Language Levels
What is your level of English?
1. Beginner
If you are at Beginner level, you have never studied English.
Your ability: You might know a few English words, like 'hello', 'taxi', and 'football'. After only a week's study at Beginner level, you will be able to say your name and nationality, ask basic questions and give basic answers. You will know the alphabet, and numbers to 100. You will be able to shop or travel with basic English and some help. You will know the fundamentals of English pronunciation.
“I cannot speak English. I do not understand any English.”
2. Elementary
If you are at Elementary level, you can communicate in a very basic way, mainly in the present and past simple. Your vocabulary covers everyday useful subject areas.
Your ability: By the end of Elementary level, you can make simple sentences and reply to questions on a range of personal and common subjects. You can talk about your likes and dislikes, family, and routines. You can order a meal in a restaurant or go shopping in English.
“With help I can understand simple English. I can speak and write some English in familiar situations.”
3. Pre-Intermediate
If you are at Pre-intermediate level, you have a good basic ability to communicate and understand, but you can make great improvement in all areas.
Your ability: You can talk about many subjects and give your opinion on them. You can talk with confidence in the present, past and future simple tenses. You can perform tasks such as shopping, booking a hotel room, travel, and making conversation in English. Your grammar includes an understanding of adjectives, adverbs, comparatives, articles, possessives, and basic prepositions.
“In familiar situations I can speak and understand basic English quite well. I know how to ask for help if I don't understand.”
4. Intermediate
If you are at Intermediate level, you understand and speak English with some confidence.
Your ability: You have the grammar and the vocabulary to talk and read about a wide number of subjects. You have some understanding of tone and style. You can assess and consciously improve your own pronunciation. You have studied all the main tenses and can confidently make sentences, question forms and clauses in all of them. You are beginning to look at phrasal and modal verbs.
“I know and can use most of the basic grammatical structures. I have sufficient vocabulary to communicate successfully in a variety of situations, even if I make mistakes.”
5. Upper-Intermediate
If you are at Upper-Intermediate level, you have an effective, but not perfect, use of English.
Your ability: You can talk almost fluently and almost completely accurately. Everyday situations in an English-language environment do not worry you. You can take part in extended conversations or discussions and your vocabulary covers almost every circumstance. If you do not know a word you can almost always find a way of describing it. You have a knowledge of some idiomatic English, phrasal verbs, and colloquial expressions. You have studied all main areas of English grammar.
“I can communicate confidently in a variety of situations. I occasionally make mistakes in grammar and vocabulary but this does not prevent understanding. I can use and understand some idiomatic language.”
6. Advanced
Advanced is the highest level most students attain without the total immersion of living in another country.
Your ability: Your spoken English is both fluent and accurate. Your vocabulary is wide and you have a good knowledge of collocation, phrasal verbs, colloquial expressions and idioms. All common areas of grammar are familiar to you.
“I can speak English fluently in most situations with few mistakes. I have strategies for understanding new and unusual language.”
7. Proficient
Proficiency is the highest level we recognise.
Your ability: You are fluent and rarely encounter English which you do not understand. However, it is always possible to improve by increasing your understanding of the nuances of the English language and by developing your vocabulary further.
“I can study on any course up to and including Postgraduate level at an English-speaking university.”
