English levels from A1 to C2, explained

Where the levels come from

The six levels come from the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, usually shortened to CEFR. The Council of Europe published it in 2001 to give teachers, learners, schools and employers one shared way to describe language ability. Before that, “intermediate” in one school could mean something quite different in the next, and a certificate from one country was hard to read in another.

The key idea is that the CEFR describes what you can do with a language, not how many words or grammar rules you know. Its descriptors are written as “can do” statements: you can order a meal, you can follow a lecture, you can write a clear report. That is why the same scale works for English, German, Spanish or any other language, and why it has spread far beyond Europe.

In 2020 the Council of Europe published the CEFR Companion Volume, which updates and extends the original descriptors. It adds a Pre-A1 band for the very first steps, describes the “plus” levels A2+, B1+ and B2+ in more detail, adds more description for the C levels, and brings in new scales for mediation, online interaction and plurilingual and pluricultural competence. For most learners, though, the six main levels are what matters, and they have stayed the same.

Three stages, six levels

The six levels sit in three stages. A1 and A2 describe the basic user, B1 and B2 the independent user, and C1 and C2 the proficient user. Each level includes everything below it, so a B2 speaker can also do everything listed for A1, A2 and B1. The official English names of the levels are not used much in daily life, but you will see them in the Council of Europe documents.

Between the main levels there is a lot of ground. Moving from B1 to B2 usually takes much longer than moving from A1 to A2, which is one reason the Companion Volume describes the plus levels. If a teacher says you are “B1+”, it means you are clearly beyond B1 but not yet at B2 across the board.

A1 and A2: the basic user

A1, your first steps

At A1 you can say who you are, where you are from and what you do, ask and answer simple questions about things you need right now, and fill in a form with your name, address and nationality. Conversation works when the other person is patient: they speak slowly, repeat when needed and help you find the word. On a trip you can buy a ticket, order a coffee and read a sign, but a phone call in English is still hard.

A2, getting by

At A2 everyday life starts to open up. You can talk about your family, your job and your town, describe your day in simple sentences, and handle short routine exchanges in shops, at the doctor or with a colleague. At work you can write a short message to confirm a meeting time or say that you are late. You still need people to speak clearly, and anything unexpected can throw you off, but you get by on your own in familiar situations.

B1 and B2: the independent user

B1, the threshold

B1 is called the threshold because it is where you start to cope without a safety net. You understand the main points when people speak clearly about work, school or free time. On a trip you can handle most situations: checking into a hotel, explaining a problem with a booking, asking for advice at a pharmacy. You can tell the story of a film, describe a past experience and give short reasons for your opinions and plans. Your English is not elegant yet, but it works.

B2, the independent user

B2 is the level many people mean when they say someone speaks English well. You follow the main ideas of complex texts, including discussions in your own field, and you take part in conversations with native speakers without either side straining. At work you join meetings, argue a point, write a clear report and explain the pros and cons of an option. In study you can follow lectures on familiar subjects and write essays that develop an argument. You still make mistakes, but they rarely get in the way.

C1 and C2: the proficient user

C1, effective operational proficiency

At C1 you understand long and demanding texts and pick up meaning that is only implied: irony, hints, what a colleague means but does not say. You speak fluently and spontaneously, with little obvious searching for words, and you can adapt your style to the situation, formal in a presentation and relaxed over lunch. You write well-structured texts on complex subjects, from a research paper to a careful email to a client. This is the level many universities set for demanding courses taught in English.

C2, mastery

C2 does not mean speaking like a native speaker, and the CEFR does not use native speakers as its yardstick. It means you understand virtually everything with ease, summarize information from different spoken and written sources into a coherent account, and express yourself with precision, even on fine shades of meaning. Translators, editors and people who teach or write in English professionally often work at this level.

A level is not a grade on your talent: it is a description of what you can do today.

What each level looks like in real life

Definitions only go so far, so here is how the levels typically show up in three parts of life. These are examples drawn from the CEFR descriptors, not strict rules: real people are rarely at exactly the same level in every situation.

Four skills, and why your profile is uneven

Most people think of one level, but the CEFR describes several kinds of language activity: understanding what you hear and read, speaking and writing on your own, interacting with others, and, since the Companion Volume, mediating between people and texts. Exams usually test four skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking.

Almost nobody has the same level in all of them. A very common profile is someone who reads at B2, because they read in English for work, but speaks at B1, because they rarely have the chance to talk. Others pick up English from films and series and understand much more than they can write. This is completely normal, and the CEFR expects it: you can describe each skill separately.

Knowing your profile helps you study well. If your reading is ahead of your speaking, more reading will feel productive but will not close the gap. What moves speaking is regular conversation, ideally with a teacher who corrects you and with people you get to know, so you dare to try new structures. In Alimun's live classes you learn with a teacher and the same small group every time, which is exactly the setting where speaking and interaction can catch up.

Which certificate matches which level

A level only counts for others when it is proven. The two families of English certificates you will meet most often work in different ways. Cambridge English makes one exam for each level: A2 Key, B1 Preliminary, B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency. Each one is designed to show that you have reached that level, and the certificate does not expire, although some organizations ask for a recent result.

Cambridge exams also report a score on the Cambridge English Scale, so a result can sometimes certify a level above or below the exam. For B2 First, for example, a score from 160 to 179 is a pass at B2, a score from 180 to 190 earns a certificate at C1, and a score from 140 to 159 earns a certificate at B1. Cambridge still recommends C1 Advanced if you want to show C1 ability fully.

IELTS works differently. Everyone takes the same test and receives a band from 0 to 9 for each skill and overall. IELTS publishes its own explanation of how bands relate to the CEFR: bands 5.5 to 6.5 correspond to B2, bands 7 to 8 to C1, and C2 corresponds approximately to band 9. Because the CEFR is not an accreditation scheme, each test provider carries out its own research for this kind of mapping, so treat it as an alignment rather than an exact conversion.

What universities and employers ask for

There is no single rule, but some patterns come up again and again. Universities often ask for B2 or C1 for degrees taught in English, and they usually name the certificates they accept and the score for each skill. Courses with a lot of reading and writing, such as law or the humanities, tend to sit at the higher end. Many universities also accept their own test or a school qualification, so the course page is the place to check.

Employers vary more. Many job ads mention a level such as B2 or C1 without asking for a certificate, and then check your English in the interview. International companies and roles with a lot of client contact, writing or presenting often expect C1. Visa and migration rules are the strictest: the authority usually names a specific test, sometimes a specific version, and a minimum score, and only that result will do.

How long it takes to reach each level

Cambridge English gives approximate guided learning hours for each level: the time spent learning with a teacher, from complete beginner to that level. The figures are cumulative, so the hours for C1 include those for B2, B1 and A2. Cambridge describes them as a guideline only, because your pace depends on your background, how intensively you study, your age and how much you practice outside lessons.

Two things stand out. The gaps get bigger as you go up: from B2 to C1 takes about as many hours as getting from scratch to A2. And guided hours are only part of the picture. What you do between lessons, from reading and listening to doing exercises, makes a large difference, which is why steady practice tends to beat occasional bursts.

How to find your level and track your progress

The quickest way to start is a placement test. The Alimun level test places you from A1 to C1 in a few minutes, and your class and your exercises follow the result, so you begin where you are, not where you think you should be. Starting too high is frustrating, and starting too low wastes time you could spend moving up.

Once you have started, progress is easiest to see in what you can do. Can you follow a meeting you used to find hard? Write an email without checking every word? Watch a series with English subtitles instead of your own language? Those are the real signs that you are moving up. Exercises with instant feedback show you right away what you have mastered, and homework corrected by your teacher shows where you still slip, so nothing important stays hidden.

If you need an official result, take the exam when your practice work is comfortably at the target level, not just touching it. And remember that levels describe a direction, not a finish line: even at C2 there is always more English to enjoy.

Questions people ask

Sources: Council of Europe, CEFR common reference levels: global scale, Council of Europe, CEFR Companion Volume (2020), Cambridge English Qualifications, Cambridge English, B2 First results, Cambridge English, guided learning hours, IELTS, Everything you need to know about IELTS and the CEFR.