BASI Level 1 vs Level 2: What's the Difference?

BASI Level 1 qualifies you to teach beginners on indoor snow centres and dry slopes in a controlled environment. BASI Level 2 is the first mountain-based qualification — it lets you teach parallel skiers on marked pistes at a resort, and it's the level most alpine ski schools hire from. In short: Level 1 gets you teaching; Level 2 gets you teaching on the mountain, where the jobs are.

Here's how they compare.

The short version

• BASI Level 1 — teach beginners on indoor snow centres and dry slopes, in controlled, beginner areas. Job market is limited (mostly UK indoor and dry slopes). Needs solid parallel skiing.
• BASI Level 2 — teach on the mountain, on marked pistes at a resort, from beginners through to intermediate skiers. Strong job market: it's the level resorts hire from. Needs refined parallel skiing in varied snow and bumps.

BASI Level 1 — the foundation

Level 1 is the entry qualification. You learn the fundamentals of teaching skiing: how to run a beginner lesson, manage a group safely, and give clear, useful feedback. It qualifies you to work in a controlled environment — indoor snow centres and dry slopes, which are common in the UK.

It's a real qualification and a genuine first step, but on its own it won't get you a job at an alpine resort.

BASI Level 2 — the one that gets you hired

Level 2 is where it becomes a career. It's the first mountain-based qualification, so you can teach on marked pistes at a resort, and it demands more of your own skiing: confident parallel turns in varied snow, short turns, and performance on steeper terrain. You also go deeper on teaching — adapting lessons for improving and intermediate skiers, not just beginners.

Crucially, Level 2 is the level most alpine ski schools recruit from. It's the qualification that turns a season abroad into paid work.

Which one do you need?

• Want to teach casually at a UK snow centre? Level 1 may be enough.
• Want to work a season at a resort in the Alps, get paid, and build toward a career? You need Level 2 (and Level 1 first, as the prerequisite).

That's why most serious courses train both together. Our six-week GAP course delivers Level 1 and Level 2 back-to-back, with the exams included — so you finish holding both and ready to work on the mountain, not just on an indoor slope.

What comes after Level 2?

BASI runs up to Level 4 (ISTD), the highest qualification, with Level 3 (ISIA) in between. Most professional instructors build toward Level 3 over several seasons of teaching. But Level 2 is the threshold that gets you your first proper job — start there.

What you need to start

You don't need any teaching experience to begin. You need to be a confident parallel skier, comfortable on most red runs. The course takes care of the rest. (For the full path, see how to become a ski instructor, and for the numbers, what a ski instructor course costs.)

Ready to get both qualifications in six weeks? Enquire about the Peak GAP course and we'll talk you through the dates, the standard required, and how to prepare.