I think McCall's ratings of patterns to generally be spot on. That said, the terms easy, confident beginner, intermediate quilter, challenging, etc. may be relative. However, since I began quilting many years ago when they didn't have those ratings, I found myself choosing and completing intermediate and beyond, even when I first started to quilt. Take the plunge, challenge yourself and you may be pleasantly surprised that your skills are better than you think they are.