CEF Alignment
These alignments are approximate only. Most are based on claims by the examining bodies themselves.
Most examination bodies now attempt to align or "benchmark" their tests or scores to the Common European Framework. It should be realised that this is an inexact science and all attempts at correspondence are approximate only. The following table shows the CEF levels with corresponding levels for the most common tests and examinations.
| Exams and Tests | n/a | Common European Framework | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | C1 | C2 | |||
| Cambridge ESOL Examinations | General English | KET | PET | FCE | CAE | CPE | ||
| BEC | Preliminary | Vantage | Higher | |||||
| YLE | Starters | Movers | Flyers | |||||
| Pearson Test of English | PTE General | A1 Foun- dation |
1 Elemen- tary |
2 Inter- mediate |
3 Upper- Inter- mediate |
4 Advanced | 5 Proficient | |
| PTE Academic | 43-58 | 59-75 | 76-84 | |||||
| City & Guilds | Prelim. | Access | Achiever | Commu- nicator |
Expert | Mastery | ||
| IELTS | 1.0-2.5 | 3.0 | 3.5-4.5 | 5.0-6.0 | 6.5-7.0 | 7.5-9.0 | ||
| TOEIC L&R | Listening | 60 | 110 | 275 | 400 | 490 | ||
| Reading | 60 | 115 | 275 | 385 | (455) | |||
| TOEIC S&W | Speaking | 50 | 90 | 120 | 160 | 200 | ||
| Writing | 30 | 70 | 120 | 150 | 200 | |||
| TOEIC Bridge | Listening | 46 | 64 | 84 | ||||
| Reading | 46 | 70 | 86 | |||||
| TOEFL iBT | Reading | 8 | 22 | 28 | 29 | |||
| Listening | 13 | 21 | 26 | |||||
| Speaking | 8 | 13 | 19 | 23 | 28 | |||
| Writing | 11 | 17 | 21 | 28 | ||||
| Total | 57-86 | 87-109 | 110-120 | |||||
| LCCI | English for Business | Prelim. | Prelim./1 | 1/2 | 2/3 | 3/4 | 4 | |
| SEFIC | Prelim. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| English for Tourism | 1 | 2 | ||||||
| Trinity | ISE | 0 | I | II | III | |||
| GESE | 1 | 2 | 3/4 | 5/6 | 7/8/9 | 10/11 | 12 | |
| SEW | SEW 1 | SEW 2/3 | SEW 4 | |||||
| STEP EIKEN | 3-5 | Pre-2 | 2 | Pre-1 | 1 | |||