Listening
Follow the main message of clear, standard speech on familiar work, study and leisure topics.
Try this
Listen to a short interview and explain the speaker's main point and one reason.
CEFR B1 · Intermediate
Connect ideas with confidence.
Use English independently in many everyday situations. Explain experiences, plans and opinions with connected language.
See B1 exam score mappings01 / What you can do
Your four skills at B1
Plain-English summaries of the official guidance. The “Try this” tasks are original practice ideas, not scored placement tests.
Reading
Understand the main points of familiar-topic texts and everyday or work-related language.
Try this
Read a travel problem and identify what happened, why it happened and the proposed solution.
Speaking
Manage common travel situations and join familiar conversations. Tell a connected story and give reasons for a view.
Try this
Describe a learning challenge, explain what you tried and answer an unexpected follow-up question.
Writing
Produce an organised email, account or simple report on a familiar subject, linking the main ideas.
Try this
Write to a course organiser: explain a problem, give relevant details and request a solution.
Descriptor basis: Council of Europe and British Council B1. Speaking includes both conversation and presenting your own ideas.
02 / What to work on
Topics, grammar & control
Study suggestions, not an official CEFR syllabus.
Topics to practise
- Travel problems, work, study and everyday news
- Experiences, relationships and personal achievements
- Hopes, goals, plans and reasons for decisions
- Familiar social issues and practical advice
How accurate should you be?
Familiar language is reasonably accurate; errors remain, but your intended message is usually clear.
Grammar in use
Suggested practice drawn from British Council lesson groups; the split between levels is an editorial study sequence.
- Present perfect and past simple
I have visited Bangkok twice. I went there last year.
- Future forms and conditions
I'm going to apply. If I get a place, I'll move.
- Obligation, permission and advice
You must register first. You should keep a copy.
- Past habits and narrative order
I used to study alone. I had finished before she arrived.
03 / Planning your learning
How much study?
350–400 guided hours
Cambridge's approximate cumulative estimate from a complete beginner to B1. It includes lessons and supervised study; your pace can differ.
Use a conversation and a writing sample alongside listening and reading results to choose your next learning goal.
04 / Official exam alignments
What scores relate to B1?
These are provider mappings, not predicted results. An overall score can hide differences between skills. Check the test version and the receiving institution's requirements.
About 4.0–5.0
A broad overall-band comparison. Band 5 sits near the B1/B2 boundary.
3–3.5
For tests from 21 January 2026. ETS's comparison with 0–120 overall scores: 44–71.
43–58
Pearson's published CEFR band for PTE Academic. Use the guide for your specific PTE product.
- Listening
- 275+
- Reading
- 275+
- Speaking
- 120+
- Writing
- 120+
Section minimums, not total-score conversions. L/R: 5–495 each; S/W: 0–200 each.
60–95
Duolingo English Test overall score, on its 10–160 scale.
Read each test's mapping independently. Sharing a CEFR label does not make two exam scores interchangeable.
05 / Read the original guidance
Primary sources
CEFR framework: Council of Europe. Learning guidance: British Council and Cambridge English. Score mappings: the organisations that own the tests.
- Council of Europe: CEFR Companion volume (2020)
- Council of Europe: self-assessment grid
- British Council: B1 level overview
- British Council: B1-B2 grammar lessons
- Cambridge English: guided learning hours
- IELTS: official CEFR comparison and boundary guidance
- ETS: TOEFL iBT 2026 score scale and CEFR
- Pearson: PTE Academic scores and CEFR
- ETS: TOEIC section-by-section CEFR mapping (PDF)
- Duolingo: Scoring Guide for Teachers (2026), pp. 5–6
Checked 24 September 2026. These summaries and original practice examples are written for Sandy Isadora's learning guide. Consult the linked official descriptors and current score policies for formal assessment.