How we score
A good result is only worth as much as the method behind it. This page explains exactly how we turn a test into a CEFR level — the thresholds, the per-skill breakdown, how speaking and writing are graded, and how we keep the question bank correct. No black box.
From answers to a CEFR level
For reading, listening, grammar and vocabulary, every question has a single correct answer. We count your correct answers, express them as a percentage of the whole test, and map that percentage to a CEFR level using a fixed table. The same score always produces the same level.
| CEFR level | Description | Score range |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Beginner | Below 35% |
| A2 | Elementary | 35–49% |
| B1 | Intermediate | 50–68% |
| B2 | Upper-Intermediate | 69–78% |
| C1 | Advanced | 79–94% |
| C2 | Proficient | 95–100% |
Level-specific tests (for example, a dedicated B2 test) add a 70% pass mark to certify that level; the mixed English Level Test places you on the band your score falls into.
Four skills, measured separately
Each question is tagged to a skill — grammar, vocabulary, reading or listening — so your result isn't a single opaque number. We report a percentage for every skill alongside your overall level, so a strong reader with weaker listening sees exactly that.
Reading, listening, grammar & vocabulary
Multiple-choice questions scored automatically by matching each answer against a verified key — deterministic, instant, and identical for every candidate. No AI, no interpretation.
Speaking & writing
Open-ended responses evaluated by advanced AI models against defined criteria (see below), then converted to a CEFR level with the same fixed threshold table used everywhere else.
AI evaluation for speaking & writing
Speaking and writing can't be marked by a key, so they are assessed by purpose-built AI language models from Google (Gemini) and Anthropic (Claude). Each response is scored against explicit, published criteria — the model doesn't decide your level; it scores the criteria, and the CEFR level is computed from those scores in code.
Speaking
Your recorded audio is evaluated directly — no error-prone speech-to-text step in between — on five criteria:
- Fluency
- Coherence
- Grammar
- Vocabulary
- Pronunciation
Writing
Your written response is assessed against four criteria, each scored independently before being combined into a level:
- Grammar
- Vocabulary
- Content
- Organisation
For Pro reports, the same class of model writes a personalised proficiency analysis — strengths, recurring error patterns and recommendations — grounded in your actual answers, never generic filler.
Every question, checked
A test is only fair if every question is sound. We run an automated validator across the question bank that cross-checks each item against its answer key and fails anything that isn't right — for every version of a question we serve.
What the validator catches
- • A correct answer that isn't among the options
- • Two identical answer options
- • An empty or incomplete question prompt
- • A question with no answer key at all
Editorial review & a safety net
Items that need human judgement are flagged for editorial review rather than changed automatically. And a runtime safeguard in the scorer means that even if a question ever carried a bad key, it could never wrongly count against a test-taker.
Aligned to CEFR, and to ALTE
Every result maps to the CEFR (A1–C2) — the internationally recognised framework for describing language ability — so scores are comparable across candidates and defensible to stakeholders.
International English Test is operated by International Test Limited, a United Kingdom company founded in 2023, and is an Associate Member of ALTE — the Association of Language Testers in Europe, the European authority on language testing standards. We have issued 135,000+ certificates to test-takers in 210+ countries. We state our status precisely: Associate Member, not a stronger accreditation.
Frequently asked questions
How is my score calculated?
For reading, listening, grammar and vocabulary, every question has one correct answer. We count how many you got right, turn that into a percentage of the whole test, and map that percentage to a CEFR level (A1–C2) using a fixed threshold table. There is no hidden weighting — the same number of correct answers always produces the same level.
How does a percentage become a CEFR level?
We use a fixed score-to-CEFR table: below 35% is A1, 35–49% A2, 50–68% B1, 69–78% B2, 79–94% C1, and 95%+ C2. The overall level comes from your total percentage across the whole test; your per-skill scores (grammar, vocabulary, reading, listening) are reported separately as a breakdown so you can see where you are strongest.
How are speaking and writing graded?
Reading and listening are multiple-choice and scored automatically. Speaking and writing are open-ended, so they are evaluated by advanced AI language models against defined criteria: speaking on fluency, coherence, grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation; writing on grammar, vocabulary, content and organisation. Each criterion is scored, and the final CEFR level is calculated from those scores using the same fixed threshold table.
How do you make sure the questions are correct?
Every question is cross-checked against its answer key by an automated validator that flags any item where the marked answer isn't one of the options, where two options are identical, or where the prompt is incomplete — across every version of a question we serve. Items that need judgement go to editorial review. A runtime safeguard means that even if a question ever had a bad key, it could never wrongly mark a test-taker down.
Is International English Test accredited by ALTE?
International English Test is an Associate Member of ALTE (the Association of Language Testers in Europe), the European authority on language testing standards. Associate membership reflects alignment with the CEFR framework ALTE stewards. We describe our status precisely — Associate Member — rather than claiming a stronger accreditation.
Why is my public result shown as a range?
Before you claim a certificate, we show your result as a band (for example, 70–80%) rather than an exact figure. Your precise percentage, per-skill breakdown and CEFR level appear on your certificate and in your dashboard once you unlock them.
Take the test
Find your CEFR level with an all-skills English test — scored the way this page describes.
Start the level test →For hiring teams
Screen candidates on the same objective CEFR scale, at scale, with self-serve credits and no contract.
Start a free pilot →Methodology last reviewed July 2026.