This article is part of our Complete IELTS Preparation Guide — all four skills covered with interactive practice exercises.
Whether you are signing up for an English course, preparing for a Cambridge exam, or applying to a UK university, you will almost certainly encounter CEFR levels. The letters and numbers — A1, B2, C1 — appear on certificates, job advertisements, and university entry requirements worldwide. But what do they actually mean in practice?
This guide explains every CEFR level in plain language: what you can do at each stage, roughly how many words you know, which qualifications match, how long progression takes, and what study strategies work best at each level.
What Is CEFR?
CEFR stands for the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. It was developed by the Council of Europe and published in 2001 as a universal standard for describing language ability across all European — and increasingly global — languages. The framework breaks language proficiency into six levels arranged in three broad bands:
| Band | Levels | User Type |
|---|---|---|
| A — Basic User | A1 & A2 | Beginner / Elementary |
| B — Independent User | B1 & B2 | Intermediate / Upper-Intermediate |
| C — Proficient User | C1 & C2 | Advanced / Mastery |
Each level is defined by can-do statements — practical descriptions of what a speaker can understand, read, write, and say at that stage. This makes CEFR levels directly comparable across different languages and countries.
All Six CEFR Levels at a Glance
| Level | Name | Core Can-Do | Approx. Vocabulary |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Beginner | Basic phrases, introductions, simple questions | 500–700 words |
| A2 | Elementary | Familiar situations, short descriptions, routines | 1,000–1,500 words |
| B1 | Intermediate | Travel, give opinions, describe experiences | 2,000–3,000 words |
| B2 | Upper-Intermediate | Complex topics, native-speed interaction, articles | 4,000–6,000 words |
| C1 | Advanced | Fluent, flexible, academic & professional use | 8,000–12,000 words |
| C2 | Proficiency | Near-native, nuance, idiomatic, complex texts | 16,000+ words |
A1 — Beginner
What You Can Do
- Introduce yourself and answer basic personal questions (name, age, nationality)
- Ask and answer simple questions about familiar topics (family, work, where you live)
- Understand and use very familiar everyday expressions
- Follow slow, clear speech on topics directly related to you
- Fill in simple forms with personal details
Approximate vocabulary: 500–700 words. You recognise numbers, colours, days of the week, and common classroom words.
"My name is Maria. I am from Spain. I have two brothers."
"Where is the hotel? How much does this cost?"
Focus on core vocabulary sets: greetings, numbers, colours, days, months, family members. Use flash cards and simple picture dictionaries. LexFizz Flash Cards are ideal at this stage.
A2 — Elementary
What You Can Do
- Communicate in simple, routine tasks requiring a direct exchange of information
- Describe your background, immediate environment, and matters of immediate need
- Read short, simple texts such as advertisements and menus
- Write short, simple messages and postcards
- Understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to daily life
Approximate vocabulary: 1,000–1,500 words. You handle shopping, directions, and talking about past events in simple sentences.
"Yesterday I went to the market and bought some vegetables."
"Can you tell me how to get to the train station?"
Practise simple past tense and common irregular verbs. Use Hangman and Matching Pairs to cement everyday vocabulary in context.
B1 — Intermediate
What You Can Do
- Deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an English-speaking country
- Describe experiences, events, dreams, hopes, and ambitions
- Give brief reasons and explanations for opinions and plans
- Understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters
- Write simple connected text on topics that are familiar or of personal interest
Approximate vocabulary: 2,000–3,000 words. You can handle conversations beyond basic exchanges and begin expressing opinions, even if you sometimes search for words.
"In my opinion, public transport is better for the environment than driving."
"When I was a child, we used to spend summers by the sea."
Start reading authentic graded readers and short news articles. Practise expressing opinions with linking words: however, although, in my opinion, on the other hand. See our guide on how to learn English vocabulary for B1 strategies.
B2 — Upper-Intermediate
What You Can Do
- Understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics
- Interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain
- Produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects
- Explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving advantages and disadvantages
- Read and understand newspaper articles and contemporary literary prose
Approximate vocabulary: 4,000–6,000 words. You discuss politics, culture, and social issues, and your grammar is largely accurate in familiar contexts.
"The article argues convincingly that remote working has both productivity benefits and social drawbacks."
"Although the proposal has merit, the long-term implications need further consideration."
Focus on collocations, phrasal verbs, and academic vocabulary. Listen to podcasts and BBC programmes at natural speed. B2 is the level where most people begin to feel genuinely independent in English.
C1 — Advanced
What You Can Do
- Express ideas fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions
- Use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic, and professional purposes
- Produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects
- Understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts and implicit meaning
- Follow extended speech even when it is not clearly structured
Approximate vocabulary: 8,000–12,000 words. You understand idioms, nuance, and register shifts, and you can adapt your language to suit formal and informal contexts.
"The author's subtle use of irony underscores the tension between individual freedom and social obligation."
"I'd be happy to elaborate on the key findings once you've had a chance to review the preliminary data."
Read academic journals, quality newspapers, and literature. Focus on advanced grammar (inversion, cleft sentences, subjunctive), and practise precise vocabulary. Aim to sound natural rather than just correct.
C2 — Proficiency
What You Can Do
- Understand with ease virtually everything heard or read
- Summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments in a coherent presentation
- Express yourself spontaneously, very fluently, and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning
- Understand and use idiomatic and colloquial expressions with ease
- Handle highly complex texts including legal, literary, and technical language
Approximate vocabulary: 16,000+ words. C2 is the highest level — sometimes described as near-native, though it is important to note that native speakers are not officially assigned a CEFR level. C2 represents mastery of the language as a learned skill.
"The legislation, while ostensibly protective, creates a paradox that may inadvertently curtail the very freedoms it seeks to uphold."
Exams by CEFR Level
The most widely recognised English language qualifications map directly onto the CEFR scale. Here is how the main exams align:
| CEFR Level | Cambridge Exam | IELTS Band | TOEFL iBT Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Cambridge A1 Starters (YLE) | — | — |
| A2 | KET (A2 Key) | — | — |
| B1 | PET (B1 Preliminary) | 4.0–5.0 | 42–71 |
| B2 | FCE (B2 First) | 5.5–6.5 | 72–94 |
| C1 | CAE (C1 Advanced) | 7.0–8.0 | 95–120 |
| C2 | CPE (C2 Proficiency) | 8.5–9.0 | Not mapped |
IELTS does not officially use CEFR labels, but the bands broadly correspond. An IELTS 6.0 is generally considered solid B2; a 7.0 is typically C1 entry. Individual institutions may apply their own thresholds.
How Long Does It Take to Move Between Levels?
The Council of Europe and Cambridge Research have estimated the number of guided learning hours needed to progress from one level to the next. These figures assume classroom instruction plus self-study — total hours in contact with the language:
| Transition | Approximate Guided Hours | Cumulative Hours from Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Zero → A1 | ~70–90 hours | ~80 hours |
| A1 → A2 | ~90–120 hours | ~180 hours |
| A2 → B1 | ~150–200 hours | ~360 hours |
| B1 → B2 | ~180–220 hours | ~560 hours |
| B2 → C1 | ~200–250 hours | ~780 hours |
| C1 → C2 | ~200–300+ hours | ~1,000+ hours |
These are estimates for English as a foreign language. Native speakers of closely related languages (Dutch, German, Scandinavian languages) may progress significantly faster, especially through the lower levels. Intensive immersion programmes can compress the timeline considerably.
How to Find Your CEFR Level
There are several reliable ways to assess your current level:
- Self-assessment grid: The Council of Europe publishes an official self-assessment grid with can-do statements for all six levels. Read through each level and honestly assess which statements you can fulfil consistently.
- Online placement tests: Many reputable providers (British Council, Cambridge, EF) offer free online placement tests that estimate your CEFR level in 20–30 minutes.
- Free exercises: Try LexFizz's free exercises at increasing difficulty and notice where comprehension and accuracy begin to break down — that boundary is close to your current level.
- Speak to a teacher: A qualified EFL teacher can usually place a student accurately within one level after a short conversation or diagnostic activity.
- Official exam: Sit a Cambridge, IELTS, or TOEFL exam for a certified, internationally recognised result.
Study Tips at Each Level
A1–A2: Build Your Foundation
Prioritise high-frequency vocabulary — the 1,000 most common English words account for roughly 85% of everyday speech. Use spaced-repetition flash cards, label objects around your home, and focus on present and past simple tense. Listening to children's content in English helps because the language is clear and context-supported.
B1–B2: Expand and Consolidate
At this stage, extensive reading is the most efficient way to grow vocabulary. Read graded readers at B1, then authentic texts (news, blogs, short stories) at B2. Begin studying collocations — word combinations like make a decision or take responsibility — rather than single words in isolation. Grammar consolidation is important: perfect tenses, modal verbs, and passive voice are frequent problem areas. Check our article on how to learn English vocabulary for effective techniques.
C1–C2: Refine and Polish
Focus on precision and register. Native-speaker content — literary fiction, academic papers, radio documentaries, stand-up comedy — exposes you to the full range of the language including idioms, cultural references, and stylistic variation. Work on advanced writing skills: hedging language, discourse markers, and sophisticated cohesion. At C2, the goal shifts from learning rules to developing your own voice and style in English.