What abacus level is my child?
Nine questions, one from each level of the ladder. Answer as many as you can and we will name the level to start at.
No name, no email, no phone number. Nothing is sent anywhere.
The check
Work down the list. Stop when they get hard — that is the point of the check, and skipping ahead does not help. Blank counts as unanswered.
- 1Foundation5 + 7
- 2Basic3 + 6 − 2
- 3Elementary A2 − 1 + 3 + 5
- 4Elementary B71 + 94 + 39 − 23
- 5Intermediate A22 + 38 + 16 − 38 − 20 + 61 + 38 + 33 + 71 + 17
- 6Intermediate B663 + 794 + 876 − 270 + 704
- 7Higher A16 × 5
- 8Higher B236 × 26
- 9Grand Level153 ÷ 9
The nine levels
Each level adds one technique to the one before it. Nothing is skipped, and every level assumes the one before it is solid.
| # | Level | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foundation | Bead introduction and counting 1–10 on the soroban. |
| 2 | Basic | 1-digit addition and subtraction on the soroban. |
| 3 | Elementary A | Small friends — the 5-complement rules — on 1–2 digit problems. |
| 4 | Elementary B | Big friends — the 10-complement rules — on 2-digit problems. |
| 5 | Intermediate A | Multi-row addition with mixed complements. |
| 6 | Intermediate B | 3-digit operations and the start of mental visualization. |
| 7 | Higher A | Multiplication basics on the soroban and mentally. |
| 8 | Higher B | Multi-digit multiplication with full mental visualization. |
| 9 | Grand Level | Division and advanced mental math. |
Level is a program placement, not an age. A six-year-old and a forty-year-old starting today both start at Foundation, and both move up when the technique is automatic rather than when a calendar says so.
Common questions
How are the nine abacus levels ordered?
Foundation, Basic, Elementary A, Elementary B, Intermediate A, Intermediate B, Higher A, Higher B, Grand Level. Counting and bead handling come first, then one-digit addition and subtraction, then the 5-complements and the 10-complements, then multi-row and three-digit work with mental visualization, and finally multiplication and division. Each rung assumes the one below it is automatic, not merely understood.
What does Elementary A cover?
Small friends — the 5-complement rules — on one and two digit problems. When a rod has no earth beads left to add, you move the heaven bead worth five and take the complement back off, so adding 4 becomes plus 5 minus 1. Elementary A is where that substitution stops being a rule and becomes reflex, usually on four-row problems.
My child did another abacus program — where do they start?
Take the level check: nine questions, one drawn from each rung, and the recommendation is the first rung they miss. Programs sequence the complements differently, so transferring students are often solid on 10-complements and shaky on multi-row speed. Start at the recommended rung, give it a week of real sessions, then move — the check scores arithmetic, not finger technique.
Does the level check ask my child's age?
No, and no result mentions an age band. A level here is a program placement earned by what a student can compute, so the nine questions are arithmetic only and the recommendation follows from which ones were answered correctly. The questions are fixed rather than randomised, so the same answers always produce the same placement on a later visit.
How is this different from the full placement exam?
The level check is nine fixed questions, takes about two minutes, and sends nothing anywhere — no name, no email, no phone number. The placement exam adapts as it goes, runs about five minutes, and collects contact details so a teacher can follow up. Use the check to pick a starting drill, the exam when you want a person involved.