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Z0 Weekly Diagnostics: 7 Sensors that Detect Drift Before Exams (Student Instrument Panel)

What this page is

Most families only discover a problem when the exam result arrives.

But by then, the student’s Z0 pockets have often been drifting for months.

This page gives a weekly Z0 instrument panel:
7 simple sensors you can run to detect drift early and repair it before it becomes panic.

Start Here:

Definition Lock

Z0 Weekly Diagnostics are short verification routines that measure whether skill pockets are stable at P2 (independent reliability) or slipping into P1/P0 (prompt dependence / freezing).

You cannot manage what you cannot measure.
You cannot repair what you do not detect.

First Principles (why sensors matter)

  • Drift happens quietly.
  • Homework can hide drift (recognition).
  • Exams reveal drift late.
  • Weekly sensors turn learning into a controllable system.

This is the difference between:

  • “study harder”
    and
  • “repair the pockets that are failing.”

Sensor 1: Blank-Page Start Rate (BPSR)

What it measures: ability to start without cues (retrieval).
How to run: 3 questions, no notes. Score: starts independently / needs prompt / cannot start.

Interpretation:

  • prompt dependence = P1
  • blanking = P0
  • independent start = P2+ target

Sensor 2: Independence Ratio (Prompts per Question)

What it measures: scaffolding dependence.
How to run: during revision/tuition, count prompts needed.

Interpretation:

  • many prompts = false competence
  • goal: trend to near-zero prompts on standard forms

Sensor 3: Variation Tolerance (VT)

What it measures: template overfit vs real understanding.
How to run: same concept, different skin — 3 items.

Interpretation:

  • collapses when skin changes = P1
  • stable across skins = P2/P3

Sensor 4: Mild Load Stability (MLS)

What it measures: Phase survival under realistic timing.
How to run: short timed micro-set (not harsh). Compare accuracy vs untimed.

Interpretation:

  • sharp accuracy drop = load intolerance (P1/P2 boundary)
  • stable accuracy = P2+

Sensor 5: Error-Class Histogram (ECH)

What it measures: repeating failure modes.
How to run: log errors into classes:

  • entry error
  • execution slip
  • working memory overflow
  • checking absence
  • panic reset

Interpretation:

  • repeated class = repair target
  • random spread = overload or poor structure

Sensor 6: 48-Hour Retention (Memory Half-Life Check)

What it measures: drift speed.
How to run: revisit 2–3 pockets learned 48 hours ago. Closed-book.

Interpretation:

  • if it disappears in 48h, the pocket never became P2
  • you must repeat retrieval reps across days

Sensor 7: Recovery Time After Error (RTAE)

What it measures: whether mistakes trigger meltdown.
How to run: when student makes an error, measure:

  • do they recover and continue?
  • or panic and collapse?

Interpretation:

  • fast recovery = P2/P3 stability
  • slow recovery / shutdown = panic coupling, requires recovery scripts

How to use the panel (weekly routine)

Step 1: Pick 3 pockets only

Don’t measure everything. Measure the load-bearing pockets for the next test.

Step 2: Run sensors in 15–25 minutes

This is not extra homework. It’s verification.

Step 3: Repair the worst signal

  • if blank-page start fails → first-step engineering
  • if variation fails → variation ladder
  • if load fails → slow-clean then load conditioning
  • if retention fails → spaced retrieval plan

Step 4: Repeat weekly, track trend

Your goal is not perfection. Your goal is a trend toward P2 stability.

Common mistakes families make with diagnostics

  • measuring only marks (too late)
  • using sensors like punishment
  • running full papers instead of micro-sets
  • not recording error classes (so repairs stay vague)

What good tuition does with these sensors

A good tutor runs these sensors implicitly every week and adjusts:

  • what to repair
  • what to accelerate
  • what to stop wasting time on

Tuition becomes repair routing, not “more content.”

FAQ

How many sensors should we run weekly?
All 7 is ideal, but even 3 sensors weekly is enough to detect drift early.

Won’t this stress my child?
If framed as diagnosis (not judgment), it reduces stress because progress becomes visible.

What’s the most important sensor?
Blank-page start rate + variation tolerance. They detect false competence fastest.

Start Here for our Ministry of Education Series (CivOS/EducationOS Grade)

BukitTimahTutor Lattice Graph Block

Z0 Execution:
BTT.MAT.Z0.P.ALG.001
BTT.MAT.Z0.P.DIF.001
BTT.SEN.Z0.S.TTC.001
BTT.MAT.Z0.S.ERR.001

Z1 Support Loops:
BTT.PAR.Z1.P.HOM.001
BTT.TUI.Z1.P.SCF.001
BTT.SEN.Z1.S.DEP.001
BTT.SEN.Z1.S.FCG.001

Z2 Exam/Transition:
BTT.EXM.Z2.P.SEC.001
BTT.EDU.Z2.P.TRN.001
BTT.EXM.Z2.B.OLEV.001

Z3 Interfaces:
SG.EDU.Z3.B.SYL.001
SG.EDU.Z3.B.EXM.001
SG.EDU.Z3.B.PLC.001

Edges:
BTT.TUI.Z1.P.SCF.001 BindsTo BTT.MAT.Z0.P.ALG.001
BTT.MAT.Z0.P.ALG.001 BindsTo BTT.EXM.Z2.P.SEC.001
BTT.EDU.Z2.P.TRN.001 Impacts BTT.EXM.Z2.B.OLEV.001
BTT.SEN.Z1.S.DEP.001 Impacts BTT.EXM.Z2.P.SEC.001
BTT.SEN.Z0.S.TTC.001 Observes BTT.EXM.Z2.P.SEC.001