IELTS and CEFR levels: which band is B1, B2, C1 and C2

Is IELTS 6.5 B2 or C1?

Usually B2, but it's a borderline band. The official comparison puts 6.5 inside the B2 range, and IELTS adds that the C1 minimum "would fall between the 6.5 and 7 bands". IELTS also says that many test takers with 6.5 are at C1, while some are slightly below. So an organisation that needs to be sure an applicant is C1 may set a requirement of 7 rather than 6.5. Real requirements are in what is a good IELTS score.

Cambridge English shows the same thing with numbers. On its Cambridge English Scale, C1 starts at 180. IELTS 6.5 sits at 176 on that scale and IELTS 7.0 at 185. So 6.5 is right at the edge of C1, and 7.0 is the first band clearly above it.

What an overall 6.5 hides: section bands

The CEFR chart compares your overall IELTS band with a level. IELTS says directly that it isn't meant for the separate Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking bands. Those bands do a different job: they show which skills are strong and which hold you back.

Your overall band is the average of the 4 sections, rounded to the nearest half band, so one number can hide very different skills. Take Listening 7.0, Reading 7.0, Writing 6.0 and Speaking 6.0: (7 + 7 + 6 + 6) / 4 = 6.5, so the overall band is 6.5 (B2), with Writing and Speaking behind.

How uneven is it in practice? We looked at the section bands behind first full mock exams on GoPrep with an overall 6.0, 6.5 and 7.0.

What B1, B2, C1 and C2 mean in practice

A band is a number. A level describes what you can do with English. Here is each level in plain words, based on the CEFR global scale of the Council of Europe, with what it usually looks like in IELTS.

• B1, IELTS 4.0 to 5.0. You follow clear speech on familiar topics, cope with most situations when travelling and write simple connected text about things you know. In IELTS, a long academic text or a fast recording is still hard.
• B2, IELTS 5.5 to 6.5. You understand the main ideas of complex texts, including technical discussion in your own field. You can talk with native speakers without strain on either side and explain a viewpoint with its advantages and disadvantages.
• C1, IELTS 7.0 to 8.0. You read long, demanding texts and catch meaning that isn't stated directly. You speak fluently without obvious searching for words and write clear, well-organised text on complex subjects for study or work.
• C2, IELTS 8.5 to 9.0. You understand almost everything you hear or read, summarise information from several sources, and express fine shades of meaning precisely.

One question, three levels

The difference between levels is easier to see in example answers. Below is one Speaking Part 3 style question answered at B1, B2 and C1. We wrote these answers ourselves as practice examples: they are not scored IELTS answers, and a few sentences can't prove a level on their own.

Question: "Is it better to live in a city or in the countryside?"

Practice example: B1

I think the city is better. There are many jobs and shops, and the transport is good. But the city is noisy and sometimes I don't like it. So I prefer the city, but the countryside is good for holidays.

What this example shows: a clear opinion on a familiar topic in short sentences joined with and, but and so. The reasons are listed, not explained.

Practice example: B2

For most young people, I'd say the city makes more sense, mainly because that's where the jobs and universities are. On the other hand, living costs are much higher, so a lot of families move out once they have children. So it really depends on your stage of life.

What this example shows: a viewpoint with an advantage and a disadvantage, each with a reason, and a conclusion that follows from them.

Practice example: C1

It depends less on the place itself than on what someone needs from it at a particular point in their life. A graduate starting a career will probably accept a cramped flat in exchange for access to jobs and contacts, whereas a family with young children may find that a garden and a quieter pace outweigh a longer commute. Remote work has blurred that line, though, since some people now earn a city salary while living somewhere far cheaper.

What this example shows: the answer reframes the question, compares two cases with precise words (cramped, outweigh, blurred) and adds a point that qualifies the whole argument. The ideas are linked smoothly, not just listed.

These examples show how an idea can be developed further and linked more precisely. Judging a real level also takes range of grammar and vocabulary, accuracy and spontaneous speech. For what separates a 6 from a 7 in the parts an examiner scores, see the Writing band descriptors and the Speaking band descriptors.

Where IELTS candidates start: GoPrep data

How does this look for real test-takers? We grouped the results of every GoPrep learner's first full mock exam (all 4 sections) by overall band and CEFR level. More than half started in the B2 range, and about 1 in 3 started at B1 or below.

How to use your result: 3 examples

A level only helps if you know what to do with it. Here are three common situations, worked through with made-up candidates. Try to decide each one yourself before you read the right-hand column.

Where to go next

Once you know your level, the next question is how the four section bands turn into one overall score: see how the IELTS score is calculated. For Listening and Reading, where the band comes from the number of correct answers, see the Listening and Reading score guides. If the gap to your target is in Writing or Speaking, the Writing and Speaking band descriptors show what band 7 requires and how it differs from band 6. If you are still choosing a test, IELTS vs TOEFL vs Duolingo compares their scores side by side.