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Language Level Calculator

EducationStudent Tools
Test taken

Half-band steps from 0 to 9.

CEFR level —
Level band
—
Next level starts
—
Points to next level
—

A language level calculator maps an English test score onto the CEFR scale (A1 to C2) using each test publisher's own alignment. For example, an IELTS overall band of 6.5 falls in the B2 range of 5.5 to 6.5, and C1 begins at 7.0, so you are half a band short of C1.

About this tool

Admissions offices, employers and visa rules often state an English requirement as a CEFR level, while your certificate shows a band or a scale score. This calculator reads an IELTS overall band, a TOEFL iBT total or a Cambridge English Scale score and returns the matching CEFR level, a short description of that band, the score where the next level begins and how far away it is. The cut-offs are the ones the publishers themselves print. One limit: IELTS and TOEFL iBT are built for intermediate and higher learners, so they cannot tell A1 from A2; a low score is reported as A2 or below. Section scores can also sit at different levels from the overall result, and some institutions require a minimum in each skill.

How to use it

  1. Pick the test

    Choose IELTS, TOEFL iBT or Cambridge Scale; only the matching score box is shown.

  2. Enter the overall score

    Type the overall band, the 0 to 120 total, or the 80 to 230 scale score from your results.

  3. Read the level

    The CEFR level appears with its band name, the score that starts the next level and the gap to it.

Examples

IELTS overall band 6.5

Test taken
IELTS
Overall band
6.5

Result CEFR level: B2
Level band: Independent (upper intermediate)
Next level starts: C1 at 7
Points to next level: 0.5

  1. Test: IELTS overall band, score 6.5
  2. C2 starts at 8.5
  3. C1 starts at 7
  4. B2 starts at 5.5
  5. B1 starts at 4
  6. 6.5 ≥ 5.5, so the level is B2

A 6.5 sits at the top of the B2 range; half a band more reaches C1, which many universities ask for.

TOEFL iBT total of 100

Test taken
TOEFL iBT
Total score
100

Result CEFR level: C1
Level band: Proficient (advanced)
Next level starts: C2 at 114
Points to next level: 14

  1. Test: TOEFL iBT total, score 100
  2. C2 starts at 114
  3. C1 starts at 95
  4. B2 starts at 72
  5. B1 starts at 42
  6. 100 ≥ 95, so the level is C1

100 is inside the C1 band that ETS sets at 95 to 113.

Cambridge English Scale 175

Test taken
Cambridge Scale
Overall scale score
175

Result CEFR level: B2
Level band: Independent (upper intermediate)
Next level starts: C1 at 180
Points to next level: 5

  1. Test: Cambridge English Scale, score 175
  2. C2 starts at 200
  3. C1 starts at 180
  4. B2 starts at 160
  5. B1 starts at 140
  6. A2 starts at 120

A B2 First candidate with 175 holds B2 and needs 5 more scale points for C1.

How it is calculated

Level = the highest CEFR band whose starting score ≤ your score

score
IELTS overall band, TOEFL iBT total or Cambridge English Scale score
band start
the lowest score the publisher aligns to that CEFR level

Each test has a lookup table. IELTS: 4.0 B1, 5.5 B2, 7.0 C1, 8.5 C2. TOEFL iBT: 42 B1, 72 B2, 95 C1, 114 C2. Cambridge English Scale: 100 A1, 120 A2, 140 B1, 160 B2, 180 C1, 200 C2. The score is compared with the band starts from the top down, and the first one it meets or passes is the level. The gap to the next level is that level's start minus your score.

When not to use it

  • Do not use it to convert between two tests for an application; institutions publish their own equivalence tables.
  • It does not judge a single skill such as writing; enter the overall result only.
  • It cannot place beginners precisely from IELTS or TOEFL scores below B1.

Common mistakes

  • Entering one section score instead of the overall band or total.
  • Typing an IELTS band such as 6.3; bands only move in half steps.
  • Assuming a C1 overall meets a rule that also sets a minimum per skill.

Frequently asked questions

What does CEFR stand for?

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, published by the Council of Europe. It describes ability in six levels: A1 and A2 (basic user), B1 and B2 (independent user), C1 and C2 (proficient user).

What IELTS band is C1?

IELTS aligns overall bands 7.0, 7.5 and 8.0 with C1. Band 8.5 and 9.0 are C2, and 5.5 to 6.5 is B2.

Which TOEFL iBT score equals B2?

ETS maps a total of 72 to 94 to B2. A total of 95 starts C1, and 42 to 71 is B1. The section scores have their own, separate cut-offs.

Why does a low IELTS score show A2 or below?

IELTS is not designed to measure beginner levels, so the publisher gives no alignment under band 4.0. The calculator says only that the level is lower than B1 rather than guessing A1 or A2.

What is the Cambridge English Scale?

A single 80 to 230 scale used on Cambridge English results, from A2 Key to C2 Proficiency. Each 20-point block from 100 upward corresponds to one CEFR level, so 160 to 179 is B2.

Can I use this for languages other than English?

The CEFR levels themselves apply to any language, but the score cut-offs here belong to three English tests. Tests such as DELF or Goethe certificates are issued at a named level instead of a score.

Cite this tool

Using this tool in an assignment, article or report? Copy a citation, or a link for your website.

APA

Tools Directory Editorial Team. (2026, October 21). Language Level Calculator. Tools Directory. Retrieved October 27, 2026, from https://tools.milunir.com/education/student-tools-misc/language-level-calculator/

MLA

Tools Directory Editorial Team. “Language Level Calculator.” Tools Directory, 21 Oct. 2026, https://tools.milunir.com/education/student-tools-misc/language-level-calculator/. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Tools Directory Editorial Team. “Language Level Calculator.” Tools Directory. Last modified October 21, 2026. Accessed October 27, 2026. https://tools.milunir.com/education/student-tools-misc/language-level-calculator/.

Link<a href="https://tools.milunir.com/education/student-tools-misc/language-level-calculator/">Language Level Calculator – Tools Directory</a>