Answers.Body: <p>Well, the main problem with these tests is that they aren't reliable. They can only give you a <em>rough indication</em> of your playing strength, nothing more. Maybe something accurate to 100 rating points, and it's very hard to gain 100 points in a month, even for a beginner. So it will be hard to measure your progress on that scale.</p>
  
  <p>Also, taking the same test over and over again makes you recognize certain test questions, instead of solving them with pure chess skills. And lastly, they measure your ability to solve chess diagrams, instead of your playing strength. That encompasses many more things like an opening repertoire, knowing how to spend your time over the game, etc.</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2016-11-17T11:39:32.117Z
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Glorfindel
Answers.Body: <p>If you are playing online you should already have an online rating which should be enough to track your progress.</p>
  
  <p>As far as I can see, the website you list tries to give an estimate based on how well you solve tactics puzzles. Tactics is important, but not all to estimate playing strength.  </p>
  
  <p>At least at some level other aspects like openings or strategy/developing long time plans will become relevant and it is difficult to assess these in a test.</p>
  
  <p>Also note that ratings (e.g online and FIDE  Elo) are not comparable as they always depend on the player pool. If you only want to track progress it is fine if you stick with one rating system. I don't see much need for another test.</p>
  
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Answers.UserDisplayName: user1583209
Answers.Body: <p>answer: No cons. More info can only be better, but it is just a number to measure an abstract skill. The key is to not read into it anything other than that.</p>
  
  <p>As mentioned already, you should be playing online as much as you can (G15 at least, blitz less, bullet never), and that will give you a good approximation of your rating.</p>
  
  <p>But it is just a number, something you should not be married to.</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2016-11-22T18:00:22.723Z
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Priyome
Answers.Body: <p>Elometer is just a test.</p>
  
  <p>A <em>true</em> rating system score is only <em>relative</em>, i.e. it means something only <em>among the members of a group</em> (that should be big, but is <em>finite</em>). After choosing <strong>Elo</strong>, <strong>ree</strong>, <strong>TrueSkill</strong>, <strong>Glicko</strong> - here's a <a href="https://rankade.com/ree#ranking-system-comparison" rel="nofollow noreferrer">comparison</a> - or what you like better, it makes no sense at all to compare your score  within a group with your or someone else's scores in other groups, or do some other <em>abstraction</em>.</p>
  
  <p>You can go on playing online and check your Elo variations, or record a subset of matches in another rating system (as aforementioned Glicko, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TrueSkill" rel="nofollow noreferrer">TrueSkill</a> or <a href="https://rankade.com" rel="nofollow noreferrer">rankade</a>, our free-to-use rating system), or in case use them for your club, or friends, and track your score vs matches or time. These are good ways to measure your progress.</p>
  
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Tomaso Neri
Body: <p>I'm almost a beginner in the chess world who at the moment only plays online and watch various chess lectures on youtube.</p>
  
  <p>I'm thinking about using <a href="http://www.elometer.net/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.elometer.net/</a> 
  on a monthly basis in order to see my progress over time.</p>
  
  <p>What are the pro and cons of doing that? </p>
  
Tags: <rating><elo><beginner><online>
Title: Does it make sense to use an online ELO-rating-test for a beginner as a monthly test tool in order to see my progress?
ThreadText: # Does it make sense to use an online ELO-rating-test for a beginner as a monthly test tool in order to see my progress?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2016-11-17)
  
  I'm almost a beginner in the chess world who at the moment only plays online and watch various chess lectures on youtube.
  
  I'm thinking about using <http://www.elometer.net/>
  on a monthly basis in order to see my progress over time.
  
  What are the pro and cons of doing that?
  
  **Tags:** rating, elo, beginner, online
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 4 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2016-11-17. Score: 6 | Accepted answer
  
  Elometer is just a test.
  
  A *true* rating system score is only *relative*, i.e. it means something only *among the members of a group* (that should be big, but is *finite*). After choosing **Elo**, **ree**, **TrueSkill**, **Glicko** - here's a [comparison](https://rankade.com/ree#ranking-system-comparison) - or what you like better, it makes no sense at all to compare your score within a group with your or someone else's scores in other groups, or do some other *abstraction*.
  
  You can go on playing online and check your Elo variations, or record a subset of matches in another rating system (as aforementioned Glicko, [TrueSkill](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TrueSkill) or [rankade](https://rankade.com), our free-to-use rating system), or in case use them for your club, or friends, and track your score vs matches or time. These are good ways to measure your progress.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2016-11-17. Score: 7
  
  Well, the main problem with these tests is that they aren't reliable. They can only give you a *rough indication* of your playing strength, nothing more. Maybe something accurate to 100 rating points, and it's very hard to gain 100 points in a month, even for a beginner. So it will be hard to measure your progress on that scale.
  
  Also, taking the same test over and over again makes you recognize certain test questions, instead of solving them with pure chess skills. And lastly, they measure your ability to solve chess diagrams, instead of your playing strength. That encompasses many more things like an opening repertoire, knowing how to spend your time over the game, etc.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2016-11-17. Score: 5
  
  If you are playing online you should already have an online rating which should be enough to track your progress.
  
  As far as I can see, the website you list tries to give an estimate based on how well you solve tactics puzzles. Tactics is important, but not all to estimate playing strength.
  
  At least at some level other aspects like openings or strategy/developing long time plans will become relevant and it is difficult to assess these in a test.
  
  Also note that ratings (e.g online and FIDE Elo) are not comparable as they always depend on the player pool. If you only want to track progress it is fine if you stick with one rating system. I don't see much need for another test.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2016-11-22. Score: 2
  
  answer: No cons. More info can only be better, but it is just a number to measure an abstract skill. The key is to not read into it anything other than that.
  
  As mentioned already, you should be playing online as much as you can (G15 at least, blitz less, bullet never), and that will give you a good approximation of your rating.
  
  But it is just a number, something you should not be married to.
  
  
  ---
  
  