The short answer: about 200 hours per level
Cambridge English estimates a learner needs roughly 180–200 guided learning hours to move up one CEFR level. So going from B1 to B2 — the jump most jobs and universities care about — is about 200 hours of real study, not a vague 'a year or two.' The US Foreign Service Institute reaches a similar order of magnitude: its full-time learners take 600–750 class hours to reach solid professional working ability in languages close to English.
Hours-per-level also grows as you climb: A1 to A2 tends to come faster than B2 to C1, because advanced levels demand rarer vocabulary and finer control. These are averages across many learners — your background (a related first language, previous exposure) moves you along the curve, not off it.
What that means at your pace
Divide the hours by your weekly study time and the timeline stops being a mystery. One level at ~200 hours works out like this:
| Your pace | Hours/week | ~One CEFR level in |
|---|---|---|
| Casual (30 min/day) | ~3.5 | ~14 months |
| Steady (1 hr/day) | ~7 | ~7 months |
| Serious (2 hrs/day) | ~14 | ~3.5 months |
| Intensive (4+ hrs/day) | ~28 | ~2 months |
Why 'how long' starts with 'from where'
Two people asking 'how long to reach B2?' can be a full year apart in the answer — because one is A2 (two levels, ~400 hours) and the other is already B1 (one level, ~200 hours). Most learners also overestimate their level by about half a band, which quietly adds months to any plan built on a guess.
That's why the honest first step isn't a study plan — it's a measurement. Nivelo's free 5-minute test gives you a CEFR range and your weakest skill, so the hours you put in target the gap that's actually holding you back.