For me today is brain training on the agenda. With the help of the App Elevate I am supposed to improve my skills in math, reading, writing, speaking and listening.
The app is based on more than 35 different mini-games which can be adapted to the level of difficulty of the user.
So I download Apple’s App of the Year (USA) from the Play Store and actually want to start right away.
First impression
But Elevate doesn’t let me start that fast and after the installation I want to know what I want to improve. Confidently I choose all possible areas and think that now is the time to finally start.
But far from it, before the brain training can start, the app wants to evaluate me first to determine my current level of knowledge and adjust the games accordingly.
The 2 to 4-minute test includes short arithmetic exercises and grammar tests such as “Which word does not fit with the others” or “Complete this sentence”. For each subtask, a timer runs in the background, which makes me a little nervous.
You are then classified according to the so-called “Elevate Proficiency Quotient”, a scale from 0 – 5000.
My results are between 1427 and 2442 (Ø 1915) for all areas, which makes me an “Intermediate”.
So the app seems to be made for me to help my tired brain.
After a short note that the premium version of the app costs 32,99€ per year and you have a 14-day trial period before, I can finally start with the free version.
The Games
My first exercise is called “Brevity” and is designed to help you express yourself more precisely, avoid repetition and hold the attention of a reader.
The rules of the game are very simple, you are presented with a sentence and then you are supposed to eliminate the unnecessary word by tapping on it. Doesn’t sound complicated and then it isn’t.
I work my way through the sentences for the next two minutes and only miss one because I forget that you only have limited time. Every correctly eliminated word is followed by a nice animation and before I know it I am done with the exercise.
My second game is called “Processing” and should improve my reading speed as well as my reading comprehension.
The goal of the game is to build a tower as high as possible by trying to read words that are piled up as quickly as possible and to read and understand the sentences that are formed. After 2-3 sentences you have to answer a short question about the sentence you read to continue building your tower. After each answered question the speed of the words is increased – so you have less and less time to read and understand the sentences.
Here I also fail directly. After two wrong answers I have used up my life and have to start the whole game all over again.
But on the second try I already feel much safer and manage the level without losing a life.
My session ends after the third game, “Memory”. Here I get definitions and have to complete the word from given letters. For me so far the most difficult task.
I have completed my three daily exercises and would have to switch to Premium to continue right now.
I would actually like to, but for a first impression of the app it is completely sufficient and I end my test at this point.
Conclusion
Elevate has managed to captivate me in a very short time. The level of difficulty of the exercises is just right, the tasks well thought out and beautifully animated. The EPQ ranking system is clear and easy to understand and you get direct feedback on your progress.
I can only recommend the app to everyone who wants to help their grey matter quickly and easily. A German version would of course be a dream, especially for the listening comprehension exercises, but of course it is also great fun to improve your English.
