Common European Framework
Common European Framework is the method used to testing the English of an individual. All English exams, either TOEFL or IELTS follow it. The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEF or CEFR) was put together by the Council of Europe as a way of standardizing the levels of language exams in different regions.
There are six levels ; A1,A2,B1,B2,C1,C2.
Let us understand what do these levels mean.
- C2 # MASTERY
- You are called a master in Engish if you can understand with ease virtually anything heard or read. If you can summarize information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Also, if you can express yourself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations.
- C1 # Effective operational proficiency or advanced
- If you get a C1 in your test you probably are someone who can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognize implicit meaning. It means you have a flair for expressing language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Even more you produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.
- B2 # Vantage or upper intermediate
- You lie in B2 if you can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in your field of specialization. It means that you can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party
- B1 # Threshold or intermediate
- If you get a B1 it simply means that you can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. You can deal with most of the situations while travelling to other places. You can use simple connected sentences and can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
- A2 # Elementary stage
- This level means that you can communicate basic things about yourself in English. You can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance.
- A1 # Very Basic User
- It means you can introduce yourself or can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type.