How hard is each soroban level? (20th Kyu – 1st Kyu)
Being told "soroban, level so-and-so" does not say much about how hard it actually is. Here we What actually comes up at each level in one table, by digits and terms.
What comes up at each level
"Terms" means how many numbers are added. "3 digits, 10 terms" means adding and subtracting ten 3-digit numbers.
| Level | Addition | Multiplication | Division |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20th Kyu | 1 digit, 2 terms (answers up to 5) | — | — |
| 19th Kyu | 1 digit, 2 terms (answers up to 9, no carrying) | — | — |
| 18th Kyu | 1 digit, 2 terms (answers 6–10, using the 5-bead) | — | — |
| 17th Kyu | 1 digit, 2 terms (carrying, answers 11–18) | — | — |
| 16th Kyu | 1 digit, 3 terms (3 terms, no carrying) | — | — |
| 15th Kyu | 1 digit, 5 terms | — | — |
| 14th Kyu | 1 digit, 7 terms | — | — |
| 13th Kyu | 2 digits, 3 terms | — | — |
| 12th Kyu | 2 digits, 4 terms | — | — |
| 11th Kyu | 2 digits, 5 terms | — | — |
| 10th Kyu | 2 digits, 5 terms | — | — |
| 9th Kyu | 2 digits, 6 terms | 2 digits × 1 digit | — |
| 8th Kyu | 2 digits, 8 terms | 3 digits × 1 digit | — |
| 7th Kyu | 2 digits, 10 terms | 2 digits × 2 digits | 3 digits ÷ 1 digit |
| 6th Kyu | 2–4 digits, 10 terms (30 digits in all) | 3 digits × 2 digits (or 2 digits × 3 digits) | 4 digits ÷ 1 digit |
| 5th Kyu | 3–5 digits, 10 terms (40 digits in all) | 3 digits × 3 digits | 4 digits ÷ 2 digits |
| 4th Kyu | 3–5 digits, 10 terms (45 digits in all) | 4 digits × 3 digits (or 3 digits × 4 digits) | 5 digits ÷ 2 digits |
| 3rd Kyu | 4–6 digits, 10 terms (50 digits in all) | 4 digits × 3 digits (or 3 digits × 4 digits) | 6 digits ÷ 3 digits |
| 2nd Kyu | 4–6 digits, 10 terms (55 digits in all) | 4 digits × 4 digits | 7 digits ÷ 3 digits |
| 1st Kyu | 5–7 digits, 10 terms (60 digits in all) | 5 digits × 4 digits (or 4 digits × 5 digits) | 8 digits ÷ 4 digits |
Where the milestones are
- 9th Kyu: from here, Multiplication begins. It assumes the child can recite the times tables
- 7th Kyu: from here, Division is added, making three subjects
- 6th Kyu: addition reaches 3 digits — one fair marker for "can use a soroban"
- 3rd Kyu: the line people often say you can put on a CV. 5 digits 10 terms and 4 digits × 3 digits make it much heavier
- 1st Kyu: 6 digits 10 terms, 5 digits × 4 digits. By here, mental arithmetic is seriously strong
About 16th–20th Kyu
Below 15th Kyu there is nothing in the official tests. In this app, so that a beginner does not hit a wall straight away, A beginner's staircase that follows the soroban learning order (friends of 5 → no carrying → friends of 10 → carrying) is ready for you.
※ The question format (digits and terms) is our own guide. This site is an unofficial practice app made by an individual, and has no connection whatsoever with any organization that runs soroban tests.
Compared with only reading, moving your hands is far quicker to learn. Soroban Kingdom's levels 20–16 are free forever, with no sign-up, on any phone or computer.
When you get one wrong, the bead move that most likely went wrong (worked out from the answer) is shown in a diagram.
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