The FFI Casting Instructor (CI) performance exam is a two-part practical assessment: Part One — Casting Demonstrations and Part Two — Teaching. This section follows the structure of the Casting Instructor Performance Exam evaluation form updated 20 February 2025, with one page per task so you can revise task by task.

The full form is available to download at the bottom of this page.

Exam Structure and Administration

• The exam is in two parts: Casting Demonstrations and Teaching.
• To pass: attempt all tasks, pass all of the Teaching tasks, and score no more than two Fails across the Casting Demonstration tasks.
• Overall administration is expected to take 2 to 2.5 hours. Part One runs about 1 h 15 min (roughly 5 minutes per task, 15 tasks); Part Two about 45 minutes (roughly 7 minutes per task, 7 tasks).
• Plan your lessons to run about 5 minutes, leaving time for examiner involvement where required.
• If your performance already precludes a pass, the examiners may end the exam and offer the remaining time back to you.

Scoring

• Casting Demonstration tasks: Pass, Fail or Borderline — borderline means neither a clear pass nor a clear fail. Two Borderline scores together equal one Fail.
• Teaching tasks: Pass or Fail.

Equipment Requirements

• Rod: maximum 9 ft (2.74 m), rated by the manufacturer for at most a 7-weight line.
• Line: a floating line of one-piece construction, rated no more than 7-weight. A high-visibility line is encouraged.
• Leader: at least 7.5 ft (2.3 m) long.
• Fly: must be yarn.
• Absent equipment malfunctions, Part One (Tasks 1–15) must be completed with a single outfit.

General Information

• Before the exam, tell the lead examiner your dominant hand. Perform all tasks on the dominant side (on-side) with the dominant hand unless a task specifies otherwise.
• Casting direction is your choice, and you may change it if conditions change.
• Accuracy targets are placed on the measuring tape before the exam. Cast distance is measured from your forward foot to the fly.
• Marking the fly line is prohibited.
• A false cast is a forward cast followed by a back cast, both of which remain aerialised.
• Off-side cast: for a right-hand-dominant caster, viewed from behind on the caster–target line, casting with the rod tip to the observer’s left of the caster’s head (mirrored for left-handers). Bending at the waist is allowed. You may not use the non-dominant hand, and stance and style are your choice.
• Neither hauling nor shooting line is permitted unless the task specifies it. When hauling is not permitted, hold the fly line in the rod hand only.
• Any casting style is permitted provided the cast meets the performance standards.
• In Part Two an examiner is available to act as your student. Teaching aids may be used only in Part Two.
• You may not use or refer to notes of any kind during the exam.
• Roll cast tasks must be performed on water if water is available. If they are, the task order may be changed — with your consent — so that Part One finishes with Tasks 9–11 and Part Two starts with Task 18. If they are not, you may use a roll cast tool or another means to simulate water tension (an examiner may help place it and attach the leader), but you must still cast as if on water.
• Unless a task specifically permits them, elliptical (Belgian/Gebetsroither), Barnegat Bay and Galway casts are not allowed.
• Loop size is measured approximately 3 to 4 ft (0.9–1.2 m) back from the front of the nose of the loop.

General Performance Standards

Demonstrate a standard of performance that would create confidence in students and in other instructors. Complete casting tasks in no more than three attempts; if a task requires an explanation, it must be clear and concise and match the demonstration. Except where a task says otherwise:

• Loops, including the initial back cast loop, must: have a relatively straight fly leg; be no more than 4 ft (1.22 m) wide; be similar in size and shape between the forward and back casts; be approximately in-plane (allowing for wind and gravity); and be made so the examiners can assess them easily.
• The fly line and leader must unroll completely and be relatively straight.
• No ticking: the line, leader and fly must not contact the ground or water, except as the result of the final delivery.
• Anchors and D-loops must be laid out relatively straight, in alignment with the intended delivery direction and target, observing the 180 degree principle for anchored casts.
• Cast at slow to medium line speed unless the task requires otherwise.
• Know the FFI Fly Casting Definitions — the exam uses those terms, including loop shapes.
• The diagrams at the end of the official form clarify what is expected of candidates and help examiners evaluate performance.

How to use this section

Every task below opens as its own page: what you must do, the performance standards that apply, what examiners are watching for, and drills to rehearse. The wording of each task is the examination’s wording; the coaching notes are additions.