# CEFR levels explained

> Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, maintained by Council of Europe.

The CEFR is the international standard for describing language ability, published by the Council of Europe in 2001 and extended by a Companion Volume in 2020. It defines six levels, A1 to C2, through 'can-do' descriptors, and is used by schools, universities, employers and immigration authorities across Europe and beyond. The CEFR is deliberately descriptive rather than prescriptive: it does not mandate vocabulary sizes, word lists or study hours, so the counts below are commonly cited estimates rather than official requirements. The hours quoted are Cambridge English's guided-learning estimates, which assume a language reasonably close to your own; languages more distant take considerably longer.

## The 6 CEFR levels

| Level | Name | Typical vocabulary | Study to reach it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [A1](https://nativepal.app/levels/cefr/a1/) | Beginner | 500-700 words (commonly cited estimate) | 90-100 guided learning hours |
| [A2](https://nativepal.app/levels/cefr/a2/) | Elementary | 1,000-1,500 words (commonly cited estimate) | 180-200 guided learning hours |
| [B1](https://nativepal.app/levels/cefr/b1/) | Intermediate | 2,000-3,000 words (commonly cited estimate) | 350-400 guided learning hours |
| [B2](https://nativepal.app/levels/cefr/b2/) | Upper Intermediate | 4,000-6,000 words (commonly cited estimate) | 500-600 guided learning hours |
| [C1](https://nativepal.app/levels/cefr/c1/) | Advanced | 8,000-10,000 words (commonly cited estimate) | 700-800 guided learning hours |
| [C2](https://nativepal.app/levels/cefr/c2/) | Mastery | 12,000-16,000 words (commonly cited estimate) | 1,000-1,200 guided learning hours |

## FAQ

### What is CEFR?

The CEFR is the international standard for describing language ability, published by the Council of Europe in 2001 and extended by a Companion Volume in 2020. It defines six levels, A1 to C2, through 'can-do' descriptors, and is used by schools, universities, employers and immigration authorities across Europe and beyond. The CEFR is deliberately descriptive rather than prescriptive: it does not mandate vocabulary sizes, word lists or study hours, so the counts below are commonly cited estimates rather than official requirements. The hours quoted are Cambridge English's guided-learning estimates, which assume a language reasonably close to your own; languages more distant take considerably longer.

### How many CEFR levels are there?

CEFR has 6 levels, from A1 to C2, maintained by Council of Europe.

### Which languages use CEFR?

Most languages, including Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portuguese.

### Which CEFR level should I start at?

If you have never studied the language, start at A1. Otherwise pick the highest level whose can-do statements you can already manage comfortably. NativePal lets you set and change your level at any time.

## More

- [All proficiency frameworks](https://nativepal.app/levels/)
- [All supported languages](https://nativepal.app/languages.html)