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CEFR B2 · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE

English at B2, the upper-intermediate level.

B2 is the level most universities and employers ask for: fluent, spontaneous, detailed English.

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Can-do lines from the Council of Europe's own grid

CEFR B2, Upper-Intermediate

Band B · Independent user

active words
~4,000
guided hours from zero
500–600
IELTS band
5.5–6.5

The words are a typical estimate and the hours a commonly cited range, not a Carna measurement. The IELTS band is a comparison, not a conversion.

The step, with its neighbours

  1. B1, Intermediate: 350–400 guided hours
  2. B2, Upper-Intermediate: 500–600 guided hours
  3. C1, Advanced: 700–800 guided hours
Next: C1 · Advanced

— WHAT YOU CAN DO

What B2 lets you do.

The CEFR describes B2 in “can-do” terms: what you are able to do with the language in each mode, not what you know about it. These lines follow the Council of Europe's self-assessment grid.

  1. Listening

    Understand extended speech and lectures, follow complex lines of argument on reasonably familiar topics, and understand most TV news, current-affairs programmes and films in standard English.

  2. Reading

    Read articles and reports on contemporary problems in which the writers take a particular stance or viewpoint, and understand contemporary literary prose.

  3. Speaking

    Interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular conversation with native speakers possible without strain for either side, and present clear, detailed descriptions on a wide range of subjects while explaining a viewpoint with its advantages and disadvantages.

  4. Writing

    Write clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects, including an essay or report that passes on information or gives reasons for or against a point of view.

— WHERE B2 SITS

B2 on the scale.

Each bar is the commonly cited guided-hour range to reach a level, counted from zero, so every level includes the hours before it. B2 keeps its colour; open any step for its guide.

Guided learning hours to reach each level, cumulative
  1. A1, Beginner: 90–100 guided hours
  2. A2, Elementary: 180–200 guided hours
  3. B1, Intermediate: 350–400 guided hours
  4. B2, Upper-Intermediate: 500–600 guided hours
  5. C1, Advanced: 700–800 guided hours
  6. C2, Proficient: 1,000+ guided hours

Commonly cited guided-learning-hour ranges, not a Carna measurement. Open a level for what it means in practice.

— IN CARNA TODAY

The same scale, on the screen.

Carna for Schools runs on the CEFR scale today: assigned work shows its level on the card, and so do the books in the student's library. The individual tutor is in early access.

  • CARNA FOR SCHOOLS · LIVE TODAY

    Every card names its level.

    A student's Learn screen lists what the teacher assigned, soonest due first, each module with its CEFR level on the cover.

    A student's Learn screen in Carna for Schools. Carna School London is a sample school; the courses, levels and dates are demo data.

  • CARNA FOR SCHOOLS · LIVE TODAY

    Books with their level on the cover.

    The readers a school publishes carry their CEFR level on the cover, so reading practice can stay at the rung a student is on.

    A student's Library in Carna for Schools. Carna School London is a sample school; the books and levels are demo data.

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— FIND YOUR LEVEL

Not sure where you stand?

A placement test scores each skill separately, because reading and speaking are rarely at the same level. Carna Test is the assessment platform from Carna, on its own site.

Also from Carna

Carna Test

A three-section placement test (CPT) and a five-section adaptive test with speaking and writing (CAET), on carnatest.com.

Find your level on carnatest.com (opens in a new tab)

FAQ

Questions about B2.

How long it takes, what it lets you do, and how B2 compares.

How long does it take to reach B2?

B2 typically takes around 500 to 600 cumulative guided hours. It is the level most universities and many skilled-work visas ask for, which is why it is such a common target.

What can I do at B2 level?

At B2 you can interact fluently and spontaneously with native speakers, understand complex text in your field, and produce clear, detailed arguments on a wide range of topics.

What IELTS score compares with B2?

Commonly published IELTS–CEFR comparisons put B2 at roughly band 5.5 to 6.5. Many universities set their entry requirement in exactly that range. It is a comparison between two scales, not a conversion.

EARLY ACCESS

Want this level taught?

Carna's personal tutor is still on its way, so there is no individual sign-up yet. Join the early-access list and we will write to you when it opens. Schools and teams run on Carna today.

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