CEFR guided learning hours
How many hours does it take to reach each CEFR level?
Quick answer
According to Cambridge English, reaching each CEFR level from zero takes roughly these cumulative guided learning hours: A1 about 90 to 100, A2 about 180 to 200, B1 about 350 to 400, B2 about 500 to 600, C1 about 700 to 800 and C2 about 1,000 to 1,200. That is about 200 hours for each step from one level to the next. Cambridge presents these as a guideline only: your background, age, how intensively you study and how much you use the language outside lessons all change the real number. Use the calculator below to turn the hours into weeks at your own pace.
Guided learning hours are hours of teaching or structured study, such as a class, a tutor or a course. They do not include all the extra time you spend reading, listening or speaking on your own, which is exactly what makes some learners move much faster than the averages.
Guided learning hours by CEFR level
| Level | Total hours from beginner | At 5 hours a week |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | 90 to 100 | about 4 to 5 months |
| A2 | 180 to 200 | about 8 to 9 months |
| B1 | 350 to 400 | about 16 to 18 months |
| B2 | 500 to 600 | about 23 to 28 months |
| C1 | 700 to 800 | about 32 to 37 months |
| C2 | 1,000 to 1,200 | about 46 to 55 months |
Source: Cambridge English, Guided learning hours. A guideline only.
How long will it take you?
Pick your level, your goal and how much you study. Based on Cambridge English guidance.
About 360 hours, or roughly 144 weeks (33.1 months)
At 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. A guideline only: your background, how you study and how much you speak outside lessons all change the real figure.
What the numbers mean
- They are cumulative: C1 means about 700 to 800 hours in total from beginner, not 700 extra hours after B2.
- They describe English as a foreign language for typical adult learners. Learners whose first language is close to English may need less, others more.
- Each step up takes longer in practice than the one before, because higher levels need more vocabulary and more precise language.
- They measure guided study. Independent practice comes on top and is where most fast learners gain time.
What speeds up your speaking in particular
- Speak a little every day. Short daily conversations beat one long session a week.
- Get corrections while you speak, then say the corrected sentence once yourself.
- Review the mistakes you made in real conversations with spaced repetition, so they stop coming back.
- Test your spoken level, not only your reading, because most learners speak a level below what they understand.
Where SpeakBase fits
SpeakBase is an AI speaking tutor for 14 languages. Kate holds live conversations, corrects mistakes in real time and explains them in your own language, and every correction becomes a flashcard in a spaced repetition review. A free 3-minute speaking test places you from A1 to C1, so you can start the calculator from your real spoken level and retest as you go.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours does it take to reach B2?
Cambridge English gives about 500 to 600 guided learning hours in total from beginner to B2. From B1, that is roughly another 200 hours, in line with Cambridge's estimate of about 200 hours per level.
How long does it take to go from B2 to C1?
Roughly 200 guided learning hours by Cambridge English figures, which put B2 at about 500 to 600 hours and C1 at about 700 to 800. At one hour a day, five days a week, that is about nine to ten months.
Are these hours the same for every language?
No. The Cambridge figures are for learning English. Other languages can take more or less time depending on how close they are to your first language.
How do I know my current level?
Take a level test that matches the skill you care about. For speaking, SpeakBase has a free 3-minute spoken test that places you from A1 to C1.
