The six CEFR levels are how schools, employers and exams describe how well you speak a language. Here is what each one means in real life, and how to move to the next.
A is basic, B is independent, C is proficient. Each stage has two steps, so B1 and B2 are both independent, but B2 is much further along.
You know everyday words and set phrases.
About 90–100 hours of study to get here
You get by in simple, routine situations.
About 180–200 hours of study to get here
You handle most situations while travelling.
About 350–400 hours of study to get here
You talk with native speakers without strain on either side.
About 500–600 hours of study to get here
You use English flexibly for work, study and social life.
About 700–800 hours of study to get here
You understand virtually everything you hear or read.
About 1,000–1,200 hours of study to get here
Hours are Cambridge English's estimates of guided learning, counted from zero. Real time depends on how often you practise and how close English is to your language. In the OOWN library, C1 and C2 share one shelf: C1+.
Not a test, a quick self-check. Pick the highest line you agree with, then try a text at that level: if you understand most of it without a dictionary, you are there.
Every text and podcast in the OOWN library has a level. Tap any word to see its translation and save it, then review it with spaced repetition.
New A1 pieces are on the way.
New A2 pieces are on the way.
New C1+ pieces are on the way.
Material where you know most words but not all is where vocabulary grows. Much easier and you learn little; much harder and you give up.
A word you looked up once is gone in a week. Save it with its sentence and audio, and it stays in reach.
Spaced repetition brings each word back right before you would forget it, so a few minutes a day is enough.
Understanding is not speaking. Repeat lines after the speakers and use new words in your own sentences.
Can’t find it? Ask meThe Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The Council of Europe published it to describe language ability in the same way for every language, and most English exams, courses and employers use its six levels.