Time standards are motivational benchmarks used to measure improvement and inspire swimmers to reach the next level. They're set for every event, for each age group (10 & under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, and 17-18), in a ladder of seven levels:

There's no separate standard for 8 & under swimmers — they're measured against the 10 & under times.

Every swimmer starts out as a "C" swimmer — anything slower than the "B" time counts as "C," including NT (No Time). As a swimmer develops, they move up the ladder by beating faster and faster cutoffs.

A time that falls between two standards is credited as the lower one. For example, in the 10 & under girls' 50 free, "BB" is a 35.69 and "A" is a 31.89. A swimmer who goes 31.90 is a "BB" — she'd need to beat 31.89 to earn the "A."

Because standards are specific to the course swimmers are racing in, and there's a separate table for each:

• Short course yards (SCY) — 25-yard pools, used for most meets from fall through spring ("short course season").
• Short course meters (SCM) — 25-meter pools.
• Long course meters (LCM) — 50-meter pools, used for most summer meets ("long course season").

Each course has its own standard for every event and age group, since pool length affects times (turns, for instance, work differently in a 25 vs. a 50).

Beyond motivation, standards also double as qualifying times. Depending on the meet:

• Open meets have no standard to enter — anyone can swim any event.
• Developmental meets are typically limited to B/C level swimmers.
• Some meets use "BB" as a minimum or maximum standard to attend.
• Senior and Age Group state championship meets set specific qualifying times per event, generally ranging from "A" to "AAA."

National standards — set by USA Swimming:

• Olympic Team Trials
• National Championships
• Toyota US Open
• Speedo Summer Junior National Championships
• Speedo Winter Junior National Championships
• Futures Championships

Regional standards — set by the Eastern Section, Southern Zone (ESSZ):

• Senior Sectionals (Spring & Summer)
• Age Group Sectionals (Spring)
• LSC Championships
• Senior Championships (SCY & LCM)
• Age Group Championships (SCY & LCM)

When results from a meet are posted, look for a letter next to your swimmer's time — that's their standard for that swim. No letter beside a time means the swimmer is currently "C" for that event. As above, there's no separate 8 & under standard, since those swims are measured against 10 & under times.

The full tables live outside our site, published by the governing bodies that set them:

• North Carolina Swimming — Time Standards
• USA Swimming — Time Standards

For how times convert into a single comparable score across events and ages, see our Power Points page.