Levels

What's my level?
Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced?

You can take a short test of speaking and listening at the VOA English Challenge. Or, look at the information below to find your level.


Speaking and listening are the skills most people focus on, but reading and writing are also important. And the skill of pronunciation – how to say English words so that people understand you – is something that is important at every level.

Levels:

  • Beginner-1 level: you know only a few words in English, and you need to learn the English alphabet, numbers, how to give times and dates, how to say hello, how to respond to basic questions such as, "Where do you live?"

  • Beginner-2 level: you can speak about simple things on familiar topics – for example, food, or transportation. You understand many English words but you need people to speak slowly and with simple language.

  • Intermediate-3 level: you can handle most day-to-day situations, and you can describe experiences and events. You can have conversations with many English speakers, though there are many things you don't understand, and often people don't understand you when you speak.

  • Intermediate-4 level: You feel comfortable in most situations, and can easily speak with native speakers. People can understand you without too much difficulty.

  • Advanced-5 level: You can converse well with almost anyone, and can use English in a flexible way in social, academic, and professional settings. You may need to work on workplace English and writing skills.

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Ask questions, contact us or tell us about errors on this page using this Google form.

Ready to get started? Click here to get started.