Now I could answer that question in a few ways; how comfortable am I with my shaving technique? Am I competently honing (despite the beginners shouldn't hone thread!) Am I able to answer other's questions about wet shaving in general? Confidence!
At the same time, I absolutely acknowledge that this skill can take a lifetime to master in some ways, and the learning will go as far as I want it to. I also realize that after just four months of very immersive shaving (and fast-track RAD treatments) I completely embody an enthusiastic "beginner." If at all possible I feel like I have crammed at least a year's experience into four months of reading, browsing, emailing, shaving, honing, stropping, upgrading, thinking, questioning, teaching, learning....
I like saying I'm a beginner, but I don't really feel like one. Then again, that's probably just my ego chiming in.
Did I mention the stellar shave I got this morning???

So how would you answer the question? How long did you feel like a "beginner?" What helped you think of yourself as beyond the "beginner" stage? Time? Accomplishment?