Answer a short writing prompt and find out which CEFR level, A1 to C2, your writing most resembles — with an honest confidence score and what to work on next.
Levels assessed by Jev, the evaluation model from TypeSafe
Vocabulary range
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Variety and precision of words and structures
Grammar accuracy
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How well grammar is controlled
Coherence
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How clearly ideas are organised and linked
Which CEFR level each word belongs to. Separate from the estimate above, which also judges grammar and organisation.
Select a word to see its level.
Word levels come from the CEFR-J Wordlist (Tono Laboratory, TUFS) and the Octanove Vocabulary Profile C1/C2 (CC BY-SA 4.0). A word list can’t tell which meaning you used, so treat single words as a guide.
Approximate, from each test owner’s published alignment. See the full table and sources.
IELTS, TOEFL and the other scores in the conversion table are English exams, so they don’t apply to German. To prove your German level, take a recognised exam such as the Goethe-Zertifikat, telc or ÖSD. Each reports its result as a CEFR level.
This is an automated estimate of the level your writing most resembles. It is not an official exam, certificate or test score, and it judges writing only — not speaking, listening or reading.
Answer a short writing prompt — or paste any text — in 50 to 400 words.
See your most likely CEFR level, the probability for every level and how confident the estimate is.
Get separate levels for vocabulary, grammar and coherence, plus specific next steps.
A real writing test
Timed prompts from everyday topics to argument essays, not a word list or a multiple-choice quiz.
Honest about uncertainty
If you’re between two levels, we say so. No false precision.
Powered by Jev
Your overall level and your vocabulary, grammar and coherence scores come from Jev, TypeSafe’s AI evaluation model.
Official score conversions
IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo, Cambridge and CLB equivalents, each linked to its source.
How the test works, who it’s for and how to use your result to improve.
Most online English level tests ask you to choose answers from a list. That shows whether you can recognise the right word, but not whether you can use it. This CEFR test works the other way round: you get a writing task, you write your answer, and your result is based on the language you actually produced. It is closer to the writing paper of a real exam than to a grammar quiz, and most people finish in 10 to 20 minutes.
Because it is a CEFR test free of charge and without sign-up, you can take it as often as you like, with a new prompt each time. That makes it a simple way to measure where you are today and to track your progress over weeks or months.
Start by choosing a writing prompt. Prompts are grouped into everyday topics, opinion questions and argument essays. Everyday prompts suit beginners and lower-intermediate writers, while opinion and argument tasks give more advanced writers room to show their range. Press New prompt for a different task, and set the optional timer if you want exam-style pressure. Then write your answer in 50 to 400 words, without a dictionary or translator.
When you press Check my level, the CEFR level checker analyses your text and shows:
The assessment is powered by Jev, an AI evaluation model from TypeSafe. Unlike a chatbot, Jev doesn’t write feedback. It answers set questions with structured results, which makes it a good fit for placing writing on a fixed scale. Your writing is compared with descriptions of what writing looks like at each level, based on the Council of Europe’s descriptors for written production. Rather than counting mistakes, Jev is asked which level your text most resembles overall, and then the same question separately for vocabulary range, grammatical accuracy and coherence. Each answer comes back as a probability for all six levels. That is why you see a spread of likelihoods rather than a single label, and why the result says so when two levels are close.
Jev produces the overall level and the three skill scores. The rest of your result comes from fixed sources: the next steps are written for each level, the exam equivalents come from the published conversion tables, and the vocabulary profile is based on word lists.
For English, there is also a vocabulary profile. Each word you used is matched against published word lists that assign English vocabulary to CEFR levels, and colour-coded so you can see at a glance how much of your text uses basic words and where your more advanced vocabulary appears. The profile is worked out in your browser, separately from the overall estimate.
The Check any text tab turns the test into a general CEFR checker. Paste an essay, a cover letter or an email you are about to send and you get the same breakdown without answering a prompt. It is designed for learner writing, so for published material such as articles or textbooks, treat the result as a rough guide.
If your result shows B1, the gap to CEFR level B2 is usually about range and control rather than basic correctness. B1 writers can describe experiences and give simple reasons. B2 writers develop an argument, support each point with an example, and connect their ideas with a wider set of linking words such as although, whereas and as a result.
Vocabulary is often the clearest difference. Compare “The city is very nice and has a lot of good places to visit” with “The city has a lively centre and plenty of affordable museums”. The second sentence says more with the same number of words, because each word is more precise. Grammar matters too: at B2 you are expected to keep your sentences accurate when they get longer, using relative clauses, conditionals and the passive where they fit.
The How to move up section of your result lists specific things to practise, and the skill breakdown shows which area is holding you back. If vocabulary is your lowest score, the vocabulary profile shows which common words you could replace.
One result is a snapshot. The real value comes from repeating the test. Take it once now, note your level and your three skill scores, then practise the next steps it suggests for two or three weeks. Take it again on a new prompt of the same type and compare. If your weakest skill has moved up, your practice is working. If it hasn’t, try a different approach, such as reading more in that area or rewriting your old answers with better vocabulary.
Changing the prompt type helps too. Once everyday topics feel easy, move to opinion questions, then to argument essays. The more demanding the task, the more chance you have to show the skills that separate B2 from C1.
Once you have your result, read what it means in the guide to the six CEFR levels and see how it compares with exam scores in the CEFR conversion table. Common questions about the CEFR, fluency and official exams are answered in the FAQ.
Ready to find out where you stand? Start the CEFR test and pick your first prompt.
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) describes ability on six levels, from A1 to C2, grouped into three bands. Here’s what each level means for writing.
Beginner
Understands and uses familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases.
You can write simple phrases and sentences about yourself and people you know — your name, where you live, what you like — using a small set of words and basic connectors like “and”.
Elementary
Communicates in simple, routine tasks on familiar topics.
You can write short, simple texts about everyday matters — your family, work, a trip — in a series of sentences linked with basic connectors. Errors are frequent, but your meaning usually comes across.
Intermediate
Deals with most everyday situations and writes connected text on familiar topics.
You can write straightforward, connected text on familiar subjects, describe experiences and events, and briefly give reasons for opinions and plans. Your vocabulary covers everyday topics, with some repetition.
Upper intermediate
Interacts with fluency and spontaneity; writes clear, detailed text on many subjects.
You can write clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects, develop an argument, and weigh up advantages and disadvantages. Your grammar is generally well controlled and mistakes rarely cause misunderstanding.
Advanced
Uses language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes.
You can write well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, choosing a style suited to the reader. You use connectors and organisational patterns with control, and errors are rare.
Proficient
Understands virtually everything and expresses themselves precisely and spontaneously.
You can write smooth, flowing text in an appropriate and effective style, with a logical structure that helps the reader find the key points. You convey finer shades of meaning precisely.
Level descriptions are summarised from the Council of Europe’s CEFR global scale and written-production descriptors.
How scores on popular English tests line up with CEFR levels. Every row comes from the test owner’s own published alignment — sources are listed below. Alignments are approximate, not exact equivalents.
“—” means the test owner does not report that level. A conversion tells you roughly where a score sits; always check the exact score an institution requires.
About this free CEFR test, how it works and what the results mean.
CEFR stands for the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Published by the Council of Europe in 2001 and updated in its 2020 Companion Volume, it describes language ability on six levels: A1 and A2 (basic user), B1 and B2 (independent user) and C1 and C2 (proficient user). Each level is defined by what you can do with the language, such as writing a clear, detailed text on a familiar subject, so the same scale works for any language. Schools, employers and governments use it, and most major English exams report their results against it.
Use the writing test at the top of this page. Choose a prompt, write your answer on your own in 50 to 400 words and press “Check my level”. In a few seconds you see your most likely CEFR level, a probability for every level and separate levels for vocabulary, grammar and coherence. For an official result that institutions accept, you need a recognised exam such as IELTS, TOEFL, the Duolingo English Test or a Cambridge English qualification.
The CEFR is a framework rather than a single exam, so there is no one official CEFR test. This test is free: there is no sign-up, no payment and no limit on how many times you take it. Official exams that report a CEFR level, such as IELTS, TOEFL and Cambridge English qualifications, charge a fee, and they are the ones universities, employers and immigration authorities accept.
There are three ways. If you have a recent official score, find it in the conversion table on this page to see the matching CEFR level. If you already have a piece of writing, such as an essay or an email, paste it into the “Check any text” tab for an instant estimate. Or write a fresh answer to one of our prompts, which gives the fairest picture of what you can do on your own today.
Start with the letter: A means basic user, B independent user and C proficient user, and the number tells you whether you are at the lower or upper end of that band. Then read what the level says you can do; the guide to the six CEFR levels on this page describes each one in writing. On this test, also look at the probability bars and the confidence rating, which show how settled your level is, and at the skill breakdown, which shows whether vocabulary, grammar or coherence is holding you back.
The CEFR has no official “fluent” level, but B2 is where most people start to call a speaker fluent. The CEFR describes B2 users as interacting with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain. At C1 you can express ideas fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for words, and C2 is close to native-speaker precision. If a job or course asks for a fluent speaker, check which level they mean.
For everyday and working purposes, usually yes. At B2 you can understand the main ideas of complex texts, discuss topics in your field and write clear, detailed text that explains a point of view. You will still make some mistakes and may search for words on unfamiliar topics, so B2 is often described as independent rather than complete fluency. Many universities ask for B2 or C1 for entry, and C1 is common for demanding academic and professional roles.
ACTFL is the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, and its proficiency guidelines are mainly used in the United States. They have five main levels, Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Superior and Distinguished, with the first three split into Low, Mid and High. The CEFR is a European framework with six levels, A1 to C2, used around the world. As a rough guide, ACTFL Intermediate covers about A2 to B1, Advanced about B1 to B2, and Superior C1 and above. ACTFL’s own research says CEFR ratings can be assigned to ACTFL tests but not the other way round, so treat any conversion as approximate.
For GCSE French, German and Spanish, a 2019 Ofqual study linked grade 4 to around A1, grade 7 to around mid A2 and grade 9 to around low B1. Ofqual described the results as indicative rather than an official alignment, and grading standards have been adjusted since, so treat them as a rough guide. GCSE English Language, taken by most students in England, is designed for first-language speakers and has no official CEFR equivalent.
No. This is a free estimate of the CEFR level your writing most resembles. It is not an official exam, certificate or test score, and universities, employers and immigration authorities will not accept it. For an official result, take a recognised exam such as IELTS, TOEFL, the Duolingo English Test or a Cambridge English qualification.
Writing only. It estimates the level of the text you write or paste, and scores vocabulary range, grammatical accuracy and coherence separately. It does not test speaking, listening or reading, so your overall level in a full exam may be different.
It is an automated estimate, so treat it as a guide rather than a grade. The checker shows a probability for every level and tells you when two levels are close instead of overstating certainty. Results are most reliable for English texts of 100–300 words that you wrote yourself.
Between 50 and 400 words. Around 150–250 words gives the checker enough to judge your range and organisation. Very short texts make every level look similar.
English and German. You don’t need to choose: the checker recognises which of the two you wrote in. German is in beta and accuracy is currently best for English. Texts in other languages can’t be assessed.
Yes. Switch to “Check any text” and paste a learner’s writing to get a quick second opinion. It judges how the text is written, so it is best for learner writing. For reading material, use it as a rough guide alongside your own judgement.
No. Your text is sent to our server only to be assessed and is then discarded. We keep anonymous statistics about each result — the estimated level, the probabilities, the word count and the language — with no text and no IP address. If you choose to share an official test score after your result, we save that score with those statistics to check our accuracy. A draft is kept in your own browser so you don’t lose it if the page reloads; clearing the text box removes it.
Use the conversion table on this page. Every row comes from the test owner’s own published alignment, linked under the table. Score alignments are approximate, and the test owners themselves caution against treating them as exact equivalents.
Language ability is a continuum, and many writers sit near a boundary. When the two most likely levels have similar probabilities, we tell you, rather than picking one and sounding more certain than we are.