What's your English level?
Your English level is measured on the CEFR scale — six levels from A1 (beginner) to C2 (near-native). The fastest way to find yours is a short adaptive placement test that adjusts to each answer; self-assessment is unreliable, because most learners overestimate their level by about half a band.
Nivelo's free 5-minute test places you on the CEFR scale (A1–C2), aligned to the framework that Cambridge English and IELTS both use. The 30-minute paid test goes further: it grades all four skills against CEFR rubrics and tells you which one needs the most work before exam day.
Need the result for a CV, university application, or work? That's an English proficiency test — same 5 minutes, same CEFR scale. And if you're just asking "how good is my English?", the answer comes back as a level you can actually act on.
Learning Spanish as well? The same free CEFR test covers both languages on the one A1–C2 scale, and if an exam is the goal, DELE vs SIELE walks through which one to sit.
Two quicker checks if you want a narrower answer: the free IELTS level test converts your placement into an estimated band, and a vocabulary size test counts how many words you actually know — the number that usually moves first when a level feels stuck.
And if your level is stuck around B1, vocabulary is usually the reason rather than grammar. The most common phrasal verbs are the clearest example: 25 of them account for about a third of all phrasal verb use in English, and they cluster right at the B1–B2 boundary.
English CEFR levels at a glance
A1 — Basic introductions. Slow, clear speech. Asks simple questions.
A2 — Routine situations. Can talk about past events with effort. KET / A2 Key exam.
B1 — Travel situations. Opinions and plans. PET / B1 Preliminary exam.
B2 — Comfortable across most topics. Detailed writing. FCE / B2 First exam — the most common Cambridge level.
C1 — Demanding texts. Flexible, fluent use. CAE / C1 Advanced exam — required by many UK universities.
C2 — Near-native. CPE / C2 Proficiency exam.
| CEFR | IELTS band | Cambridge English | TOEFL iBT |
|---|---|---|---|
| A2 | 3.0–3.5 | A2 Key (KET) | — |
| B1 | 4.0–5.0 | B1 Preliminary (PET) | 42–71 |
| B2 | 5.5–6.5 | B2 First (FCE) | 72–94 |
| C1 | 7.0–8.0 | C1 Advanced (CAE) | 95–113 |
| C2 | 8.5–9.0 | C2 Proficiency (CPE) | 114–120 |
Which Cambridge exam should I take?
Cambridge English maps to CEFR: B2 First (FCE), C1 Advanced (CAE), C2 Proficiency (CPE). B2 First is the standard "I speak English well" credential. C1 Advanced is required by many UK universities. C2 Proficiency is for very advanced learners.
Take our free English test to see your range, then pick the exam one level above your current placement — that gives you a realistic challenge with 6–12 weeks of focused prep.
Not a native English reader? The same test is available in Turkish, Portuguese, German, Spanish, French and Indonesian — same questions, same CEFR result, explained in your own language.
Want to practise speaking, not just measure it? See AI English speaking practice — talk out loud and get corrected sound by sound.