How does the Billiard University (BU) rating system work?
The two Billiard University (BU) Playing Ability Exams (“Exam I – Fundamentals” and “Exam II – Skills”) provide an accurate assessment and rating of overall pool-playing ability. The following video provides an overview of the BU assessment and rating process:
The total score of the two exams indicates your player rating according to the BU Rating Comparison table below, which also compares BU ratings to other traditional rating and handicapping systems:
For more information, see “Player Ratings” (BD, December, 2020).
Here’s an overview of both BU Exams:
Much more information can be found on the Billiard University (BU) website.
Exam scores, ratings, and exam videos of official BU graduates can be found on the BU alumni page. Also, unofficial scores and videos for a wide range of AZB users can be found on the AZB BU thread.
Do the BU scores and ratings provide an accurate measure of playing ability?
The BU Exams do a good job rating player ability the first few times the exams are taken; but with lots of practice, many of the drills become a test of execution skills rather than a measure of overall playing ability. However, it still takes skill to score high on the exams.
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