What Is a Swim Time Standard? BB, A, AA, AAA Times Explained
If you're new to competitive swimming, you've probably heard someone say things like "she got her AA" or "he's trying to make his BB cut" and nodded along while quietly wondering what any of it means.
You're not behind. This is one of those things the swim community assumes everyone already knows — and almost nobody actually explains.
This guide covers USA Swimming's motivational time standard system from scratch: what the letters mean, how they're set, what they're used for, and how to figure out which standard your swimmer's times currently represent.
The Short Answer
USA Swimming assigns every competitive swim time a letter grade from B (entry level) to AAAA (elite national level). These grades are called motivational time standards, and they exist to give swimmers a clear progression ladder to climb — regardless of what events they swim, how old they are, or what club team they're on.
When someone says "she got her AA in the 100 backstroke," they mean: her time in that event now meets the AA motivational standard for her age group. It's a nationally recognized benchmark, and it's a genuine milestone worth celebrating.
The Six Levels, Explained
USA Swimming uses six motivational standard levels, from slowest to fastest:
B
The entry-level standard. B times represent the top 55% of swimmers nationally in a given age group. For newer competitive swimmers, hitting a first B cut is often their initial experience with a time-based milestone. It means your swimmer is competitive at the age group level and has a measurable baseline to build from.
BB
One step above B. BB times represent the top 35% of swimmers nationally. A swimmer with BB times is solidly competitive at most LSC-level meets. Moving from B to BB typically takes one to two seasons of consistent training and meet attendance.
A
A times represent the top 15% of swimmers nationally in a given age group. Reaching A-level times is a meaningful achievement — it means your swimmer is performing above average compared to their national peers. Many Age Group Championship meets have qualifying standards in the A range.
AA
AA times represent the top 8% of swimmers nationally. This is one of the most commonly discussed milestones in age group swimming. "Did you get your AA?" is a question heard constantly at meets for good reason — it's a real differentiator. Swimmers with AA times are competitive at the zone and regional championship level.
AAA
AAA times represent the top 6% of swimmers nationally. At this level, your swimmer is among the best in the country for their age group. AAA times are often in the range of Sectional qualifying standards. Swimmers who achieve AAA times typically have years of high-level training behind them.
AAAA
AAAA times represent the top 2% of swimmers nationally. Elite. Near the top of the country in that event and age group. Swimmers with AAAA times are competing at or near the national championship level.
How Standards Are Set
The USA Swimming motivational time standards are set for a four-year period — a "quad" — that aligns with the Olympic cycle and is updated every four years.
They're not arbitrary numbers. Motivational times are determined based on a base "seed time" — the 16th place time in a set of years — multiplied by an adjustment factor dependent on age group and standard level. In plain language: USA Swimming looks at how fast swimmers across the country actually swam in recent years, then sets each standard level at a time that represents a meaningful national percentile.
When the sport gets faster overall — which it does, generation over generation — the standards adjust upward. A time that earned an AA in one quad might only earn an A in the next. This is by design: the standards should reflect the current state of the sport, not what was impressive 10 years ago.
The current quad runs through 2028. Standards published for 2025–2028 are the ones in effect right now.
What the Standards Are (and Aren't) Used For
This is where a lot of new swim parents get confused, so it's worth being explicit.
Motivational standards ARE:
- A national benchmarking system showing how your swimmer's times compare to peers across the country
- A goal ladder that gives every swimmer clear, progressive targets to aim for
- A point of reference for tracking development over time
- Sometimes used as qualifying standards for specific meets (a meet might require A or AA times to enter)
Motivational standards are NOT:
- Required to compete at regular club meets (most dual meets are open entry)
- The same as championship qualifying cuts (those are set separately — more on this below)
- A judgment of whether a swimmer is "good" or "bad"
- Fixed forever (they update every quad)
For more on how the motivational standards relate to championship qualifying cuts specifically, see our full guide: USA Swimming Qualifying Standards Explained: Age Group Cuts, Sectionals, and Nationals.
Standards Apply Separately to Each Event and Course Type
Here's something that trips up a lot of parents: a swimmer doesn't have a single time standard — they have a different standard in every event they swim.
Your swimmer might have an AA in the 100 freestyle, an A in the 100 backstroke, a BB in the 200 individual medley, and no standard yet in the 500 freestyle. That's completely normal. Swimmers develop at different rates in different events, and the standard system is designed to reflect that.
Standards also apply separately by course type. A swimmer's AA standard in short-course yards (SCY) is a different time than their AA standard in long-course meters (LCM). If you're not sure why times look different in different pools, see SCY vs LCM vs SCM: Why Your Swimmer's Times Look Different in Every Pool.
How to Find Out Which Standard Your Swimmer's Times Represent
The official USA Swimming standards are published as PDFs on the USA Swimming website — one for each course type (SCY, LCM, SCM), covering each age group and event. To find your swimmer's standard for a given time, you'd need to:
- Find the right PDF for your swimmer's age group and course type
- Locate the correct event in the table
- Compare your swimmer's time against the B, BB, A, AA, AAA, and AAAA columns
- Note which range their time falls in
This is accurate but tedious — especially if you want to check multiple events across multiple age groups and course types.
SwimTrack does this automatically. Enter your swimmer's times, and the app immediately shows where each time falls in the motivational standard system — along with how far they are from the next level up. No PDFs. No manual lookup.
A Note on Age Groups
The motivational standards aren't the same for every age. A 10-year-old swimming a 1:10 in the 100 freestyle might have an AA. A 14-year-old swimming the same time might have a B. The standards adjust for age because the expectation of what's "fast" changes as swimmers develop physically.
USA Swimming uses the following national age groups for motivational standards:
- 10 & under
- 11–12
- 13–14
- 15–16
- 17–18
A swimmer's age on the first day of a meet determines which age group's standards apply to times swum at that meet. This matters if your swimmer has a birthday coming up — their standard for the same time can change the moment they age up into a new group.
The Most Important Thing to Understand About Time Standards
The B through AAAA system exists to give every swimmer — regardless of talent level or experience — a meaningful next step.
A swimmer who just got their first B cut has accomplished something real. A swimmer chasing their AA for two seasons is training with specific purpose. A swimmer who hits AAAA is among the fastest in the country.
None of those swimmers is doing it wrong. They're all on the same ladder, at different rungs.
The healthiest way to use the motivational standards: as a measuring stick for your swimmer's own progress over time, not as a comparison to teammates or other kids. Your swimmer knocking 2 seconds off their personal best is brilliant progress, even if they're nowhere near the next standard. Some children develop earlier, some later.
The standard tells you where your swimmer is nationally. What it doesn't tell you — and what the clock at every meet eventually shows — is that the only time that really matters is the one that's faster than the last one.
Quick Reference: USA Swimming Motivational Standards
| Standard | National Percentile | What It Means in Practice |
|---|---|---|
| B | Top 55% | Entry-level competitive benchmark |
| BB | Top 35% | Solid age group swimmer |
| A | Top 15% | Above average nationally; qualifies for many regional meets |
| AA | Top 8% | Strong regional competitor; zone and Sectionals range |
| AAA | Top 6% | High-level age grouper; Sectionals-competitive |
| AAAA | Top 2% | Elite; national championship level |
SwimTrack shows exactly where your swimmer's times fall in the B–AAAA motivational standard system — and how far they are from the next level up — for every event and course type. Download free at swimtrackapp.com.