IELTS Score to CEFR: What Band Is B1, B2 or C1?

An IELTS B2 score is an overall band in the range that IELTS equates with CEFR level B2, which the key facts and the table below give. The match applies to the overall band alone, because IELTS is a scored test and the CEFR is a framework, so the two never line up one-to-one. A requirement written only as a CEFR level therefore usually needs checking against the exact band the organisation accepts.

C1 sits at a higher range of overall bands on the same IELTS guidance, with C2 at the top of the scale. B1 lies below the B2 range, although the pages used here give no band range for it. The sections below set out what each level describes, how the Home Office and universities state requirements, and how to plan when only a CEFR level is given.

What do the CEFR levels A1 to C2 describe?

The CEFR is the Council of Europe's Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, which organises language proficiency into six levels in three groups: Basic User (A1 and A2), Independent User (B1 and B2) and Proficient User (C1 and C2). Each level is a description of what a person can do in a language, and the framework applies to any language.

B1 describes someone who can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters. B2 describes someone who can understand the main ideas of complex text and interact with enough fluency that regular interaction with native speakers is possible without strain. C1 covers demanding, longer texts, implicit meaning and fluent, spontaneous expression, whilst C2 covers understanding virtually everything heard or read. The Council of Europe notes that C2 does not imply native-speaker competence.

Which IELTS band is B1, B2 or C1?

IELTS gives overall band ranges for CEFR B2 and C1 and a threshold for C2, and the key facts record each one with its source. Because IELTS lists some bands as borderline, the top of the C1 range and the start of C2 depend on which official page an organisation follows.

The IELTS pages used here set no band range for B1, which sits below the B2 range. A requirement for B1 therefore needs the organisation's own minimum band, and the Home Office route guidance gives the grade for approved tests where a visa is involved.

Every figure refers to the overall band, which is the single score reported for the whole test. Individual Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking scores are not mapped to CEFR levels in this guidance.

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Why does one CEFR level cover more than one IELTS band?

One CEFR level covers several bands because IELTS uses a nine-point scale with half-band steps whilst the CEFR has only six broad levels. IELTS states that there will not be a one-to-one correspondence between its scores and CEFR levels, and that the comparisons should not be read as strong claims about exact equivalence between assessment products.

IELTS also explains that it preceded the CEFR, so its bands have never aligned exactly with the CEFR transition points. The boundary for C1 falls just above the top of the B2 range, which means some candidates at that top band are at C1 and others sit marginally below. Institutions wanting high confidence in C1 may set a requirement at the next band up.

How does the Home Office express English requirements, and which tests meet them?

The Home Office states English requirements for visa routes as CEFR levels, and the route guidance on GOV.UK names the level for each one. Family routes, for example, use A1 and A2 for different applications, whilst indefinite leave to remain uses B1, and a higher-level approved test can meet a lower requirement. Because the thresholds are reviewed, the current level for a specific route is checked on the route's GOV.UK page.

Applicants who have no qualification that proves their English pass a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider. The IELTS SELT Consortium offers IELTS for UKVI and IELTS Life Skills, and only the tests and test levels on the approved list count. GOV.UK says that the approved list gives the CEFR level and minimum grade for each level, and that a pass gives a SELT unique reference number to quote in the application, shown on IELTS results as the UKVI number.

How do universities state English requirements?

UK universities usually state the requirement as an IELTS band, often with a minimum in each skill, and some add the CEFR level that the band represents. Where both appear, the band is the figure to plan towards, because the university's own policy decides what a CEFR label means for its courses.

For Student visa applicants at degree level or above, GOV.UK says the Higher Education Provider can assess English itself and may use a different test, provided the result is equivalent to CEFR B2. For courses below degree level the Student visa guidance sets B1. The provider's admissions page and the visa guidance are separate requirements, so each is checked on its own.

How should you plan when only a CEFR level is given?

Planning starts by asking the organisation which test, which overall band and which minimum per skill meets the stated CEFR level, since the mapping alone leaves room for a half-band either way. Where the requirement sits on a boundary such as C1, aiming for the higher band in the range gives a margin.

Preparation then follows how IELTS is marked. IELTS publishes Band Score Descriptors, Marking Criteria, authentic sample answers and examiner comments for Writing and Speaking, and sample questions with answer keys for Listening and Reading. Start by reading the descriptors for the target band, then compare a sample answer at that band with your own practice response and note each gap. Practise Listening and Reading to build accurate understanding, and practise Writing and Speaking to organise ideas and communicate with accuracy and fluency.

Related guides

• What is IELTS? Format, versions and scoring
• CEFR levels explained for employers
• IELTS Reading question types
• Official IELTS practice tests
• IELTS for UKVI
• IELTS Life Skills A1, A2 and B1
• IELTS test fee in the UK
• IELTS results, validity and remarks

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