Listening
Follow extended speech and a developed argument when the topic is reasonably familiar.
Try this
Listen to a discussion and distinguish each speaker's position from the evidence they offer.
CEFR B2 · Upper intermediate
Develop and defend your ideas.
Discuss concrete and abstract ideas, communicate with growing spontaneity and explain a position with detail and supporting reasons.
See B2 exam score mappings01 / What you can do
Your four skills at B2
Plain-English summaries of the official guidance. The “Try this” tasks are original practice ideas, not scored placement tests.
Reading
Understand complex texts and recognise a writer's viewpoint in articles and reports.
Try this
Compare two articles on the same issue and identify agreement, disagreement and supporting evidence.
Speaking
Sustain a discussion without excessive strain for either participant. Explain options, defend a position and develop a detailed response.
Try this
Discuss two study policies with a partner, respond to an objection and reach a recommendation.
Writing
Write detailed, organised texts that explain information or argue for and against a position.
Try this
Write a report recommending a learning tool, weighing its benefits and limitations.
Descriptor basis: Council of Europe and British Council B2. 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
- Education, work, technology and media
- Environment, culture and public debate
- Advantages, disadvantages, causes and consequences
- Technical ideas within your own interests or field
How accurate should you be?
Grammar is generally controlled; occasional slips remain, but errors should not regularly obscure meaning.
Grammar in use
Suggested practice drawn from British Council lesson groups; the split between levels is an editorial study sequence.
- Hypothetical and past conditions
If we had planned earlier, we would have avoided the delay.
- Passive forms and focus
The proposal was reviewed by two teams.
- Modal deductions
She might have missed the announcement.
- Contrasting and qualifying ideas
Although the course is demanding, it offers useful feedback.
03 / Planning your learning
How much study?
500–600 guided hours
Cambridge's approximate cumulative estimate from a complete beginner to B2. 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 B2?
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 5.5–6.5
Overall bands only. The C1 threshold lies between 6.5 and 7, so 6.5 is a boundary score.
4–4.5
For tests from 21 January 2026. ETS's comparison with 0–120 overall scores: 72–94.
59–75
Pearson's published CEFR band for PTE Academic. Use the guide for your specific PTE product.
- Listening
- 400+
- Reading
- 385+
- Speaking
- 160+
- Writing
- 150+
Section minimums, not total-score conversions. L/R: 5–495 each; S/W: 0–200 each.
100–125
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: B2 level overview
- British Council: B1-B2 grammar lessons
- British Council: B2 listening
- 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.