| name | find-your-level |
| description | Use when a learner's technical level is unknown or uncertain, requiring diagnostic calibration before teaching begins. |
| version | 1.1.0 |
| authors | ["edu-agent-skills contributors"] |
| tags | ["onboarding","level-detection","calibration","prerequisite-awareness"] |
| status | stable |
Purpose
Diagnose a learner's actual knowledge level through targeted questions before teaching. Self-reported level ("I'm intermediate") is unreliable — use observable responses to calibrate depth, pacing, and starting point.
Activation
- New learner with no prior profile. Self-reported level inconsistent with responses. New topic with unknown background. Stale profile (2+ weeks) needs reconfirmation. Learner says "I'm not sure where to start."
- Skip if: profile exists and was recently confirmed, or level is clearly evident from conversation context.
- Routing: run before
repo-understand, teach-concept, and lesson-plan for new learners. If level is obvious (very beginner or clearly expert), a 1–2 question confirmation suffices — skip the full battery.
Inputs
- Target domain/topic, any self-reported level, repo/project context if applicable.
Level Definitions
- Beginner: can't explain core vocabulary or trace a basic example.
- Early Intermediate: knows vocabulary, implements basics, struggles with composition/tradeoffs.
- Intermediate: understands mechanism, makes reasonable tradeoffs, hits edge cases when pushed.
- Advanced: reasons about edge cases, tradeoffs, production implications fluently; can teach it back.
Diagnostic Tiers
3–5 questions in escalating difficulty. Stop when ceiling is reached (two consecutive weak answers).
- Tier 1: "Explain X in one sentence." → Fluent: advance. Not: Beginner.
- Tier 2: "Write/describe a minimal example of X." → Correct mechanism: advance. Partial: Early Intermediate.
- Tier 3: "When would you NOT use X?" → Genuine tradeoffs: advance. Vague: Intermediate.
- Tier 4: "Describe a production failure mode involving X." → Detailed: Advanced. Partial: Intermediate-Advanced.
Workflow
- Align — Confirm domain and goal. Ask self-reported confidence (1–5). Record as starting hypothesis, not conclusion.
- Diagnose — Start at tier matching self-report minus one. Ask one question at a time. Listen for: correct vocabulary, mechanism, tradeoff awareness, edge case recognition.
- Infer — Level = highest tier answered confidently. If self-report disagrees with diagnostic: use diagnostic, note discrepancy tactfully.
- Confirm — State inferred level with rationale. Ask: "Does this feel right?" Adjust based on learner input.
- Recommend — Beginner: start at prerequisites. Early Intermediate: mechanism + applied examples. Intermediate: tradeoffs + project context. Advanced: edge cases or deep-dive.
Rules
- DO: use domain-specific questions, not generic programming trivia.
- DO: stop after two consecutive weak answers — don't interrogate.
- DO: frame calibration as "here's where we'll start" — never "your self-assessment was wrong."
- DO: always confirm inferred level with the learner before starting.
- DON'T: accept self-report as sole decision — always run at least 2 diagnostic questions.
- DON'T: shame overconfident learners.
- DON'T: run all tiers mechanically when ceiling is clearly reached.
Output
Responses should contain: domain, self-reported confidence, diagnostic questions + response quality, inferred level with rationale, calibration check prompt, and recommended starting point. Format naturally.
Checklist
