How do I get to my level of competence?

[R38c4hra]

I enrolled in Duolingo for Chinese today, starting with a quiz to determine what level I should begin at. Now I'm no fluent speaker, and am very rusty at what I do know, but the results acknowledged that I was not a rank beginner. And yet I have not been able to get beyond an endless round of ni haos and zai jians. Where did I get derailed?

Thanks in advance for any help anyone may be able to provide.

[Procellis]

That sounds like doing the first lessons over and over. Is this your first time on the site? (I can’t see the flags next to people’s names on my phone so I’m forced to guess.) When you want to study new things (or, as in your case the thing that duo guessed were still unfamiliar) you need to scroll down and focus on the lowest available skills. Finish the first level of each skill in a new row and the next row will unlock.

[R38c4hra]

Thanks! I ended up going with the placement they sent me to and have benefited from the character practice after a long break from Chinese. Tedious, though.