The levels from A1 to C2
A1 to C2 are the names of a scale in common use. What stands on this page is this project’s own reading of it — not an official assessment and not a certificate.
A1
Beginner
Introduce yourself, ask the way, say what you like.
What you can do at this level
- introduce yourself and other people
- ask and answer simple questions
- say what happens regularly
- name things and count them
- ask politely and say thank you
Grammar at this level
Alphabet and pronunciation, To be and to have, The present tense, The articles, The noun, The adjectives, The pronouns …
A2
Basics
Talk about the weekend, go shopping, make plans.
What you can do at this level
- report on what happened
- put plans and intentions into words
- compare things and rate them
- form simple conditions
- write short texts on familiar subjects
Grammar at this level
To be and to have, The present tense, The articles, The noun, The adjectives, The pronouns, Questions and negation …
B1
Intermediate
Back up an opinion, sort out a problem, tell a story that holds together.
What you can do at this level
- give reasons for your own view
- tell a connected story and sum it up
- talk your way through an unexpected situation
- tell a condition apart from a possibility
- report what somebody else said
Grammar at this level
The noun, The pronouns, Questions and negation, The past, The future, The imperative, Can, must, want …
B2
Fluent
Argue a case, negotiate, follow technical material in your own field.
What you can do at this level
- build a position and defend it
- choose between formal and relaxed with confidence
- weigh advantages against drawbacks
- talk about what might have happened
- give a longer text a clear shape
Grammar at this level
The past, The future, The passive, The subjunctive (congiuntivo), If-sentences, Joining sentences, Reported speech …
C1
Proficient
Hit the right shade without hunting for it — even on difficult subjects.
What you can do at this level
- switch register on purpose
- lay out a complicated matter in order
- catch hints and undertones
- steer emphasis through word order
- revise your own writing
C2
Near-native
Follow anything, sum it up exactly, find the words without searching.
What you can do at this level
- make one short picture out of several sources
- place fine differences in meaning
- handle idiom with a sure hand
- shape style on purpose
- take in the unfamiliar without a run-up