The CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) describes language ability on six levels: A1 and A2 for basic users, B1 and B2 for independent users, C1 and C2 for proficient users. Each is defined by what you can do with the language rather than by a word list, and the descriptors are written to apply to any language.
What can you do at each CEFR level?
The Council of Europe sums up each level in a short paragraph, known as the global scale. Here it is in brief, with the study time Cambridge English suggests for reaching each level from scratch.
| Level | Group | In brief | Guided learning hours from beginner |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Basic user | Uses familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases. Can introduce themselves and handle a simple exchange if the other person speaks slowly and clearly and is ready to help. | 90–100 |
| A2 | Basic user | Understands sentences and common expressions about immediate needs such as family, shopping, the local area and work. Copes with simple, routine exchanges of information. | 180–200 |
| B1 | Independent user | Understands the main points of clear standard language on familiar matters. Can deal with most situations while travelling, and describe experiences, hopes and plans, briefly giving reasons. | 350–400 |
| B2 | Independent user | Understands the main ideas of complex text, concrete or abstract. Can talk with native speakers with enough fluency and spontaneity that neither side is strained, and can explain a viewpoint. | 500–600 |
| C1 | Proficient user | Understands a wide range of demanding, longer texts and picks up implicit meaning. Expresses themselves fluently and flexibly for social, academic and professional purposes. | 700–800 |
| C2 | Proficient user | Understands virtually everything heard or read with ease, and can express fine shades of meaning even in complex situations. | 1,000–1,200 |
Treat the hours as a rough guide. Cambridge English says it takes about 200 guided hours to move up one level, and that your language background, how intensively you study, your age and how much exposure you get outside lessons all change that figure. Its numbers are for English, and other languages may take more or less time.
Where did the six levels come from?
The levels grew out of earlier Council of Europe work. The first "threshold level" was specified for English in 1975 (Threshold Level) and for French in 1976 (Un Niveau Seuil). Levels just below and above it were specified later, and these became one of the origins of the six-level CEFR scale, launched in 2001. The old threshold level corresponds to today's B1, and the level below it, then called Waystage, to A2.
Those early specifications came with word lists. James Milton notes that the Waystage lists held about 1,000 words and the threshold lists about 2,000. The 2001 framework dropped prescribed lists in favour of can-do descriptors, which are deliberately general. The Council of Europe says they were written without reference to any specific language, which is what lets one scale serve Spanish, Japanese and everything in between.
The price of that generality is vagueness, so the Council of Europe also supports Reference Level Descriptions: detailed content specifications for individual national and regional languages. It adds that the six levels can be subdivided to suit local needs.
How many words go with each CEFR level?
The CEFR itself doesn't give numbers. Its vocabulary range scale is descriptive: at A1 a learner has "a basic vocabulary repertoire of isolated words and phrases", and by C2 a very broad one, including idioms. Researchers have tried to attach figures. Milton's 2010 review reports estimates from the X_Lex test, which checks how many of the 5,000 most frequent words in a language a learner recognises.
| CEFR level | Words recognised, of the 5,000 most frequent |
|---|---|
| A1 | under 1,500 |
| A2 | 1,500–2,500 |
| B1 | 2,750–3,250 |
| B2 | 3,250–3,750 |
| C1 | 3,750–4,500 |
| C2 | 4,500–5,000 |
Two caveats matter. Scores overlap a good deal between neighbouring levels. And the figures differ by language: in Milton and Alexiou's data, learners of French scored lower at each level than learners of English, and learners of Greek higher. Even so, vocabulary size alone explained some 60–70% of the variation in CEFR level in most of their samples. Our page on how many words you need to be fluent goes further into vocabulary size.
How does Contos use A1 to B2?
Every Contos series is written at one of the first four levels. There is no placement test: you choose your level when you start, and Contos moves you up when you know enough words. A word counts as known once you mark it as known while reading or once its flashcard reaches the 16-day review step.
| Contos level | Name in Contos | Known words to reach it | Spanish chapter length, chapters 1–2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Beginner | Starting level | 146–221 words, average 181 |
| A2 | Elementary | 500 | 211–301 words, average 256 |
| B1 | Intermediate | 1,500 | 279–366 words, average 318 |
| B2 | Upper intermediate | 4,000 | 304–477 words, average 396 |
Contos's thresholds are lower than Milton's estimates, and they measure something different. Milton's figures estimate everything a learner recognises out of a fixed list. Contos counts only the words you have confirmed inside the app, and it counts each spelling separately. Use the CEFR descriptors above to decide where to start, and the reading-level guide to check that choice against a real chapter.
Pick the level whose description sounds most like you and read chapter 1 there.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
Is B2 fluent?
The CEFR doesn't use "fluent" as a level name. Its B2 description says you can interact with native speakers with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that puts no strain on either side, which is roughly what many people mean by fluent in everyday conversation. C1 and C2 add ease with demanding texts and finer shades of meaning.
How long does it take to get from A1 to B2?
Cambridge English suggests about 500–600 guided learning hours from beginner to B2, for learners of English, and about 200 hours per level. It stresses that background, study intensity, age and time spent with the language outside lessons all change the figure, so treat it as a guideline rather than a promise.
Are CEFR levels the same in every language?
The descriptors are, by design: the Council of Europe wrote them without reference to a particular language. The vocabulary behind them seems to vary, though. Milton's review found learners of French at a given level knew fewer of the 5,000 most frequent words than learners of English, and learners of Greek more.
Can CEFR levels be split further?
Yes. The Council of Europe says the six levels can be subdivided to suit local needs, so you will see courses and exams that divide a level into smaller steps. The underlying six-level scale stays the same.
Does Contos test my CEFR level?
No. Contos has no placement test. You choose A1, A2, B1 or B2 when you start, and you move up as your known words reach 500, 1,500 and 4,000. If you're unsure, our guide to choosing a reading level has a quick check you can do on a free chapter.