Other and supporting awards · British Association of Snowsport Instructors
What This Qualification Covers
- The assessed qualification concerns day tours beyond ski-area boundaries in accordance with local laws. It does not replace an actual destination-specific authorisation or establish a mountain-guide qualification.
- The specification excludes glacier travel, planned use of an axe, crampons, or rope, multi-day excursions including overnight huts or shelters, and leading in poor visibility. These conditions remain part of the stated remit rather than optional examples.
- Training develops avalanche hazard management and rescue, navigation, route choice, emergency response, and group leadership. The assessment tests the training competences and supporting written knowledge; personal performance and training attendance alone are insufficient.
FASS country rules
These are the active qualification conditions configured on FASS. They do not confirm that a person has met them or has permission to teach. Local professional and immigration requirements still apply.
No active FASS rule is recorded for these qualifications. This does not establish permission to teach or lack of recognition.
Training and Progression
- Entry to IMS Training requires BASI Level 2 and the Level 3 Mountain Safety certification. The training course explicitly does not include the final assessment and does not itself complete the IMS qualification.
- The separate IMS Assessment requires completion of IMS Training and evidence of six logged touring days by the first assessment day. Booking before those days are complete does not remove the requirement to present the evidence.
- Passing the named IMS assessment completes this mountain-safety qualification, not the entire Level 4 ISTD instructor award. Check the underlying instructor qualification, current status, intended terrain, and local legal conditions separately.
Check the awarding body's current syllabus for entry requirements, course dates, fees, and assessment rules.
Sources and Further Reading
- BASI: current qualification descriptions (opens in a new tab)
- BASI: current mountain safety and coaching course specifications (opens in a new tab)
Official source review
Official sources checked on .
BASI's official public qualification descriptions and discipline-specific course specifications were read on 17 October 2026. These are the descriptions supplied to its public course pathway; they were available without an account. Course components and the completed qualification are distinguished below. Confirm current award-completion, licence, and destination requirements with BASI.