What level do you speak English at? How the CEFR assessment after each conversation works
What B1+ and a score of 47/100 mean, how we measure grammar, vocabulary and fluency, and how long moving up a speaking level realistically takes.
5 min read
"I have B2" can mean very different things. Many people once passed a written B2 test and feel like A2 in a conversation. Your speaking level is a separate thing, and it is worth knowing, because only then do you know what to practise.
After every conversation in FluentSession you get an assessment based on the CEFR scale, the same one language exams use. This article explains what the numbers mean, where they come from and how to use them.
The CEFR scale in a nutshell
The CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) describes six levels. In speaking they look roughly like this:
| Level | In a conversation |
|---|---|
| A1 | single phrases and simple questions about everyday things |
| A2 | short exchanges on familiar topics, with many pauses |
| B1 | you cope in most everyday situations and talk about experiences, though you search for words |
| B2 | you talk freely with native speakers, argue a point and speak fairly fluently |
| C1 | you speak fluently and precisely, also about complex work topics |
| C2 | you speak with ease, like an educated native speaker, with a feel for style |
Moving between levels does not happen overnight. That is why each level is split into three parts: lower, middle and upper. The upper third is shown with a plus, for example B1+: you are close to B2.
What a 0–100 score means
So that scores from different conversations can be compared, each level takes about 17 points on a 0–100 scale:
| A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | C1 | C2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–16 | 17–33 | 34–50 | 51–67 | 68–84 | 85–100 |
A score of 47 is "B1, upper third", and 53 is already the start of B2. The same number means the same thing in every room and every conversation.
Three criteria and where the numbers come from
We assess three skills separately, because they rarely develop at the same pace:
- Grammar: range and accuracy of structures.
- Vocabulary: range, precision and naturalness of words and phrases.
- Fluency: pace, pauses, length and coherence of what you say, keeping the conversation going.
Each score combines two sources:
- A judgement against the CEFR level descriptions. An AI model gets what you said and the level descriptions, picks the level that fits best and quotes your words as evidence. You see the quotes in the assessment details.
- Measurements made by the app, not guessed: speaking pace (words per minute of your own speaking time), pauses longer than half a second and mistakes per 100 words.
The formulas are open:
- grammar = 70% level judgement + 30% accuracy (mistakes per 100 words),
- fluency = 60% level judgement + 40% speaking pace,
- vocabulary = level judgement (lexical diversity is shown but not counted, as it depends too much on the topic).
Pronunciation is not scored yet. That part is still in preparation.
How to read the summary
Besides the numbers, the summary includes:
- what went well: one concrete strength,
- next time: the one thing that will move you forward most right now, with an example,
- key corrections: your sentence, a better version and a short explanation of the rule,
- a comparison with the room's goal, for example "room goal: B1 · above the goal".
You gain most by focusing on the one "next time" point in your next conversation and adding the corrections to your mistakes vault.
One conversation versus your real level
A single conversation is a sample. It depends on the topic, how tired you are and even the microphone. That is why in your history your level is the median of your last five assessed conversations: one weaker day does not pull it down and one great day does not inflate it. There you also see the change over the last month and a chart for each skill.
How long it takes to move up a level
The honest answer: months, not weeks. Commonly quoted Cambridge English estimates put it at around 200 guided learning hours per CEFR level, with higher levels usually needing more. Speaking can move faster than the rest, though, because many people already have the knowledge and only lack practice.
What you can realistically expect with a dozen or so minutes of conversation a day:
- after a few weeks: fewer pauses, longer answers, less stress before speaking up. You see it in the measured habits in your history;
- after 2–3 months: clearly fewer of the recurring mistakes you practise in the vault, and a move within your level, for example from B1 to B1+;
- after several months of regular practice: a real chance of reaching the next speaking level.
Progress is not linear. There are weeks with no change in the numbers and then a sudden jump. So look at the trend, not at a single score.
In the next part of the guide: the mistakes vault, or how to stop the same mistakes from coming back.