What is CEFR certified levels?

CEFR Levels: Studying abroad often requires a series of examinations which are often broadly classified into language proficiency (like IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, DSH, DELF, etc.) and aptitude tests (GRE, GMAT, SAT, etc.). While the aptitude tests may or may not be required depending on the country you are applying to, more often than not one or more language proficiency tests are often required by universities abroad. Also, when applying to European Countries, they are more or less mandatory. They, however, differ in the degree of proficiency required for different courses and that is where CEFR comes into the picture. In fact, you would have come across the term pretty often. So what is CEFR and what are the various levels required for studying abroad? In this article, we will inform you everything about what is CEFR and what are CEFR Levels.

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What is CEFR?

CEFR or the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching and Assessment is a reference standard, developed and set by the Council of Europe as part of a project called the “Language Learning for European Citizenship.” Developed to create a standard that can be used as a normal scale to measure proficiency in various languages spoken in the European continent, this is now widely used by universities abroad to set language proficiency markers. The system was designed as a validation of language ability for non-native speakers of the language.

A student can understand CEFR as a guideline that measures a non-native speaker’s ability to communicate in a foreign language. This could be valid for any foreign language, namely German, French, English or Spanish.

Levels of CEFR

Broadly speaking the scale is divided into three levels of proficiency, on a six-point scale, – Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced (A1 is for beginners and C2 for those who have mastered a language). Here’s what they refer to:

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CEFR Certified Levels and their corresponding Score for various Language Exams

As already mentioned above, the language requirements might vary from university to university and country to country. In fact, some universities in the same country might ask for a different level of proficiency. Also, often the degree of proficiency required might vary from course to course. For instance, a university in Germany requires you to clear the B2 level while another might ask for C1. Also, the same university might require a C1 level for its undergraduate courses and perhaps only a B2 level for a master’s program. This is due to the varying levels of understanding required. (Also read exams for Germany). Often universities require you to have a certain score. Here’s a list of the various levels the different language proficiency exams refer to.

In simpler words, say for instance a University suggests that they need a minimum of B2 level of CEFR proficiency, then for the English Language you would need a minimum of 59 in PTE Academic, 72 in TOEFL iBT or at least a 5.0 in IELTS. The same applies to French and German.

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