LANGUAGE LEVELS AND DEFINITIONS
| Sterling | Level | Definition | levels - other institutions | ||
| Cambridge | ALTE | Council of Europe | |||
| Proficient | (6) | Full communication & very competent in all situations | CPE | 5 | C2 |
| Advanced | (5) | Good communication & competent in most general situations | CAE+ | ||
| Independent | (4) | Competent communication in many-most general situations | CAE | 4 | C1 |
| Intermediate | (3) | Can be understood in everyday familiar situations | FCE | 3 | B2 |
| Controlled | (2) | Competent in limited situations | PET | 2 | B1 |
| Developer | (1) | Limited communication in learned situations | KET | 1 | A2 |
ALTE = Association of language testers in Europe
competent = grammar and vocabulary OK for situation, small mistakes
general situations = everyday life and non-routine discussions and 'learning '
familiar situations = 'routines' of normal life - shopping, travel, eating, cafes, family routines.
