What is My English Level?

Whether you learned English as a high-school subject, studied it at a private language school or picked it up watching  TV and YouTube, you have probably wondered what your current level of English is. 

 Level Testing can be useful for you and your teacher. If you want to do a free English Level Test, you can do it here:

ENGLISH WITH MINA FREE LEVEL TEST

The Common European Framework divides learners into three broad groups that can be divided into six levels; for each level, it describes what a learner is supposed to be able to do in reading, listening, speaking and writing. The following table indicates these levels.  *

Level group	Level	Description
A Basic user	A1 Breakthrough or beginner	·         Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. ·         Can introduce themselves and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people they know and things they have. ·         Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.
	A2 Waystage or elementary	·         Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). ·         Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. ·         Can describe in simple terms aspects of their background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.
B Independent user	B1 Threshold or intermediate	·         Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. ·         Can deal with most situations likely to arise while travelling in an area where the language is spoken. ·         Can produce simple connected text on topics that are familiar or of personal interest. ·         Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
	B2 Vantage or upper intermediate	·         Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in their field of specialization. ·         Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. ·         Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
C Proficient user	C1 Effective operational proficiency or advanced	·         Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer clauses, and recognize implicit meaning. ·         Can express ideas fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. ·         Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. ·         Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.
	C2 Mastery or proficiency	·         Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. ·         Can summarize information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. ·         Can express themselves spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations.

However, you may find that your competence level is higher in some skills and lower in others. For example, many students say they feel quite comfortable reading a text or listening/watching something on the internet and find it much more difficult to speak or write. Command of a foreign language means being able to understand it passively (Reading/Listening) as well as actively, by speaking or producing written text. 

A more detailed description of each level and what we should be able to do when it comes to READING, LISTENING, WRITING and SPEAKING can be found on this British Council document.

And we need to make sure we continue practising these skills because, as with many other skills:

IF YOU DON'T USE IT, YOU LOSE IT.