The Trial of Skill

The Trial of Skill was one of the oldest trials in the battery of tests preferred by the Order. While the test did consist of numerous displays of lightsaber technique, the main thing that the battlemaster looked for when judging a potential Knight was their ability to avoid distraction through self-discipline. Before its formalization, the trial was made up of acrobatic feats, while using the Force to levitate objects in the midst of storms. As the test was incorporated into the more standard academy testing, the High Council required that each participant face a three-part assessment addressing physical, mental, and combat challenges. The standard physical challenges included a test of climbing, heights, endurance, escape, and leaping. The mental challenges which followed tested skill with levitation, a second endurance test, duress, and reflection. The last part of the trial required a student to face off against some form of adversary, though the individual or individuals they faced varied in species or allegiance, and could be made of flesh and blood or a clever simulacrum created from archived data. The tests of conflict, dueling, and of the calm mind pitted Padawans against droids, other students, the Temple Battlemaster, or even the Grand Master, and outlast their attacks. Other students might face many opponents, some of them attacking with a lightsaber, others manipulating perception, or altering the environment in the chamber. Additionally, the Council could opt to use the simulacrum program and send any number of Sith Lords to test the stamina of a young Padawan.
During the history of the Order, there have been many notable tests given, displaying ingenuity on several levels. One of the earliest noted attempts at the test was by young Rouggle during the Golden Age of the Old Republic. A contemporary of Thame Cerulian, Rouggle did not pass the test as the manipulation of the tiles beneath his feet caused him to fall, ending the test.
During the Clone Wars, Anakin completed this trial when he defeated Asajj Ventress on Yavin 4. One of the most interesting cases was the testing of Kazdan Paratus, who was able to defeat his opponent by creating a series of droids in a short period of time. The last recorded test was given during the days of the Empire when Sith Lord Darth Vader sent his secret Apprentice Starkiller to the Temple to face the simulacrum in the form of a dead Pau'an Sith named Darth Desolous. Using his advanced skills to wear down the projection, the assassin used the Force to pull a statue down on the holographic foe, completing the test.

The Trial of Skill is a test of a Padawan's abilities. In particular, it is a test of their physical abilities and concentration. Most often, it is an obstacle course, a duel, or a combination of both.
Sometimes, the test is given in the form of a mission where the Padawan must defeat a daunting foe.
To pass the Trial of Skill, the Padawan must defeat an opponent or obstacle that has been given to them by the Jedi Council.