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CEFR C2 · PROFICIENT

English at C2, the proficient level.

C2 is the top of the CEFR scale: you understand virtually everything you hear or read.

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

CEFR C2, Proficient

Band C · Proficient user

active words
~16,000
guided hours from zero
1,000+
IELTS band
8.5–9.0

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. B2, Upper-Intermediate: 500–600 guided hours
  2. C1, Advanced: 700–800 guided hours
  3. C2, Proficient: 1,000+ guided hours
The top of the scale. See all six levels

— WHAT YOU CAN DO

What C2 lets you do.

The CEFR describes C2 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 any kind of spoken language, live or broadcast, even at fast native speed, given some time to get used to the accent.

  2. Reading

    Read with ease virtually all forms of the written language, including abstract or structurally complex texts such as manuals, specialised articles and literary works.

  3. Speaking

    Take part effortlessly in any conversation or discussion, with a good command of idiom and colloquial language, and present a clear, smoothly flowing description or argument in a style suited to the context, structured so the listener notices and remembers the significant points.

  4. Writing

    Write clear, smoothly flowing text in an appropriate style, including complex letters, reports and articles that present a case with an effective logical structure, and summaries and reviews of professional or literary works.

— WHERE C2 SITS

C2 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. C2 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.

Book a demo See Carna for Schools

— 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 C2.

How long it takes, what it lets you do, and how C2 compares.

How long does it take to reach C2?

C2 typically takes 1,000 or more cumulative guided hours and years of sustained exposure. It represents near-native command rather than a course you simply finish.

What can I do at C2 level?

At C2 you understand virtually everything you hear or read, summarise and reconstruct complex arguments, and express yourself precisely with an awareness of subtle shades of meaning.

Is C2 the same as native?

C2 is the highest CEFR level and reflects near-native command, but it is not a test of being a native speaker. Highly educated non-native speakers, and not all native speakers, operate at C2.

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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