The CEFR, by ear
Spanish listening levels, A1 to C2
The CEFR is the six-level scale that Spanish exams such as the DELE and SIELE use. Here is what each level means for understanding spoken Spanish, with a clip to try at each one.
- A1
- Beginning listeningSlow, clear speech about very familiar things: names, numbers, greetings, simple questions. Try an A1 clip →
- A2
- Everyday listeningShort, clear exchanges about everyday matters such as shopping, directions, family and work. Try an A2 clip →
- B1
- Intermediate listeningThe main points of clear speech on familiar topics, like a conversation at work or a short news item. Try a B1 clip →
- B2
- Independent listeningLonger speech and most news, interviews and films in standard Spanish, even when the argument is complex. Try a B2 clip →
- C1
- Advanced listeningExtended speech that isn’t clearly structured, at natural speed, including idiom and changes of tone. Try a C1 clip →
- C2
- Highly proficient listeningAny kind of spoken Spanish, at native speed, with little effort.
Why your listening level can differ from your level
Most Spanish level tests are grammar and vocabulary quizzes, so the level they give you is mostly a reading level. Listening is often lower. On the page you can reread a sentence. In speech it goes by once, at the speaker’s pace, with words running together.
Speed is a large part of the difference. The C1 clip on these pages goes about twice as fast as the A1 one, close to the speed of ordinary conversation between native speakers.
C2
A C2 listener follows any kind of spoken Spanish, live or broadcast, at native speed, with little effort: fast arguments, strong accents, slang and jokes. There is no C2 clip here. If the C1 clip feels easy, the listening check will tell you whether you’re past it.
Find your own level
The listening check plays a few short clips, each harder or easier depending on how you did on the last, and places you on this scale. It’s free, takes five to ten minutes, and you don’t need an account.