Scoring
More than one letter: a level for every skill.
You get a CEFR level from A1 to C2 and a 0 to 100 score for reading, listening, writing and speaking, an overall result, and a certificate anyone can check online.
CEFR levels
What each level means
The Common European Framework of Reference describes six levels. Each skill on your certificate is placed on this scale.
| Level | Name | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Beginner | Understands and uses familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases about themselves. |
| A2 | Elementary | Handles simple, routine tasks and short exchanges about family, shopping, work and the local area. |
| B1 | Intermediate | Deals with most everyday situations, describes experiences and plans, and gives simple reasons for opinions. |
| B2 | Upper intermediate | Discusses a wide range of topics with fluency, follows complex texts in their field and argues a point of view. |
| C1 | Advanced | Uses English flexibly for social, academic and professional purposes, with clear, well structured, detailed language. |
| C2 | Proficient | Understands virtually everything heard or read and expresses themselves precisely, with fine shades of meaning. |
The score
How each skill and the overall result are scored
Reading and listening
Scored from your answers to adaptive question sets. The harder the questions you answer correctly, the higher your estimate.
Writing
Two tasks scored by AI against CEFR rubrics: task achievement, organisation, vocabulary range and grammar accuracy.
Speaking
Five answers scored by AI from the audio: fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and coherence.
Overall result
Each skill gets a score from 0 to 100 and the CEFR level that score falls in. The overall score is the average of the four skill scores, and the overall CEFR level is the level that average falls in.
Certificate
What the certificate shows
- Your full name, as on the ID you showed at the start
- Overall CEFR level, from A1 to C2
- A CEFR level and a 0 to 100 score for reading, listening, writing and speaking
- The date you took the test
- A certificate number in the form SB-XXXX-XXXX
- A verification link and QR code
The certificate is a CEFR-aligned proficiency certificate issued by SpeakBase with a digital corporate seal. Whether it is accepted is decided by each school, employer or institution; it is not a replacement for IELTS, TOEFL or tests named in a visa process.
Verification
Anyone can check it in seconds
Every certificate has its own page. An employer or a school types the certificate number into the address below, or scans the QR code, and sees the candidate's name, levels and test date as they are in our records.
speakbase.io/en/verify/SB-XXXX-XXXX
Verification pages are not indexed by search engines.
Review policy
AI scoring, checked by people.
Every test goes through the same checks before a certificate is issued.
Automatic checks on every test
Identity photos, snapshots, window changes, paste attempts, AI-written text and voice checks are reviewed for every attempt.
A person reviews flagged tests
Anything the checks flag is reviewed by a person before a certificate is issued, together with a random sample of tests that were not flagged.
Certificate within 24 hours
Once the review is done the result and the certificate are released, normally within 24 hours of finishing.
Voided if a rule was broken
If the review confirms a breach of the test rules, the test is voided without a refund and no certificate is issued.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Why is my overall level different from one of my skills?
The overall result is the average of your four skill scores, so a strong skill and a weaker one meet in the middle. The certificate shows every skill separately, which is often more useful to an employer or a school than the overall level alone.
What does the 0 to 100 score add to the CEFR level?
It shows where you are within and across levels. Two people at B1 can be at the start or near the top of the level, and the score makes that visible, which helps when you retake the test to measure progress.
Can I ask for a review of my result?
Yes. Write to support@speakbase.io with your certificate number and tell us which section you think was scored wrongly, and a person will look at it again.
How long is a result valid?
The certificate records your level on the date of the test, and that date is printed on it and shown on the verification page. Many schools and employers ask for a recent result, often from the last one or two years, so check what they require.