There are 3 basic types of stages at an IPSC match.

Comstock
Most stages are Comstock scored. In a Comstock stage, shooters may shoot as many rounds as they feel are necessary to score hits on the various targets and avoid penalties for missed targets. A Range Officer (or RO) follows the shooter, and is in charge of both safety and recording the time elapsed from the start signal to the last shot fired. The RO will carry a shot timer which records the times of all shots fired. Once the shooter has finished, the RO will score the targets, recording both time and points shot. The Hit Factor, which is the rate of Points scored per second, is eventually used to determine the Match Points to be awarded to the shooter for the stage.

Virginia Count
Virginia Count stages are also timed courses of fire. They differ from Comstock in that the shooter is only allowed to shoot a specified number of rounds. Extra shots fired are penalized. Generally, few stages at a match will be Virginia Count.

Fixed Time
Fixed Time stages often have a set procedure, and may mandate reloads at certain times, or may dictate strong and weak hand only shooting. Shooters must try to shoot as many of the requisite rounds within the specified time frame. Should a shooter be unable to shoot the required number of rounds, they are not penalized for misses.