Quick self-assessment

Check every statement that is true for you. Your estimated level updates automatically below.

I can introduce myself and answer simple questions about where I live, people I know and things I have. I can understand everyday words and very simple phrases when someone speaks slowly and clearly to me. I can order food, ask for directions and shop for everyday things using simple, familiar phrases. I can write a short personal note or fill in a form with my personal details. I can handle most situations that come up while travelling, such as asking for help or explaining a problem. I can describe my experiences, hopes and plans and give brief reasons for my opinions. I can follow the main ideas of a technical discussion in my field and understand most TV news programmes. I can talk with native speakers fairly fluently, without much strain for either of us. I can express myself fluently and spontaneously, almost without searching for words, in social and professional situations. I can understand virtually everything I read or hear, and summarise information from different sources into a clear argument.

Check at least one statement above to see your estimated level.

This self-assessment gives an indicative estimate only. It is not a certified language test and does not replace an official exam recognised by schools, employers or immigration authorities.

The 6 CEFR levels in detail

Level	Listening	Reading	Spoken interaction	Spoken production	Writing
A1 Breakthrough	Can recognise familiar words and very basic phrases when people speak slowly and clearly.	Can understand familiar names, words and very simple sentences, for example on notices, posters or in catalogues.	Can interact in a simple way if the other person is prepared to repeat or rephrase things more slowly and help me formulate what I am trying to say.	Can use simple phrases and sentences to describe where I live and people I know.	Can write a short, simple postcard and fill in forms with personal details such as name, nationality and address.
A2 Waystage	Can understand phrases and the highest frequency vocabulary related to areas of immediate personal relevance, and catch the main point in short, clear messages.	Can read very short, simple texts and find specific, predictable information in everyday material such as menus, timetables and advertisements.	Can communicate in simple, routine tasks requiring a direct exchange of information on familiar topics and activities.	Can describe in simple terms my family, living conditions, educational background and present or most recent job.	Can write short, simple notes, messages and a very simple personal letter, for example thanking someone.
B1 Threshold	Can understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar matters regularly encountered at work, school or in leisure time.	Can understand texts that consist mainly of high frequency everyday language, and understand the description of events and feelings in personal letters.	Can deal with most situations likely to arise while travelling, and enter unprepared into conversation on familiar topics or personal interest.	Can connect phrases to describe experiences, events, dreams and ambitions, and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.	Can write simple connected text on familiar topics and personal letters describing experiences and impressions.
B2 Vantage	Can understand extended speech and follow complex lines of argument when the topic is reasonably familiar, and understand most TV news and current affairs.	Can read articles and reports on contemporary problems, and understand contemporary literary prose.	Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain.	Can present clear, detailed descriptions on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint, giving advantages and disadvantages.	Can write clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue.
C1 Effective operational proficiency	Can understand extended speech even when it is not clearly structured and relationships are only implied, and follow films and television with little effort.	Can understand long and complex factual and literary texts, and specialised articles and technical instructions outside my own field.	Can express myself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions, using language flexibly for social and professional purposes.	Can present clear, detailed descriptions of complex subjects, integrating sub-themes and developing points to a suitable conclusion.	Can express myself in clear, well-structured text, explaining points of view at some length in letters, essays or reports.
C2 Mastery	Has no difficulty understanding any kind of spoken language, whether live or broadcast, even at fast native speed.	Can read with ease virtually all forms of the written language, including abstract, structurally complex texts such as manuals or literary works.	Can take part effortlessly in any conversation or discussion and is familiar with idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms.	Can present a clear, smoothly flowing description or argument in a style appropriate to the context, with an effective logical structure.	Can write clear, smoothly flowing text in an appropriate style, and complex letters, reports or articles that present a case.

CEFR levels and recognised English certifications

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is the six-level scale, A1 to C2, used across Europe to describe language ability. In the UK, IELTS and Cambridge English exams map onto these levels, and a CEFR B1 is the level required for the "Life in the UK" settlement route and for most visa applications that ask for proof of English.

The 6 levels with certification equivalents and study hours

CEFR	Cambridge / IELTS	Estimated study hours
A1	IELTS 3.0-3.5	around 90-100 hours
A2	Cambridge A2 Key, IELTS 4.0	around 180-200 hours
B1	Cambridge B1 Preliminary, IELTS 4.5-5.0	around 350-400 hours
B2	Cambridge B2 First, IELTS 5.5-6.5	around 500-600 hours
C1	Cambridge C1 Advanced, IELTS 7.0-8.0	around 700-800 hours
C2	Cambridge C2 Proficiency, IELTS 8.5-9.0	around 1000-1200 hours

What this tool does not do

This self-assessment is not a certified language test. A real exam such as IELTS or Cambridge English scores listening, reading, speaking and writing separately with trained examiners, and can differ from your own self-assessment by a level in either direction. Use this guide to get a quick, honest starting point, not as proof of level for a visa application, university admission or job offer.

How the estimated level is calculated

Each of the 10 statements above corresponds to one CEFR level, from A1 (weight 1) to C2 (weight 6). The tool simply keeps the highest level among every statement you checked, since CEFR ability is cumulative: someone who can genuinely do C1 tasks can normally also do the A1 and A2 tasks. The number of statements checked is shown for information only and does not change the calculation. For a related reference, see the IPA Pronunciation Guide to work on your English pronunciation alongside your level.