Most posters who have commented on this say to read CC immediately after you swirl the solution. If you don't see pink within a few seconds (I wait 4-5) there's no CC. If there's a slight pink tinge that goes away w/ 1 drop of #2 reagent, there's probably less than .5 CC. If it takes 2 drops, CC is about .5 -- more than 2 drops, and your CC is over .5 and you should shock. Hope this helps.

BTW I'm new to this, too, but Ben's kit and instructions make keeping my pool sparkling easy.