[Color Test Level 3] Summary of Common Mistakes

The Color Test is an exam where it's easy to get confused by many similar terms and conventional color names if you try to memorize them "just because."

In this article, I've summarized the points I frequently got wrong while studying for Levels 2 and 3 of the Color Test, focusing on "what the differences are" and "how to memorize them so you don't forget easily."

Please use this as a reference when you're studying for Level 3 of the Color Test and find yourself wondering "Wait, what's the difference again?" or when you want to organize your knowledge.

 

① Difference between Neutral Colors and Intermediate Colors

First, let's look at the difference between neutral colors and intermediate colors.

Their names are similar, but their meanings are completely different.

• Neutral colors: Colors like green and purple that are not biased towards either warm or cool colors – classification based on color psychology
• Intermediate colors: Colors created by mixing gray into pure colors – classification based on color representation

Let's take a closer look.

What are Neutral Colors (Color Psychology)?

Colors evoke impressions of "warmth" or "coldness," which is called color temperature sensation.

Color temperature sensation is particularly deeply related to hue among the three attributes of color (hue, lightness, and saturation), and hues are classified into the following three categories:

Category	Representative Colors	Impression
Warm Colors	Red, Orange, Yellow	Warm and vibrant
Cool Colors	Blue-green, Blue	Cool and calming
Neutral Colors	Green, Purple	Not biased towards warmth or coolness

Classification in PCCS Hue Circle

• Warm colors: 1:pR～8:Y
• Cool colors: 13:bG～19:pB
• Neutral colors: All others

Even warm colors feel less warm when their saturation is low.

Also, achromatic colors like white, gray, and black are said to feel cooler than chromatic colors.

What are Intermediate Colors (Color Representation)?

Colors are broadly divided into chromatic colors and achromatic colors.

• Chromatic colors: Colors with a hue, such as red, blue, and yellow
• Achromatic colors: Colors without a hue, such as white, gray, and black

Furthermore, chromatic colors are classified into the following three types:

Category	Characteristics
Pure Colors	The most vivid colors (highest saturation)
Clear Colors	Colors mixed with white or black into pure colors, without muddiness
Intermediate Colors	Muted colors created by mixing gray into pure colors

The way to remember it is simple.

• Pure color + white = Clear light colors (p, lt, b)
• Pure color + black = Clear dark colors (dkg, dk, dp tones)
• Pure color + gray = Intermediate colors (ltg, sf, g, d tones)

In Level 2 of the Color Test, tonal color schemes, which combine only intermediate colors (medium lightness, medium to low saturation), appear.

It's good to remember them together.

② Difference between Hue Color Scheme and Tone Color Scheme

Next, let's look at the difference between a hue color scheme and a tone color scheme.

These are also often confused, but they focus on different aspects.

• Hue color scheme: Considers the difference in hue
• Tone color scheme: Considers the difference in lightness and saturation (tone)

A color scheme refers to combining two or more colors.

Let's take a closer look.

What is a Hue Color Scheme?

A hue color scheme is a color scheme that is considered based on how far apart colors are on the hue circle (hue difference).

The PCCS hue circle consists of 24 colors, with colors located opposite each other having a hue difference of 12 (maximum).

Scheme Name	Hue Difference
Monochromatic hue scheme	0
Adjacent hue scheme	1 (V tone only)
Analogous hue scheme	2・3
Intermediate hue scheme	4～7
Contrasting hue scheme	8～10
Complementary hue scheme	11・12

In past exams, questions asking to identify "Analogous hue schemes" or "Contrasting hue schemes" from a given color scheme are common. It's a priority to remember the scheme names and hue differences.

What is a Tone Color Scheme?

A tone color scheme is a color scheme that is considered based on the positional relationship in the PCCS tone diagram.

Even with the same hue, the impression of a color scheme changes when the tone (lightness and saturation) changes.

Tone is also called color value.

Main Tones

Abbreviation	Name	Impression
p	Pale	Light, Cute
lt	Light	Clear, Childlike
b	Bright	Healthy, Cheerful
v	Vivid	Vibrant, Eye-catching
ltg	Light Grayish	Calm
sf	Soft	Gentle, Vague
s	Strong	Overpowering, Passionate
g	Grayish	Muted, Subtle
d	Dull	Dull
dkg	Dark Grayish	Gloomy, Heavy, Firm
dk	Dark	Mature, Durable
dp	Deep	Traditional, Japanese style

Types of Tone Color Schemes

Scheme Name	Characteristics
Identical tone scheme	Combines colors of the same tone. Tends to create a sense of unity.
Analogous tone scheme	Combines adjacent tones. Emphasizes shared imagery.
Contrasting tone scheme	Combines distant tones. Creates strong contrast.

③ How to Memorize Traditional Color Names

Finally, how to memorize traditional color names.

There are 64 traditional color names listed in the official textbook for Level 3, and 63 for Level 2 (as of 2026).

There are many unfamiliar kanji, readings, and foreign loanwords.

If you take both Level 3 and Level 2 concurrently, you need to master 127 colors.

Therefore, the steps that personally worked for me are as follows:

1. Solve problems before memorizing
2. Research traditional color names that need review
3. Memorize with your own unique images

Let's take a closer look.

[Step 1] Solve problems before memorizing

In my case, trying to memorize the official textbook from the start felt like it would break my spirit.

So, I used the smartphone app iroben (a service that helps you learn conventional color names that appear on the Color Test).

When I used the iroben app before trying to memorize color names, I naturally made many mistakes at first, but by repeatedly solving the problems, I was able to naturally memorize the color names, which was very helpful.

[Step 2] Research traditional color names that need review

Even if I diligently solved problems on the app every day, there were still traditional color names that I struggled to distinguish or remember.

So, I would look up the questions I got wrong or the traditional color names that needed review in the official textbook or on the internet.

For example, "Kikyo-iro" (bellflower color).

The official textbook provides the reading "kikyo" and a picture.

Furthermore, searching for "Kikyo" on the internet will allow you to simultaneously learn:

• That it is read "kikyo"
• That it is derived from the bellflower
• That it is a purplish blue

Connecting it with the actual color and its origin makes it easier to remember than just memorizing the words.

[Step 3] Memorize with your own unique images

Even so, just looking at them, you tend to forget them surprisingly quickly.

That's where the "memorize with your own unique images" idea that I first felt comes in handy.

For example,

• "I thought khaki was greenish, but it's actually brownish."
• "Both marine blue and ultramarine blue are not 'THE blue.'"
  
• "Both cobalt blue and cobalt green are the 'THE' colors that many artists use."

Adding a personal comment like this makes them surprisingly unforgettable.

Here are some other methods I personally used to memorize colors that I found difficult to distinguish:

Red Tones

Color Name	Example of how to remember
Scarlet	Slightly more orange than red
Vermilion	Even more orange than scarlet
Shu-iro (vermilion)	The color of vermilion ink pad

Brown Tones

Color Name	Example of how to remember
Rengab-iro (brick color)	Color of red bricks
Kuri-iro (chestnut color)	Color of chestnut shell
Chocolate	Even darker brown than chestnut color

Blue Tones

Color Name	Example of how to remember
Ultramarine Blue	It's "blue," but has a strong purplish tint.
Marine Blue	It's "blue," but has a strong greenish tint.
Gunjo-iro (ultramarine)	A subdued ultramarine blue.
Kakitsubata-iro (iris color)	A bluish-purple like the iris flower.
Ruri-iro (lapis lazuli color)	A deep blue reminiscent of the Earth.
Cobalt Blue	A vivid blue that feels like "THE blue."

In the past exams I took in 2024 and 2025, there weren't many questions as tricky as those in the app, like "Is this scarlet or vermilion...?", but I found that practicing these close distinction problems in the app helped clarify the differences between other colors.

However, colors displayed on a smartphone screen may look slightly different from those in the official textbook (which are closer to the actual exam colors).

Therefore, it's recommended to repeatedly study with the iroben app and also check the color nuances in the list of traditional color names in the official textbook.

Also, what took time and effort but was worth it was writing down the tone abbreviations and hue numbers for the colors that appeared in past exams (not just the traditional color name questions).

For example,

Guess "v2" just by looking at the color, then check the answer.

If you get it wrong, check the actual color on a color card and relearn it.

Doing this not only reveals differences in perception but also differences in color nuances between the color cards and the text.

Achieving perfection is difficult, but I practiced aiming for 60-70% accuracy.

It trains your ability to perceive colors, so it was ultimately one of the study methods with great benefits.

 

Summary

In the Color Test, avoiding confusion between similar terms and conventional color names leads to higher scores.

The points I introduced this time,

• Neutral colors and intermediate colors
• Hue color schemes and tone color schemes
• How to memorize traditional color names
  

were points that I myself often confused while studying.

Instead of trying to memorize everything perfectly from the start,

• Solve problems before memorizing
• Research traditional color names that need review or were answered incorrectly
• Memorize with your own unique images

Following this flow of repeated learning will help you gradually solidify your knowledge.

Thank you for reading until the end.