Chapter 1: Integrated Student Program
USPA developed the Integrated Student Program (ISP) as a comprehensive student training outline that meets the Basic Safety Requirements (BSRs). It includes all methods of instruction (see below) used to train students from their first jumps through their A licenses. Some schools have developed equivalent programs that train students to meet all the qualifications of the USPA A license. If your drop zone follows a program by a different name, you can still use the ISP to find appropriate guidance for training.
USPA recognizes the following training methods:
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- Accelerated Freefall (AFF or harness hold), where the student exits with at least one instructor who holds the student by the harness
- Instructor-Assisted Deployment (IAD), where an instructor in the aircraft deploys the pilot chute as the student falls away
- Static Line (SL), where a line connected to the aircraft deploys the student’s parachute
- Tandem, where the student’s harness attaches to the instructor’s harness, and they share one parachute system
The A-License Progression Card charts your individual progress as you make your way through this journey. All licenses, quizzes, and training materials are available in online and paper formats. You can download a pdf of this card at uspa.org/downloads in the License Applications folder. If you join USPA as a member, you can take advantage of the online A-License Progression Card at uspa.org/mya
Following each jump during which you meet an A-license requirement, your coach or instructor signs off the appropriate spot on your A-License Progression Card, either online or on paper. At the end of each category, you complete the category quiz online or verbally with a coach or an instructor. Especially in Categories A through D, you will be expected to complete all the objectives of one category before making any jumps in the next. Recommended dive flows for freefall and canopy flight are at the end of each category.
According to the BSRs (Chapter 2-1G) all students must jump under the direct supervision of an appropriately rated USPA Instructor until demonstrating stability and heading control prior to and within 5 seconds of initiating two intentional disorienting maneuvers involving a back-to-earth orientation (e.g., barrel roll, front loop, back loop), which occurs in Category E. A USPA Coach—that is, an instructional rating holder who teaches students under the supervision of an instructor—may conduct freefall training and supervise jumps for students in Categories E through H. A coach may also supervise IAD and static-line students who have successfully deployed their own parachutes. Until USPA issues the student an A license, all training remains the responsibility of an instructor.
Before receiving your license, you will complete a check dive and oral and written exams.
All participants in skydiving must meet the USPA BSR for medical fitness (Chapter 2-1.C). A person should be in good health and physical condition to skydive and should not be on medication; however, many conditions can be properly managed if the instructor knows about them. In some cases, you may need to provide an FAA flight physical or a doctor’s statement of fitness for skydiving. Your instructor will also need to know about any medical history that may affect your ability to skydive safely (e.g., recent blood donations, joint dislocations or recent dental work). People who participate in scuba diving should not skydive for at least 24 hours afterward.
All participants in skydiving must meet the BSR for age (Chapter 2-1.D).
For skydives made within the U.S. and its territories and possessions, no skydive may be made in violation of FAA regulations (Chapter 2-1.B).

Sample A-License Progression Cards: Print (left) and onilne (right).