Free Placement Tests and CEFR Levels Explained

If you want to learn your English level, you can do it at:

cambridgeenglish.org – by Cambridge oxfordenglishtesting.com – by Oxford learnenglish.britishcouncil.org – by the British Council ihworld.com – by International House examenglish.com – Grammar + Vocabulary (10mins) and Listening (10 mins) englishteststore.net – has R, L, S, W, Grammar, Vocabulary, Grades 6-12, TOEIC, TOEFL, and B1 Preliminary (PET) tests There’s also a Russian website (you’ll have to turn on the translation feature) efset.org/ru/quick-check/take-test (15 min) and a more comprehensive one efset.org/ru/ef-set-50 (50 min). You’ll also have to register pearsonassessments.com/Professional-Assessments/Versant – (50 min) the Versant English Test (VET) is a professional placement test for adult learners offered by Pearson. It measures the Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing skills proficiency. In some countries people take it for professional reasons, such as to get a job or promotion. You can learn more about the test here (not free) speaknow.co/assessment/ – you can get your Speech, Writing, Literacy, Reading, or Listening assessed by AI with advanced linguistic research. A report is issued upon completion with a breakdown of each skill. Is an associate member of ALTE and an official English assessment of the Israeli Ministry of Labour (not free) There’s also a very useful tool for checking word levels according to the CEFR scale – vocabkitchen.com/profile.

After taking a test, your results will come out aligned to the CEFR scale.

The CEFR (The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) is an international standard that gauges and describes language ability, covering all four skills (aka integrated skills, such as Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing) on a six-point scale, from A1 to C2 (A1, A2 – Basic User; B1, B2 – Independent User; C1, C2 – Proficient User). Each level also gives a breakdown of ‘can-do’ statements.

There’s a similar scale called the ALTE (Association of Language Testers in Europe). It is an association that works to promote the fair and accurate assessment of linguistic ability across Europe and beyond. The ALTE scale, just like the CEFR, also has six levels (Level 0 – Level 5).

There’s also an English language scale called GSE (Global Scale of English) developed by Pearson which allows to more accurately and easily measure learners’ progress. It extends the CEFR by pinpointing on a scale from 10 to 90 what needs to be mastered within a CEFR level to move onto the next level, using a more granular approach. You can learn more about it here. To measure your level on the scale, you can take the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic).

The Cambridge English Scale is a range of scores between 80 and 230 used to report results for Cambridge English exams.

There are also different equivalent terms used by some institutions for each level (please see the table below).

Each exam/test mentioned below can be taken either on computer (computer-delivered tests/CD/CDT) or on paper (paper-based test/PB/PBT). The TOEFL iBT test can be considered the upgraded and newer version of the computer-delivered option.

DISCLAIMER: the scores below are meant as a guide only. There may be some discrepancies among institutes and organizations.

All CEFR Infographics

*EOP – Effective Operational Proficiency
N/A – Not Applicable

---

CEFR for Business English (BEC) Infographics

---

CEFR for Cambridge English Exams (13+ y/o) Infographics

IELTS (CDT, PBT), TOEIC, TOEFL (iBT, PBT), and BULATS (Linguaskill) certificates/TRFs are valid for two years only.

BEC, YLE, and Cambridge English (13+ y/o) certificates/TRFs have no expiration date.

BEC, YLE, and Cambridge English (13+ y/o) scores are converted into ‘Pass’, ‘Merit’, or ‘Distinction’ and Grades ‘A’, ‘B’, or ‘C’ on the Cambridge English Scale. If you get a ‘Level’, it means you’ve failed the exam.

With the Cambridge English exams, all candidates receive a Statement of Results.
Candidates who outperform the targeted level or underperform by one level, also receive a Certificate/Test Report Form.

If you need to submit a request to Cambridge Assessment English, you can do it here.