identical: US Second and BE N2 have simple changes; NL M1/M2 change lead through trot; NL M2/US Second/LRV M2 have travers/quarter turns; DE L* has no lateral work at all.
Rung 6: Medium without flying changes / FEI Pony (trot half-pass, extended gaits)
Defining movements: Trot half-pass, travers/renvers, extended trot/walk/canter, walk half-pirouettes or Kurzkehrt, rein-back 4–5 steps, simple changes (through walk), counter-canter, 8 m voltes.
Must not contain: No flying changes, no canter half-pass as a rule, no tempi, no canter pirouettes.
Same level across federations: Trot half-pass without flying changes. Same level: NL Z1 ≈ LRV Z1 ≈ DE L** ≈ DK LA5/LA6 ≈ JEF 3B ≈ FR Amateur 2 (A/B/Prélim) ≈ FEI Pony Riders. NO equivalent in the US (Second has no half-pass, Third already has flying changes), in BE (Niveau 3 already has flying changes), IN, CN.
Rung 7: Medium / Third (single flying changes)
Defining movements: Single flying changes (on the diagonal, after half-pass, out of counter-canter), trot half-pass, first canter half-pass (one direction or with change), extended gaits, walk half-pirouette or half turn on the haunches, rein-back, renvers.
Must not contain: No fixed-count tempi changes, no canter pirouettes, no trot zig-zag as a rule.
Same level across federations: 'Medium/Third'. Same level: NL Z2 ≈ LRV Z2 ≈ DE M* ≈ US Third ≈ FR Amateur 1 (and Amateur 2 GP) ≈ BE Niveau 3 (PV/LEWB) and N4.1/N4.2 ≈ DK MB0–MB2 ≈ IN Advanced Medium. Caveat: US Third and NL Z2 include a canter half-pass with change; DE M* (M 5) and BE N3.1–3.4 do not.
Rung 8: Advanced Medium / FEI Junior (canter half-passes, multiple changes, walk half-pirouettes)
Defining movements: Canter half-pass both directions with flying changes, several flying changes on one line with a free stride count (≥3–5 strides) or on serpentines, trot zig-zag (3 half-passes), walk half-pirouettes, rein-back 5 steps, extended gaits; quarter canter pirouette may appear.
Must not contain: No fixed-count tempi (4s/3s), no canter half/full pirouettes as a rule.
Same level across federations: 'Advanced Medium/FEI Junior'. Same level: NL ZZ-Licht ≈ DE M** ≈ BE N4.3/N3.10 ≈ DK MB3 ≈ FR Pro 3 A/B ≈ JEF 4 ≈ IN Advanced ≈ CN 中一级/国家三级 ≈ FEI Junior ≈ US Fourth Test 1. Caveat: NL ZZ-Licht has quarter canter pirouettes (slightly above); DE M** explicitly has none. LRV has no rung-8 class (Z2 → ZZ jumps to half-pirouettes).
Rung 9: Small Tour entry / Prix St. Georges / Young Riders (canter half-pirouettes, 4- and 3-tempi)
Defining movements: Canter half-pirouettes (or working pirouettes), flying changes every 4th and every 3rd stride (3 or 5 changes), canter half-pass with change, collected walk, extended gaits, shoulder-in, trot half-pass, 8 m voltes.
Must not contain: No full pirouettes, no 2-tempi, no canter zig-zag, no piaffe/passage.
Same level across federations: Prix St. Georges / Young Riders. Same level: NL ZZ-Zwaar & Lichte Tour (PSG) ≈ LRV ZZ ≈ DE S* ≈ US Fourth (T2/T3) ≈ FR Amateur Elite / Pro 3 GP / Pro 2 A ≈ BE Niveau 5 (S3/S4, PSG) ≈ DK MA1/MA2/PSG ≈ JEF 5 ≈ IN PSG ≈ CN 国家二级. Caveat: LRV ZZ has half-pirouettes but no tempi; NL ZZ-Zwaar has loose-count series, not strict 4s/3s; US Fourth uses 'working' pirouettes and 3 changes; all sit at the lower edge of PSG.
Rung 10: Intermediate I (full pirouettes, 3- and 2-tempi, canter zig-zag)
Defining movements: Full canter pirouettes, 5 changes every 3rd stride and 7 every 2nd stride, canter zig-zag (3 half-passes with change at each direction change), rein-back 5 steps into canter/trot.
Must not contain: No piaffe/passage, no one-tempi changes.
Same level across federations: Intermediate I. Same level: DE S** ≈ NL Lichte Tour (Inter I) ≈ FR Pro 2 GP ≈ DK Inter I ≈ IN Inter I ≈ CN 国家二级 ≈ JP FEI Inter I ≈ BE Niveau 5 (FEI). No national (non-FEI) test at this rung except DE S 6, BE none, NL none, US none (FEI test used).
Rung 11: Medium Tour / Intermediate A–B (first piaffe/passage, one-tempi)
Defining movements: Piaffe 7–10 steps (forward allowed) and passage with transitions, one-tempi changes (7–9), 2-tempi, full pirouettes, canter zig-zag (3–4 half-passes), trot zig-zag.
Must not contain: Piaffe not yet 8–15 steps; fewer one-tempi than Inter II/GP.
Same level across federations: Intermediate A/B. National tests: DE S 7/S 8, DK Svær Intermediare I. Elsewhere FEI Inter A/B used (NL Zware Tour, FR Pro 1 A/Prélim, BE, CN 国家一级). Not present in US national ladder, IN, JP JEF ladder (FEI tests only).
Rung 12: Big Tour / Intermediate II – Grand Prix – Grand Prix Special
Defining movements: Piaffe 8–10 (Inter II, GP 16-25) or 12–15 steps (GP, GPS), passage, passage–piaffe–passage transitions, 11–15 one-tempi changes, 7–9 two-tempi, full pirouettes, 5-half-pass canter zig-zag (GP), trot zig-zag (Inter II).
Must not contain: Top of the ladder.
Same level across federations: Inter II / Grand Prix / GP Special. National tests: DE S 9/S 10 (Louisdor GP, Kurz-GP). Elsewhere FEI tests (NL Zware Tour, FR Pro 1 GP/Pro Elite, DK Store Tour, BE Grote Tour, JP FEI, CN 国家一级 Inter II). IN has no GP level nationally.
Data edition: 4 Oct 2026. Senior/standard national dressage tests + FEI; pony, para, young-horse and freestyle tests excluded (listed only as notes). Levels/tests with 'unverified': true contain at least one item that could not be read from an official source. Display them with a warning, never as fact. Every level and test sheet is listed in the dressage test database.
Reading the result
The comparison is by movement content, not by reputation or by the percentage a horse scores. Two levels that share a rung ask for the same defining movements, which is what matters when a sale advert quotes a level from a system you do not know. It says nothing about the strength of the field, the judging culture or how hard promotion is, which differ from one federation to the next. The level equivalence chart discusses those differences for the four largest systems, and the test database lists every level with its movements, eligibility rules and official test sheets.
Frequently asked questions
What is Dutch Z2 in Germany and the United States? Dutch Z2 is the same stage as German M* and US Third Level. All three ask for single flying changes, trot half-pass and extended gaits, and none has tempi changes or canter pirouettes. Belgian LRV Z2, French Amateur 1 and the Belgian Niveau 3 sit on the same rung. One difference: Z2 and Third Level include a canter half-pass with a flying change, which the German M* tests do not.
What is Dutch ZZ-Licht in other countries? ZZ-Licht corresponds to German M**, FEI Junior, US Fourth Level Test 1, Danish MB3 and French Pro 3 A and B. These tests have canter half-passes, several single flying changes and walk half-pirouettes, but no tempi changes. ZZ-Licht sits slightly above the others because it includes quarter canter pirouettes, which M** explicitly does not. The Belgian LRV has no class at this stage.
Is there a US equivalent of Dutch Z1 or German L**? No. Z1, LRV Z1, German L**, the French Amateur 2 tests and FEI Pony Riders ask for trot half-pass without flying changes. US Second Level has no half-pass, and Third Level already requires flying changes, so the United States has no class at this stage. The Belgian Niveau ladder has the same gap, because Niveau 3 already includes flying changes.
Which national levels correspond to Prix St. Georges? Dutch ZZ-Zwaar and the Lichte Tour, German S*, Belgian LRV ZZ, US Fourth Level Tests 2 and 3, French Amateur Elite and Danish MA are on the Prix St. Georges rung. Most of them sit at its lower edge: LRV ZZ has half-pirouettes but no tempi changes, ZZ-Zwaar rides series of changes without a strict count, and US Fourth Level uses working pirouettes.
What is US Second Level in Europe? US Second Level corresponds to Dutch M1 and M2, German L*, Belgian LRV M and Niveau 2, French Club Elite and Amateur 3, and FEI Children. Collection begins at this stage, with shoulder-in and simple changes in most systems. The content is not identical: the Dutch M tests change lead through trot, and German L* has no lateral work.
Does the same level mean two horses are equally good? No. The comparison is by the movements the tests require. It does not convert scores, and it says nothing about the strength of the field, the judging or how hard promotion is in each country. Two horses at equivalent levels have been asked for the same movements, which is the useful starting point when reading a sale advert from another system.