What’s my language level? A 5-minute test with no grammar

“Intermediate” is probably the most common level on language exchange profiles. It’s chosen by people who struggle to order a coffee and by people who watch series without subtitles. So it tells a partner almost nothing.

This test isn’t like the ones at school. There are no grammar or vocabulary exercises, only situations from real life: a message from a partner, a one-minute voice message, an argument about where it’s better to live. You choose what you can manage, and the test shows your level on the European A1–C2 scale, separately for understanding, writing and speaking.

The test: 12 situations

Answer for the language you’re learning: the test works for any language. The questions come one at a time. In each one, choose the hardest option you can manage without a translator and without much preparation. If you can’t decide between two, take the lower one: the result will be more accurate.

1Your partner sends you a message. What can you understand without a translator?

Almost nothing yetVery short messages: “Hi! My name is Lucía, I’m from Seville”Simple messages about everyday life: where someone works, what they did at the weekendA long message about events and plans, even if a couple of words are new to meAlmost everything in a fast chat, even with abbreviations and jokesEverything, including irony and hints: I can read between the linesEverything, as in my own language: I notice when a text is clumsily written

2Your partner sends you a one-minute voice message. How much do you understand?

Almost nothingIndividual words and namesWhat it’s about and a couple of details, if they speak slowly and clearlyThe main point on the first listen, the details on the secondAlmost everything on the first listen, even if they speak fastEverything, including jokes, tone of voice and what the person leaves unsaidEverything, even with a strong accent, a regional dialect or poor sound quality

3You’re watching a TV series in this language. How do you prefer to watch it?

Only with subtitles in my own languageWith subtitles in my own language, but I already recognise words I knowWithout subtitles in my own language, I catch the odd phrase in simple scenesWith subtitles in the same language, I understand most of itWithout subtitles, I get the gist if people don’t speak too fastWithout subtitles, I understand almost everything, jokes includedJust as in my own language, in any genre

4An article on a serious subject, such as house prices. What will you understand?

Almost nothingIndividual words and numbersThe headline and the general topicThe main idea, if I know the subjectThe main arguments and the author’s positionEverything, including long articles on complex subjectsEverything, including the finer points of style and wordplay

5A native speaker makes a joke in a chat. What happens?

I usually don’t notice it’s a jokeI can tell it’s a joke, but I don’t always get itI get simple jokes, but rarely wordplayI get most jokes and sometimes joke backI get wordplay and make jokes in the language myselfI get any kind of humour, even references to local culture

6You need to write to your partner about yourself and your day. What can you manage?

I can’t put a sentence together without a translator yetSimple sentences: name, country, job, “I like coffee”A short message about my day, with mistakes but easy to followA connected account of a trip or of a film I likedA long message with details and opinions; there are mistakes, but they don’t get in the wayI write easily and in different styles: jokey to a friend, formal for workI write so well that native speakers don’t notice it isn’t my first language

7Your partner writes that living in a big city is better, and you disagree. What will you reply?

I can’t reply yet“I don’t think so”, and that’s it“I don’t think so” and one simple reason: “Big cities are expensive”My opinion and two or three reasons, though finding the words is hardI respond to their points and make my own: we argue as equalsI argue with subtlety: I give ground on small points, stand firm on the main one and can throw in a jokeI can change their mind, just as I would in my own language

8Your washing machine has broken down. You need to tell your landlord what happened and when you’ll be in. What can you manage?

I won’t manage without a translatorA few words: “Machine not working. Help”A simple message: what’s broken and when I’m inA clear message: what happened, what I’ve already tried, when would be a good time to comeA polite, clear message that gets a useful reply straight awayA message in exactly the right tone: firm but politeA message no one could tell apart from a native speaker’s

9You’re asked to talk about yourself in a voice message: one minute, no preparation. How does it go?

I’ll say “hello” and my name, and that’s as far as I getI’ll give my name, country and job in phrases I’ve learned by heartI’ll talk about my family, work and hobbies in simple sentences, with pausesI’ll tell a connected story, though I search for words and make mistakesI’ll talk easily, with details, and answer unexpected questionsI speak smoothly and precisely, without stopping to look for wordsI speak as I do in my own language

10Your partner asks about something you haven’t prepared for: how people celebrate New Year in your country. What do you say?

I won’t understand the question, or I won’t be able to answerA word or two: “Party. Fireworks”A few simple sentences: “We go to a party, we count down to midnight, we watch the fireworks”I’ll talk about the traditions, though sometimes I have to explain things “in other words”I’ll describe it in detail, with stories from my own familyI’ll describe it so well that my partner can picture it: details, comparisons, humourJust as I would in my own language

11In the middle of a conversation, you can’t remember a word you need. What happens next?

The conversation stops: I can’t go on without a translatorI look the word up in a translation app or switch to another languageI explain it in other words, though it comes out clumsyI nearly always find a way round it, and the conversation keeps goingIt rarely happens, and I find a synonym straight awayI can’t remember the last time it happened

12Imagine a whole hour of conversation with a native speaker. How does it go?

I couldn’t last an hour in this language yetI managed a greeting and a couple of sentences; after that, the translator came to the rescueWe talked about simple things, I often had to ask them to repeat things, and by the end I was worn outThe conversation kept going, though I sometimes lost the thread, and by the end of the hour I was tiredWe talked freely; it’s only hard when native speakers talk fast and all at onceAn hour is easy, even with a group of native speakersIt feels no different from my own language

How the result is worked out. The level for each skill is the one that more than half of your answers for that skill reach. Your overall level is the middle one of the three: neither the strongest skill nor the weakest. The level for your profile follows the weaker of the two skills, writing and speaking, because those are what a partner will see.

The A1–C2 scale in plain English

The Council of Europe created the A1–C2 scale to describe ability in any language in the same way. It comes from the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, or CEFR for short. Today it’s the reference point for schools, exams and employers in many countries.

Why understanding runs ahead of speaking

Many people who learn a language on their own understand it a level or two better than they speak it. The reason is simple: understanding means recognising, while speaking means remembering and building a sentence on the spot, in a few seconds. The words you recognise in a series aren’t yet the words you use.

What closes the gap:

• Speak every day, a little at a time. A 30-second voice message a day does more than an hour-long conversation once a month.
• Retell things. Watched an episode or read an article? Tell your partner about it in your own words. Retelling moves words from “I recognise it” to “I use it”.
• Record each voice message twice. First as it comes, then again, now that you know where you stumbled. On Date&Learn you can listen to a voice message before you send it and record it again.
• Ask for corrections to what you say, as well as what you write. Ask your partner to point out one mistake in your voice message: the one you make most often.

Self-assessment traps

• “I understand TV series, so I must be B2.” Understanding and speaking are different skills, which is why the test shows them separately.
• “C1 means no mistakes.” It doesn’t. People make mistakes at C1, and so do native speakers. A level describes what you can do in a language, not how many mistakes you make.
• “I got an A in French at school.” A school grade shows how well you know the syllabus, not whether you can hold a conversation.
• “I’ve been learning for five years.” Years aren’t a level. Five years of weekly lessons can give you less than one year of messaging every day.
• “I need to know my exact level.” For a profile and for choosing a partner, a rough idea is enough. An exact level only matters for paperwork, and for that you can’t avoid an official exam.

What level do you need for a language exchange?

Any level. But an exchange looks different at each stage:

• A1–A2: short messages, a translator to hand, questions about simple things. How often you write matters more than how much.
• B1–B2: easy-going chats, voice messages, debates about films and plans. The best time to find a regular partner.
• C1–C2: conversations about culture, values and the finer points of the language. You no longer need practice so much as someone interesting to talk to.

An exchange works best when your partner knows your language about as well as you know theirs. How to find a match like that is explained in our guide to finding a language exchange partner.

How to check your level with a partner

The test is how you see yourself. A partner can see you from the outside. Ask them to set you three short tasks:

1. Retelling. They send you a one-minute voice message, and you retell it in your own words. They point out what you misunderstood.
2. Describing a photo. You describe a photo for a minute without preparing. They notice the pauses and the words that took you longest to find.
3. Explaining. You explain the rules of any game, or a recipe. It’s harder than it sounds: you need precise words and the steps in the right order.

If you can do all three without a translator and your partner understands you the first time, your speaking is probably at B1 or above.

Once you know your level, put it on your profile. Partners will see straight away how to talk to you.

Create a free profile