Levels

City & Guilds and CEFR levels

Levels for International ESOL and SESOL, as mapped to the Common European Framework of Reference

Which level is right for me?

A1

You can use everyday expressions & very basic phrases for practical needs; ask & answer questions about personal details; understand short texts on familiar topics & obtain information from signs & symbols; write simple sentences in documents, ie forms.

A2

You can understand sentences & frequently-used expressions; communicate in tasks requiring exchange of information; obtain information from short documents, familiar sources, signs & symbols; write to communicate with some awareness of intended audience

B1

You can understand main points of clear standard communication; convey information, feelings & opinions on familiar topics; engage in discussion to reach shared understanding; produce simple connected text; describe experiences, events, hopes & ambitions.

B2

You can understand main ideas of complex communication; interact with a degree of fluency & spontaneity without strain for either party; engage in discussion in familiar & unfamiliar situations; communicate in detail, appropriate to purpose & audience.

C1

You can understand demanding texts & recognise implicit meaning; use language fluently & spontaneously; engage in discussion making clear & effective contributions; produce well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects; communicate ideas effectively.

C2

You can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read; summarise information, reconstruct arguments & accounts coherently; express self spontaneously, fluently & precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.