In short
- Cambridge qualifications run from Pre A1 Starters to C2 Proficiency; each targets one CEFR level, and from A2 Key upwards also reports the level above and below.
- IELTS places bands 5.5 to 6.5 at B2, 7 to 8 at C1 and 8.5 and above at C2, and says bands and levels do not match one to one.
- An exam is aligned to the CEFR by standard setting against the descriptors, then validated, so two B2 exams can still differ.
- A pass certifies a profile of skills, not a level in every skill, so read the separate reading score.
A parent asks whether B1 Preliminary is 'the same as' IELTS 4.5. A head wants to know which exam a Year 9 class should sit. A teacher wonders what a B2 First reading score says about reading in her classroom. All three questions come down to how exams are aligned to the CEFR. This article gives the owners' own alignments in two tables, explains how the alignment is made and why it is a range, and ends with a practical way to choose an exam for your school.
The short answer, in two tables
Cambridge English qualifications and IELTS are both aligned to the CEFR by their owners, Cambridge University Press & Assessment and the IELTS partners. The alignment is theirs, not the Council of Europe's. The two tables give each owner's own statement.
| Qualification | Target CEFR level | Scores reported with a certificate | CEFR levels shown on results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre A1 Starters, A1 Movers, A2 Flyers | Pre A1, A1 and A2, in that order | No Scale score; up to five shields per part | No pass or fail |
| A2 Key, A2 Key for Schools | A2 | 100 to 150 (80 to 99 reported, no certificate) | A1 (100 to 119), A2 (120 to 139), B1 (140 to 150) |
| B1 Preliminary, B1 Preliminary for Schools | B1 | 120 to 170 (102 to 119 reported, no certificate) | A2 (120 to 139), B1 (140 to 159), B2 (160 to 170) |
| B2 First, B2 First for Schools | B2 | 140 to 190 (122 to 139 reported, no certificate) | B1 (140 to 159), B2 (160 to 179), C1 (180 to 190) |
| C1 Advanced | C1 | 160 to 210 | B2 (160 to 179), C1 (180 to 199), C2 (200 to 210) |
| C2 Proficiency | C2 | 180 to 230 (162 to 179 reported, no certificate) | C1 (180 to 199), C2 (200 to 230) |
The older names still in use at many schools are KET (A2 Key), PET (B1 Preliminary), FCE (B2 First), CAE (C1 Advanced) and CPE (C2 Proficiency). On the Cambridge English Scale the same score means the same level whichever exam produced it, so 160 is B2 on B1 Preliminary and on B2 First alike.
| IELTS band | CEFR level, in IELTS's own alignment |
|---|---|
| 8.5 to 9 | C2 |
| 7 to 8 | C1. Band 8 is described as borderline with C2, and the C1 threshold falls between 6.5 and 7 |
| 5.5 to 6.5 | B2 |
| 4 to 5 | B1. Band 5 is described as borderline with B2 |
IELTS (n.d.) says plainly that it "is not a level-based test" but spans a wider continuum, so "there will not be a one-to-one correspondence between IELTS scores and CEFR levels". It bases its alignment on internal and external research built up since the late 1990s, and warns against reading its chart as a claim of exact equivalence.
How is an exam aligned to the CEFR?
By standard setting against the descriptors, followed by validation. The Council of Europe (2009) published a Manual for exam providers. It defines standard setting as "a process of establishing one or more cut scores on examinations". The cut scores divide candidates' performances into CEFR levels. The Manual sets out five stages: familiarisation with the CEFR, specification of what the exam covers, standardisation training with benchmark performances, the standard-setting procedures themselves, and validation of the claim.
The Manual is careful about what such a claim means. It says the link between an exam and the CEFR "is not a simple observable fact, but is an assertion for which the examination provider needs to provide both theoretical and empirical evidence". Any claim is the responsibility of the institution that makes it.
The Cambridge exams have a longer history with the levels than most. Taylor and Jones (2006) trace that history. The Council of Europe's Waystage and Threshold descriptions, now A2 and B1, underpinned the specifications for KET and PET. Work on the third level, Vantage, now B2, took account of FCE. The empirical alignment came through work such as the ALTE Can Do project, used to align Cambridge's original five levels with the six CEFR levels. They also warn that to assert a test is aligned with a level "does not necessarily make it so".
For IELTS, Lim, Geranpayeh, Khalifa and Buckendahl (2013) describe a standard-setting study and a criterion validation study whose results agree. Their wider argument is that when several exams are aligned to the same reference framework, convergent results should be expected and any divergence investigated.
Why is a band a range, not a point?
Because a CEFR level is wide, and a cut score can sit anywhere inside it. The Council of Europe (2009) says that two exams may both be "at Level B2" and yet differ considerably. Its reason: "B2 represents a band of language proficiency that is quite wide", and the pass cut-off of each exam "may be pitched at different points within that range". A B2 pass on one exam and a B2 pass on another are not a claim of the same standard.
The Cambridge results pages show the same thing from the inside. B2 First reports scores from 140 to 190: 140 to 159 is B1, 160 to 179 is B2, and 180 to 190 is C1 (Cambridge University Press & Assessment, n.d.). A pupil who scores 161 and a pupil who scores 179 both hold a B2 certificate, and they are a long way apart. IELTS makes the same point with its borderline bands.
- Read the score, not only the level. A Cambridge English Scale score, or an IELTS band, says where in the range a pupil sits.
- Expect disagreement with the classroom. A placement check in school and an exam result can differ by a plus level without anyone being wrong. How to Assess a Student's English Reading Level explains how to run the school check.
What do the 'for Schools' versions change, and not change?
The for Schools versions change the topics, not the level. Cambridge's own FAQ says the for Schools versions of A2 Key, B1 Preliminary and B2 First "follow exactly the same format as the standard versions". They test the same skills at the same level and lead to the same certificate (Cambridge University Press & Assessment, n.d.). The content is "tailored to suit the interests and experience of school-age candidates", and candidates of any age may sit them.
Below A2 Key sit the three Young Learners qualifications: Pre A1 Starters, A1 Movers and A2 Flyers. These do not report a Cambridge English Scale score and have no pass or fail. Cambridge reports up to five shields for each part of the test, where one shield means a child "can improve a lot in that skill" and five mean they "answered most questions correctly". For a primary school they are a first step, not a certificate of level.
What does a reading score tell you about reading in class?
Cambridge reports a separate score for each skill, so a reading score is available on its own. It tells you how a pupil handled exam-type texts and tasks under time pressure on one day. It does not tell you whether the pupil can finish a levelled story alone, how much they read in a week, or how many words they retain. Those are what reading in class is for, and a school should measure them separately.
The useful direction is the other way round. A pupil who reads comfortably at a level in class, with few unknown words and good recall of the plot, has the raw material an exam's reading paper tests. CEFR Reading Can-Do Statements, A1 to B2 lists what a reader should be able to do at each level, and that list is a better classroom target than a score. Exam-format practice can then come late, once the reading is there.
Classroom example (an illustration, not a case study)
A Year 10 class is working towards B2 First for Schools in June. From September the teacher runs reading at B1+ and B2 in class and tracks the level each pupil reads at. In March she starts exam-format practice: one Reading and Use of English part a week, timed. Pupils whose class reading is still at B1 in March get a different plan from the rest.
The mistake: a pass is not a level in every skill
An exam certificate shows an overall level, averaged across skills, with each skill scored separately. The Council of Europe (2020) warns that "any simple answer like B2 – or even B2 receptive, B1 productive – hides a complex profile". That is why the CEFR gives a separate scale for every skill. A pupil with a B2 First certificate may have scored C1 in reading and B1 in speaking.
- Record the skill scores, not only the overall grade, when a pupil brings an exam result into school.
- Place the pupil for reading on the reading score and your own reading check, as in English Reading Placement Tests for Schools.
- Report to parents by skill, and explain that 'B2 pass' is a profile, not a single point.
Choosing an exam for your school
Start from where your pupils read now, not from the certificate you would like them to hold. Then work backwards.
- Find the current reading level of the cohort with a school check, and track it for a term. How to Measure CEFR Progress by Cohort shows how to record it.
- Pick the qualification whose target level the cohort will have reached a few months before the exam date, remembering that the later levels take longer than the first ones.
- For younger pupils, prefer the for Schools version, or the Young Learners tests below A2, where the topics fit and nobody fails.
- If a pupil needs an IELTS band for a university, read the band off IELTS's own chart as a range. Band 6.5 sits at the top of B2 and near the C1 threshold, so the class target is strong B2 reading, built early.
- Keep class reading and exam practice as two lines on the same sheet, and start the exam line late.
For the levels themselves, see CEFR Levels A1 to C2 Explained; for other scales a pupil may arrive with, see CEFR vs Lexile vs GSE: Mapping Reading Levels.
How iRead handles this
iRead levels every story, quiz and game to the CEFR, from A1 to C2, so a class can read at the level an exam targets long before exam practice begins. A quiz runs after every session, with questions generated from the story itself: real sentences, the grammar that appears in the story, and comprehension of the plot. School leaders see, by class, grade and term, the levels reached and the stories completed.
The core principle: An exam result is its owner's claim about a profile of skills, set by standard setting against the CEFR descriptors. Read the reading score, treat the level as a range, and keep class reading as its own record.
See it in iRead: iRead levels every story, game and quiz from A1 to C2, so a class can read at the level an exam targets, and leaders can see the level each class has reached.
See CEFR inside iReadKey takeaway
Use the owners' tables for the mapping, remember that each is a claim validated by standard setting, read the separate reading score, and choose the exam from where your pupils read now.
Frequently asked questions
Which CEFR level is each Cambridge exam?
In Cambridge's own alignment, Pre A1 Starters is Pre A1, A1 Movers is A1, and A2 Flyers and A2 Key are A2. B1 Preliminary is B1, B2 First is B2, C1 Advanced is C1 and C2 Proficiency is C2. From A2 Key upwards, each exam also reports the level above and below its target.
What IELTS band is B2?
IELTS's own page places bands 5.5 to 6.5 at B2, with the C1 threshold falling between 6.5 and 7. It describes band 5 as borderline between B1 and B2. IELTS says it is not a level-based test and that there is no one-to-one correspondence between its bands and CEFR levels.
Is KET the same as A2 Key?
Yes. KET, PET, FCE, CAE and CPE are the older names for A2 Key, B1 Preliminary, B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency. The for Schools versions of Key, Preliminary and First have the same format, level and certificate as the standard versions, with topics chosen for school-age candidates.
Does a B2 First pass mean a pupil is B2 in reading?
Not necessarily. The overall result averages the skills, and Cambridge reports a separate score for each. A pupil can hold a B2 certificate with a C1 reading score and a B1 speaking score. Read the reading score, and confirm it with a short reading check in school before placing the pupil.
Sources
- Cambridge University Press & Assessment (n.d.). Cambridge English Scale. Cambridge English, with the results pages for A2 Key, B1 Preliminary, B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency and Pre A1 Starters. www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/cambridge-english-scale/
- Cambridge University Press & Assessment (n.d.). Cambridge English for Schools exams: Frequently asked questions. Cambridge English Support Site. support.cambridgeenglish.org/hc/en-gb/articles/202838376-Cambridge-English-for-Schools-Exams-Frequently-Asked-Questions
- IELTS (n.d.). IELTS and the CEFR. ielts.org. ielts.org/organisations/ielts-for-organisations/compare-ielts/ielts-and-the-cefr
- Council of Europe (2009). Relating language examinations to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment (CEFR). A Manual. Language Policy Division, Council of Europe, Strasbourg. rm.coe.int/1680667a2d
- Lim, G. S., Geranpayeh, A., Khalifa, H., & Buckendahl, C. W. (2013). Standard setting to an international reference framework: Implications for theory and practice. International Journal of Testing, 13(1), 32-49. doi.org/10.1080/15305058.2012.678526
- Council of Europe (2020). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Companion volume. Council of Europe Publishing, Strasbourg. rm.coe.int/common-european-framework-of-reference-for-languages-learning-teaching/16809ea0d4
- Taylor, L., & Jones, N. (2006). Cambridge ESOL exams and the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Research Notes, 24, 2-5. Cambridge ESOL. www.cambridgeenglish.org/Images/22627-research-notes-24.pdf