Self-assessing your language level: how good is your English?

Self-assessing your language level: how good is my English really?

“How good is my English, actually?” Many professionals ask themselves this question at the latest when they need to state a level on their CV or when HR offers language training. An honest answer is often difficult. Some people underestimate themselves because they make mistakes and are bothered by them. Others overestimate themselves because they get by easily on holiday and understand series in the original.

A structured self-assessment helps you place your level more realistically. It does not replace a test, but it is a valuable first step, both for individuals and for companies that want to get an initial picture of their teams before a language audit.

In this article you will find a self-test with situations from working life, common misjudgements and advice on when to complement your self-assessment with an objective test.

The CEFR self-assessment grid: the basis for your assessment

The best-known basis for self-assessment is the self-assessment grid of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The Council of Europe provides it as a table: for the six levels A1 to C2, it describes what learners can do in listening, reading, spoken interaction, spoken production and writing. An English version is also available as a PDF via Europass.

The grid is deliberately general. It describes everyday situations, travel, media and personal topics. For working life you have to translate the descriptions: what does “spoken interaction” at B2 mean when it comes to a project meeting with colleagues from Singapore and Chicago? The self-test below helps with that.

Looking at the five areas separately

A common mistake is to give yourself a single overall level. Hardly anyone is equally strong in every skill. A typical profile in the German-speaking region looks something like this: reading B2, listening B2, writing B1, speaking B1. We see this pattern frequently in lessons: reading and listening come more easily than speaking freely. So assess yourself skill by skill, not just overall.

Self-test: assessing your English level at work

You can assess your English level at work by rating twelve work-related statements from A2 to C2 as true, partly true or not true. Your likely level is where you mostly answer true to the statements for a given level. Many “partly true” answers suggest an intermediate level such as B1+. Assess each skill honestly, without dictionaries or AI tools.

Read the following statements and note for each one: true, partly true or not true. The wording consists of our own work-related examples based on the CEFR levels; these are not official descriptors.

How to evaluate the self-test

• Your likely level is where you mostly answer “true” to the statements for that level.
• If you have many “partly true” answers at one level, you are probably on your way there, for example B1+ rather than B2.
• Look out for differences: if you reach B2 in reading and listening but B1 in speaking, that is exactly where you should focus.

A detailed description of the levels is in our article on CEFR levels A1 to C2. There is also an introduction to the framework (in Polish).

How accurate is self-assessment of language skills?

Language testing research has been looking at this question for decades. A much-cited meta-analysis by Steven Ross, published in 1998 in the journal Language Testing, reviewed studies on the relationship between self-assessment and test results. Among other things, Ross reports considerable variation in how accurately learners judge their own abilities. His analysis also suggests that accuracy depends on how much experience someone has with the skill in question.

In practice, this means that self-assessment is a useful signal, but not a measuring instrument. It is most reliable when the statements are concrete and refer to situations people actually know. “I can give a presentation” is easier to answer honestly if you have already done it.

Typical patterns among professionals

Stating your language level on your CV: honest and precise

When you state your level on your CV, avoid two things: vague terms and exaggeration. “Good knowledge” or “business fluent” say little. A CEFR level, ideally with context, is more precise and better understood by recruiters. Here are some examples of how to phrase it, followed by a word on why realistic information protects you later.

Examples of precise information

• English: B2 (CEFR), daily use in client communication by email and phone
• English: C1 (CEFR), Cambridge C1 Advanced, project language in an international team
• German: B1 (CEFR), currently on a part-time course towards B2
• French: A2 (CEFR), basic knowledge for simple conversations

Remember that many companies check language skills during the application process, for example with part of the interview held in the foreign language. How this looks from HR’s point of view is described in our article on assessing language skills in recruiting. Realistic information protects you from unpleasant surprises.

Self-assessing your German: advice for international professionals

International professionals in Germany, Austria and Switzerland assess their German most realistically when they keep four things apart: certificate versus everyday work, written versus spoken language, regional variety versus general level, and specialist language. Many feel weaker than they really are in their first months, because dialect, speed and specialist vocabulary come on top. The details:

• Certificate and everyday life differ: a B1 certificate from your home country shows what was possible in the exam. At work, dialect, speed and specialist vocabulary come on top. That is why many people feel weaker in their first months than they actually are.
• Written and spoken language: forms, employment contracts and letters from the authorities require different skills from a chat in the office kitchen. Assess both separately.
• Regional variety: if you work in Nuremberg, Augsburg or Vienna, you will hear a lot of regional German every day. Difficulty understanding it does not automatically mean a low level.
• Specialist language: nursing, engineering and logistics each have their own terms. People who master them often seem more confident than their general level would suggest, and vice versa.

So for self-assessment in German, the same applies as in English: concrete situations rather than general judgements. Which level makes sense for which job is described in our article which German level for your job? If you want to build up your German in a targeted way, you will find suitable formats among our online German courses.

Self-assessment in companies: useful as part of a language audit

For HR and L&D managers, self-assessment is a useful building block if it is used correctly. It works well as part of a questionnaire in a language needs analysis, but not as the basis for dividing people into groups. Combined with a test and a short conversation, it adds the learners’ own perspective to the data.

What self-assessment is good for in a company

• A snapshot of confidence: how confident do teams feel in which situations?
• Motivation and inhibitions: who lacks confidence even though the skills are there?
• Comparison with the test result: large discrepancies are a reason for a conversation, not a weakness.
• Progress from the learners’ point of view: do participants feel more confident after three months?

What it is not suitable for

• as the sole basis for forming groups
• as proof for clients or senior management
• as a criterion for HR decisions

Combining self-assessment, a standardised placement test and a short conversation gives the most complete picture. For English, the Global Scale of English also makes small steps of progress visible that self-assessment alone cannot capture.

Tips: how to assess your language level more realistically

Six simple methods make your self-assessment more realistic: record yourself speaking freely, complete a real task such as a complaint email without any aids, ask colleagues for feedback, assess the four skills separately, avoid translation tools and AI when testing yourself, and compare the result with an objective test.

1. Record yourself: talk freely about your work for two minutes and listen to the recording. How often do you search for words, and how many pauses do you make?
2. Complete a real task: write an email about a complaint without any aids. Then check how long it took you and how confident you felt.
3. Ask for feedback: ask a colleague who speaks the language confidently how clear you come across in meetings.
4. Separate the skills: assess reading, listening, writing and speaking separately.
5. Test without aids: translation tools and AI distort the picture. Test what you can do on your own.
6. Compare with an objective test: if you want to know exactly, complement your self-assessment with a standardised test or a placement interview.

A tip from the classroom: write down your self-assessment at the start of a course and repeat it after three months. The comparison is often more motivating than any grade, because it shows in which situations you now feel more confident.

After the self-assessment: the next steps

After self-assessment comes an objective placement, and the route depends on whether you are learning for yourself or your employer is planning a programme. Individuals at choices® start with a needs analysis and placement. Companies capture the language level of whole teams with a language audit combining a questionnaire, self-assessment, a test and a conversation.

For individuals

If you want to improve your English or German in a targeted way, every course at choices® begins with a needs analysis and a placement test. That way you work at your level and on your goals from the very first lesson. Our language courses for individuals give you an overview. For a professional focus, there are Business English courses from A1.

For companies

If you want to capture the language level of an entire team, the choices® language audit is usually the right starting point. It combines a questionnaire, self-assessment, a test and a conversation, and leads to concrete recommendations for language courses for companies, in small groups of four to six people or one-to-one. The audit is a paid service with no obligation to book a course afterwards, and we sign an NDA on request. Which typical pitfalls to avoid is shown in our article on language audit mistakes.

Sources

1. coe.int: table 2 cefr 3.3 common reference levels self assessment grid
2. europass.europa.eu: CEFR%20self assessment%20grid%20EN
3. ef.de: germany
4. doi.org
5. choices.com.pl: co to jest cefr

Frequently asked questions