A "total novice" refers to someone who is completely new or inexperienced in a particular activity or field. They have little to no knowledge or skill in it. Full definition
Y ’ all, we are total novices at installing tile, but this is a project that I believe any diy'er could do! (worthingcourtblog.com)
Your First Year in Real Estate: Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional, By Dirk Zeller (theweeklybookscan.blogs.realtor.org)
As plant - based eaters themselves and with a company created around helping total novices adopt plant - based diets, Tingle and Duboise have a wealth of wisdom on how beginners can transition to a plant - based diet. (byrdie.co.uk)