Which course
should you take?
it can be tricky to know what course is right for you, at your current level of Language knowledge and work EXPERIENCE.
It’s also important to follow the right route, depending on what type of work you are in / wish to go into. See the 9 England, Wales and Northern Ireland qualification levels at the bottom of this page.
CEFR is the international standard for English learning and is an abbreviation of the “Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment”. For each level, the CEFR describes what a learner can do in reading, listening, speaking and writing. Most organisations follow this guidance, including the CIOLQ. Following the CEFR model, an informal guide is as follows:
| CEFR 'Global Scale' | Description | Practical Guide | Course/s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic User - A1 | Breakthrough or beginner | Beginner / Learning | |
| Basic User - A2 | Waystage or elementary | Beginner / Learning | |
| Independent User - B1 | Threshold or intermediate | Professional work level (min) | FDTI, FDT, FDI, ILTD |
| Independent User - B2 | Vantage or upper intermediate | Professional work level (min) | FDTI, FDT, FDI, ILTD |
| Proficient User - C1 | Effective Operational Proficiency / advanced | CIOLQ guide : Level 6 (Degree) | CertTrans, DPSI Law / Health |
| Proficient User - C2 | Mastery or proficiency | CIOLQ guide : Level 7 (Master's Degree) | DipTrans |
Ascertaining your Language proficiency
EN > OTHER LANGUAGE :
Test your English and find out your CEFR level, free of charge, at:
englishonline.britishcouncil.org/free-english-level-test-cefr-2/
OTHER LANGUAGE > EN :
For English mother-tongue speakers, free proficiency tests are available online in other languages. We’ll use French here as the example.
Search online for “CEFR test in French” or “French proficiency test”. To get a result showing one of the above levels, you need to include ‘CEFR’ in the search.
Matching your proficiency & Desired Career to courses :
Entry Level
For those with little or no training and / or experience
CEFR Model - B1
Translation & Interpreting
Translation only
Interpreting only
Level 1
For those with basic / foundation training and / or some professional experience
CEFR Model - B1
Legal Translation Introduction
Level 6 - Degree
For those with foundation training and / or some professional experience
CEFR Model - C1
Translation & Interpreting
Translation only
Level 7 - Master’s degree
For established professional translators
CEFR Model - C2
Translation only
CPD Masterclasses
For everyone!
Not Sure Which Level You Are At?
We completely understand that you may not be sure whether you are at entry-level, Degree-level, or Master’s Degree-level.
For this reason, if you choose a course and then realise that you are at a more advanced level, we are happy to offer a £150 discount off the next-level course, if you enrol within 2 months of completing the first course.
All you have to do is contact us when you finish your first course and we’ll send you a discount code.
The 9 England, Wales and Northern Ireland qualification levels
ENTRY LEVEL / BEGINNER
Entry level award / cert (ELC) / diploma, (ESOL), Essential skills / functional skills, Skills for Life.
View our Foundation courses >
LEVEL 1
GCSE (grades 1-3 / D-G), First cert, Level 1 award / cert / diploma, ESOL / essential skills / functional skills, NVQ.
View our Level 1 Introduction to Legal Translation course >
LEVEL 2
GCSE (grades 4-9 / A*-C), CSE Grade 1, Intermediate apprenticeship, Level 2 award / cert / diploma / ESOL / essential skills / functional skills / national cert / national diploma / NVQ, O level - grade A-C.
LEVEL 3
A-Level, advanced apprenticeship, AS level, Baccalaureate, level 3 award / cert / diploma / ESOL / national cert / national diploma, NVQ / tech level, music 6-8.
LEVEL 4
CertHE, higher apprenticeship, HNC, level 4 award / certificate / diploma / NVQ.
LEVEL 5
DipHE, foundation degree, HND, level 5 award / certificate / diploma / NVQ.
LEVEL 6 * Degree *
Degree apprenticeship, Degree with honours, Graduate cert / diploma, Level 6 award / cert / diploma / NVQ, Degree without honours.
View our Level 6 (Degree-level) courses >
LEVEL 7 * Master’s Degree *
Integrated master’s degree, Level 7 award / cert / diploma / NVQ, Postgraduate cert / PGCE / diploma.
View our Level 7 DipTrans course >
LEVEL 8
Doctorate (e.g. PhD or DPhil), level 8 award / cert / diploma.