CEFR Levels Explained: A1–C2
A practical quick reference guide for ESL and EFL teachers. What your students can actually do at each level — in speaking, writing, reading, and listening.
Based on the Council of Europe's Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
A1 — Breakthrough
Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases.
Speaking
- Can introduce themselves and answer simple personal questions
- Can interact in a simple way if the other person speaks slowly
- Can ask and answer about where they live, people they know, and things they have
Writing
- Can write short, simple postcards and fill in hotel registration forms
- Can write simple isolated phrases and sentences
Reading
- Can understand familiar names, words, and very simple sentences on notices and posters
- Can follow short, simple written directions
Listening
- Can recognise familiar words about themselves, family, and immediate surroundings
- Can understand simple instructions addressed carefully and slowly
Key Grammar
- Present simple
- To be / have got
- Basic prepositions (in, on, at)
- Singular/plural nouns
- Subject pronouns
- There is/are
- Can for ability
Vocabulary Range
~500–1,000 words — greetings, numbers, colours, family, food, daily routines
Example Writing Task
“Write a short email introducing yourself to a new pen pal (40–60 words).”
A2 — Waystage
Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (personal info, shopping, local geography, employment).
Speaking
- Can communicate in simple, routine tasks requiring direct exchange of information
- Can describe in simple terms aspects of their background and immediate environment
- Can handle short social exchanges but rarely enough to sustain conversation
Writing
- Can write short, simple notes and messages
- Can write a very simple personal letter thanking someone
Reading
- Can read very short, simple texts and find specific information in everyday material (menus, timetables, adverts)
- Can understand short, simple personal letters
Listening
- Can understand phrases and common vocabulary on familiar topics
- Can catch the main point of short, clear, simple messages and announcements
Key Grammar
- Past simple (regular & irregular)
- Present continuous
- Going to for future
- Comparatives and superlatives
- Countable/uncountable nouns
- Adverbs of frequency
- Object pronouns
Vocabulary Range
~1,000–2,000 words — shopping, transport, weather, hobbies, health, simple opinions
Example Writing Task
“Write a short note to a friend describing what you did last weekend (60–80 words).”
B1 — Threshold
Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters. Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling.
Speaking
- Can deal with most situations while travelling in an area where the language is spoken
- Can enter unprepared into conversation on familiar topics
- Can describe experiences, events, dreams, hopes, and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations
Writing
- Can write simple connected text on topics that are familiar or of personal interest
- Can write personal letters describing experiences and impressions
Reading
- Can understand texts that consist mainly of high-frequency everyday language
- Can understand descriptions of events, feelings, and wishes in personal letters
Listening
- Can understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar matters
- Can understand the main point of many TV programmes on current affairs or topics of personal interest when delivery is relatively slow and clear
Key Grammar
- Present perfect simple
- Will vs. going to
- First conditional
- Second conditional
- Modal verbs (should, must, might)
- Passive voice (present/past)
- Relative clauses (who, which, that)
- Reported speech (basic)
Vocabulary Range
~2,000–3,500 words — work, education, leisure, travel, current events, personal feelings and opinions
Example Writing Task
“Write an essay giving your opinion on whether social media is good for young people (120–180 words).”
B2 — Vantage
Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity.
Speaking
- Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible
- Can take an active part in discussion in familiar contexts, accounting for and sustaining views
- Can present clear, detailed descriptions on a wide range of subjects related to their field of interest
Writing
- Can write clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects related to their interests
- Can write an essay or report passing on information or giving reasons in support of or against a particular point of view
Reading
- Can read articles and reports concerned with contemporary problems in which the writers adopt particular attitudes or viewpoints
- Can understand contemporary literary prose
Listening
- Can understand extended speech and lectures and follow even complex lines of argument, provided the topic is reasonably familiar
- Can understand most TV news and current affairs programmes
Key Grammar
- Third conditional
- Mixed conditionals
- Wish / If only
- Future perfect and continuous
- Used to / Would for past habits
- Have something done (causative)
- Modals of deduction
- Reported speech (advanced)
Vocabulary Range
~3,500–5,000 words — abstract concepts, formal/informal register, idiomatic expressions, academic vocabulary, collocations
Example Writing Task
“Write a report for your college principal recommending improvements to campus facilities (140–190 words).”
C1 — Effective Operational Proficiency
Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts and recognise implicit meaning. Can express ideas fluently and spontaneously.
Speaking
- Can express ideas fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions
- Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic, and professional purposes
- Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors, and cohesive devices
Writing
- Can write clear, well-structured text on complex subjects
- Can write formal essays, reports, and proposals with appropriate highlighting of significant issues
- Can select a style appropriate to the reader in mind
Reading
- Can understand long and complex factual and literary texts, appreciating distinctions of style
- Can understand specialised articles and longer technical instructions, even when they do not relate to their field
Listening
- Can understand extended speech even when it is not clearly structured and when relationships are only implied
- Can understand television programmes and films without too much effort
Key Grammar
- Inversion for emphasis
- Cleft sentences (It was… / What I…)
- Advanced passive forms
- Subjunctive structures
- Ellipsis and substitution
- Advanced relative clauses (reduced)
- Distancing language
- Formal hedging (It would appear that…)
Vocabulary Range
~5,000–8,000 words — nuanced vocabulary, register variation, academic and professional terminology, advanced collocations and idioms
Example Writing Task
“Write a proposal for your company suggesting how to improve employee wellbeing, outlining the current situation and your recommendations (220–260 words).”
C2 — Mastery
Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise information from different sources, reconstructing arguments in a coherent presentation.
Speaking
- Can express themselves spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations
- Can take part effortlessly in any conversation or discussion and is very familiar with idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms
Writing
- Can write clear, smoothly flowing text in an appropriate style
- Can write complex letters, reports, or articles which present a case with an effective logical structure
- Can write summaries and reviews of professional or literary works
Reading
- Can read with ease virtually all forms of the written language, including abstract, structurally complex texts
- Can understand a wide range of long and complex texts, appreciating subtle distinctions of style and implicit as well as explicit meaning
Listening
- Has no difficulty understanding any kind of spoken language, whether live or broadcast, even when delivered at fast native speed
- Can follow specialised lectures and presentations employing a high degree of colloquialism, regional usage, or unfamiliar terminology
Key Grammar
- All structures used with full flexibility
- Stylistic inversion
- Advanced nominalization
- Complex hedging and vague language
- Sophisticated emphasis structures
- Near-native error-free production
Vocabulary Range
~8,000–16,000+ words — full range including low-frequency words, literary vocabulary, professional jargon across multiple fields, subtle connotation distinctions
Example Writing Task
“Write a critical review of a book or film you have read/seen recently, evaluating its strengths and weaknesses for an educated audience (280–320 words).”
CEFR Levels at a Glance
| Level | Name | Cambridge Exam | Guided Hours | Approx. Vocabulary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Breakthrough | Pre-A1 Starters / A1 Movers | 60–100 guided hours | ~500–1,000 words |
| A2 | Waystage | A2 Key (KET) | 180–200 total guided hours | ~1,000–2,000 words |
| B1 | Threshold | B1 Preliminary (PET) | 350–400 total guided hours | ~2,000–3,500 words |
| B2 | Vantage | B2 First (FCE) | 500–600 total guided hours | ~3,500–5,000 words |
| C1 | Effective Operational Proficiency | C1 Advanced (CAE) | 700–800 total guided hours | ~5,000–8,000 words |
| C2 | Mastery | C2 Proficiency (CPE) | 1,000–1,200+ total guided hours | ~8,000–16,000+ words |
How to Use This Guide
For Lesson Planning
Use the grammar and vocabulary lists to ensure your materials match your students' actual level. The "can do" descriptors help you set realistic learning objectives.
Try our AI Lesson Plan GeneratorFor Grading Student Writing
Compare your students' output against the writing descriptors to assign accurate CEFR levels. Look at grammar range, vocabulary, and task completion.
Try our CEFR Writing GraderFor Cambridge Exam Prep
Match each level to its corresponding Cambridge exam. Use the example tasks and grammar points to create targeted practice materials.
Try our Cambridge Exam PrepFor Student Placement
Use the speaking and listening descriptors to assess new students during intake interviews. Cross-reference with our free diagnostic test.
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This reference guide is based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), published by the Council of Europe.
Cambridge exam correlations follow Cambridge Assessment English guidelines.
Created by Ian L. Evans at TeflToday.org — free to reference and share.