What is the CEFR?
The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) was designed by the Council of Europe to provide a reference for language learning, teaching and assessment for all main European languages. It sets international standards for language syllabi, curriculum design and examinations.
Your knowledge of a foreign language will be defined as one of six main levels (A1 to C2). You can find the detailed description of each level on the European Language Portfolio website. The complete text of the CEFR can be found on the website of the Council of Europe.
Our English Courses and the CEFR
We understand that your learning is about who you are as a person, where you are communicating and how you are communicating. By using the so called "can do“ statements you can measure your progress by what you can actually do confidently in English. This is strengthened by our methodology of maximising your practice and participation in the classroom.
See how your course level corresponds with your CEFR level in our table (PDF) and gain a better understanding of the CEFR 'can do' statements, developed by the Association of Language Testers in Europe.
Our exams and the CEFR
Many international examination bodies, such as Cambridge ESOL which administers the well-known Cambridge exams and IELTS, have gradually mapped their examinations against the global CEFR scale. Have a look at how IELTS compares with CEFR (PDF).
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