Cambridge English levels explained
How Cambridge English Levels Work: From Starters and Flyers to C2
Cambridge English exams come in eight levels. The first three are Cambridge Young Learners: Pre A1 Starters, A1 Movers and A2 Flyers. The other five are A2 Key (KET), B1 Preliminary (PET), B2 First (FCE), C1 Advanced (CAE) and C2 Proficiency (CPE). Each level is tied to a CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) level, and that level is the first part of its name: Flyers, for example, is A2, the same level as KET. Using Cambridge’s own published information, this page sets out how the levels line up, how results are reported, which score earns which certificate, and how to tell which level suits your child now.
Cambridge English levels at a glance
The first three levels are Cambridge Young Learners (YLE). The other five are Cambridge’s main exams. KET, PET, FCE, CAE and CPE are the old names many parents in Taiwan still use. Cambridge now uses new names such as A2 Key and B1 Preliminary, and they refer to the same exams.
| Exam | CEFR | How results are reported | Papers and time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre A1 Starters Young Learners, level 1 | Pre A1 | Shields: 1–5 for each of three papers, no pass mark | 3 papers, about 45 min |
| A1 Movers Young Learners, level 2 | A1 | Shields: 1–5 for each of three papers, no pass mark | 3 papers, about 1 hr |
| A2 Flyers Young Learners, level 3 | A2 | Shields: 1–5 for each of three papers, no pass mark | 3 papers, about 1 hr 15 min |
| A2 Key formerly KET | A2 | Cambridge English Scale score + grade (A, B, C) | 3 papers, about 2 hrs |
| B1 Preliminary formerly PET | B1 | Cambridge English Scale score + grade (A, B, C) | 4 papers, about 2 hrs 20 min |
| B2 First formerly FCE | B2 | Cambridge English Scale score + grade (A, B, C) | 4 papers, about 3.5 hrs |
| C1 Advanced formerly CAE | C1 | Cambridge English Scale score + grade (A, B, C) | 4 papers, about 4 hrs |
| C2 Proficiency formerly CPE | C2 | Cambridge English Scale score + grade (A, B, C) | 4 papers, about 4 hrs |
Times in the table are for the paper-based exams. Cambridge also runs digital versions of Starters and Movers, with different timings.
Two things in this table are worth knowing up front:
- Flyers and KET are both A2. They sit at the same CEFR level. The difference is how the exam works and how the result is reported. Young Learners uses shields and has no pass mark. From KET onwards the result is a score with a grade, and a score that is too low can mean no certificate.
- KET, PET and FCE all have a for Schools version. Cambridge says the for Schools version has the same level and format as the standard one and leads to the same certificate; only the content is designed around the interests and experience of school-age learners. In Taiwan, LTTC’s for Schools exams are open only to students in senior high school and below.
Not sure which level to register for?
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Young Learners: Starters, Movers and Flyers use shields
Starters, Movers and Flyers all work the same way: three papers (Listening, Reading and Writing, Speaking), with Speaking done face to face with an examiner. The result is not a score. Each paper earns 1 to 5 shields, up to 15 in all. Young Learners has no pass and no fail, and every child who sits the exam receives a certificate.
Cambridge’s guidance is that four or five shields in every paper means a child can start preparing for the next Cambridge English Qualification. Note that it is every paper, not the total of the three.
For how to read the shields and what to make of an uneven result, see what the YLE shields mean. If your child has not sat any level yet and you are not sure where to start, see choosing between Starters, Movers and Flyers.
KET and above: how Cambridge English Scale scores work
From A2 Key (KET) upwards, results are reported on the Cambridge English Scale. All five main exams use the same scale. Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing each get a scale score, and some exams (B2 First, for example) add a Use of English score. The average of those scores is the overall score. The overall score decides two things: the grade, and which CEFR level is written on the certificate.
What many parents do not realise is that the level on the certificate is not always the level of the exam. Cambridge says each exam assesses its own level and also reliably assesses the level above and the level below (C2 Proficiency is already the top level, so it only assesses down to C1). So:
- Grade A: the certificate shows the level above. For example, 140–150 at A2 Key earns a certificate stating the candidate has demonstrated B1 ability.
- Grade B or C: a certificate at the exam’s own level. Grades A, B and C are all passes.
- Short of the exam’s level, but inside the level below: there is still a certificate, but it shows the lower level. For example, 100–119 at A2 Key earns an A1 certificate.
- A little lower still: no certificate, no grade and no CEFR level, though the Statement of Results still shows the scale score. Below that, no score is printed at all.
Scores and certificate levels for each exam
| Exam | Level below | Grade C | Grade B | Grade A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A2 Key KET | 100–119 Certificate: A1 | 120–132 Certificate: A2 | 133–139 Certificate: A2 | 140–150 Certificate: B1 |
| B1 Preliminary PET | 120–139 Certificate: A2 | 140–152 Certificate: B1 | 153–159 Certificate: B1 | 160–170 Certificate: B2 |
| B2 First FCE | 140–159 Certificate: B1 | 160–172 Certificate: B2 | 173–179 Certificate: B2 | 180–190 Certificate: C1 |
| C1 Advanced CAE | 160–179 Certificate: B2 | 180–192 Certificate: C1 | 193–199 Certificate: C1 | 200–210 Certificate: C2 |
| C2 Proficiency CPE | 180–199 Certificate: C1 | 200–212 Certificate: C2 | 213–219 Certificate: C2 | 220–230 Certificate: C2 |
Sources: Cambridge’s results page and each exam’s Statement of Results factsheet. Bold marks a level different from the exam’s own. The for Schools versions of KET, PET and FCE use the same scores. C2 Proficiency is the top level, so Grades A, B and C all lead to a C2 certificate.
Because it is one scale, the same score means the same level whichever exam it came from. In Cambridge’s words, the scores are consistent across the different exams, which makes results easy to compare. You can see it in the table: 140 is Grade A at A2 Key, Grade C at B1 Preliminary, and inside the level-below range at B2 First, and all three certificates say B1.
So earning a certificate a level up or down is possible, but we would not build an exam plan around it. Cambridge says each exam is targeted at its own level, and the levels above and below are what it “also” assesses reliably. Enter your child for the level they are at now, and treat a Grade A as a bonus.
How to tell which level suits your child
To be honest, no table can tell you which level your child should sit. Age, years of study and vocabulary size are all only a guide. yle.tw, one of Taiwan’s Cambridge exam centres, lists a suggestion on its registration page, and it is a reasonable place to start:
| Level | Suggested study hours | Vocabulary | Suggested age and stage | CEFR (as yle.tw labels it) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starters | 150+ hours (about 1 year) | about 500 | 7 and up, lower primary | Before A1 |
| Movers | 250+ hours (about 2 years) | about 900 | 8 to 10 and up, lower and middle primary | A1 |
| Flyers | 350+ hours (about 3 years) | about 1,400 | 9 to 12 and up, middle and upper primary and junior high | A2 |
| KET for Schools | about 400 hours | about 1,600 | not given | A2-B1 |
| PET for Schools | about 500 hours | about 2,800 | not given | B1-B2 |
This is yle.tw’s suggestion from its registration page (checked 2 October 2026). yle.tw labels KET as A2-B1 and PET as B1-B2; Cambridge places them at A2 and B1, and a Grade A certificate shows the level above.
Keep two things in mind when reading it. First, the hours and word counts are a guide, not a promise that a child is ready once the hours are done; how much English children meet day to day varies a great deal. Second, age is only a guide too: of two 9-year-olds, one may suit Starters while the other is already able to prepare for Flyers.
Two things tell you more than any table:
- The last result. At Young Learners, four or five shields in every paper is Cambridge’s signal that a child can start preparing for the next Cambridge English Qualification. From KET upwards, look at the CEFR level on the certificate. That is the level your child was assessed at on the day.
- A teacher who knows the levels hearing your child speak English. Speaking and writing are the two skills parents find hardest to judge at home.
PLI’s free 45-minute trial lesson is itself a full level assessment, which is exactly that: a teacher who knows the levels hearing your child speak English. Group classes have at most 4 students, and there is no lock-in contract.
Related pages
- How Cambridge compares with GEPT: Cambridge vs GEPT
- Exam dates, registration deadlines and fees: Cambridge exam dates
- Preparing for KET, PET or FCE: KET, PET and FCE courses
Questions parents ask
How are the Cambridge English levels divided? How many are there?
There are eight. From lowest to highest: Pre A1 Starters, A1 Movers, A2 Flyers, A2 Key (KET), B1 Preliminary (PET), B2 First (FCE), C1 Advanced (CAE) and C2 Proficiency (CPE). The highest is C2 Proficiency. The first three are Cambridge Young Learners, with results shown as shields and no pass mark. The other five are Cambridge’s main exams, with results reported as a Cambridge English Scale score and a grade.
How do the Cambridge levels line up with the CEFR?
The CEFR level is the first part of each exam’s name: Starters is Pre A1, Movers is A1, Flyers and KET are both A2, PET is B1, FCE is B2, CAE is C1 and CPE is C2. From KET upwards, the certificate can also show the level above or below, depending on the score (C2 Proficiency, the top level, can only go down). For example, Grade A at FCE earns a certificate stating C1 ability.
What is the difference between Flyers and KET?
Both are CEFR A2, so the level is the same. The difference is the format and the result. Flyers is the top Young Learners level: three papers, about 1 hour 15 minutes, results in shields, no pass or fail. KET (A2 Key) is the first of the main exams: three papers, about 2 hours, results on the Cambridge English Scale. 120 to 139 earns an A2 certificate, 140 to 150 is Grade A with a certificate stating B1, and 100 to 119 earns an A1 certificate. Cambridge says that four or five shields in every paper means a child can start preparing for the next Cambridge English Qualification, and after Flyers that is KET.
What score at KET counts as B1?
140 to 150. That range is Grade A, and Cambridge issues a certificate stating that the candidate has demonstrated ability at B1. 120 to 139 is Grade B or C, which earns an A2 certificate. KET and KET for Schools are scored the same way.
What comes after Cambridge Young Learners?
Follow the ladder up: Starters, then Movers, then Flyers, then A2 Key (KET). School-age children can sit KET for Schools, which is designed for students. Cambridge’s guidance is that four or five shields in each Young Learners paper means a child can start preparing for the next Cambridge English Qualification. That means ready to start preparing, not that they must enter straight away.
What is the difference between KET and KET for Schools?
The level, the format and the certificate are the same. Cambridge says the two are at the same CEFR level and follow the same format, and that successful candidates receive the same internationally accepted certificate. The difference is the content: the for Schools version is tailored to the interests and experience of school-age learners. PET and FCE also have for Schools versions. In Taiwan, LTTC’s for Schools exams are open only to students in senior high school and below.
Do Cambridge English certificates expire?
Cambridge results themselves have no expiry date. But Cambridge’s own guidance also notes that some schools and institutions only accept certificates from the last two to three years. If the certificate is for a school application, go by that school’s own rules.
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