Free online language placement test

Test your English, German, French, Spanish or Italian

Take our free online language placement test and get an immediate assessment of your current language skills in: German, English, French, Spanish or Italian.

The 30-minute language proficiency test will determine your current Berlitz language level, and will also benchmark your current ability on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale, an international standard recognised by employers and educational institutions worldwide.


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How our language placement test works

Our online language proficiency test will take around 30 minutes, so you’ll need to find a space where you can work uninterrupted.

During the foreign language placement test you will answer 63 questions. Your answers will be timed to assess how quickly you comprehend the language.

The questions are designed to assess the following in-language skills:

  • Vocabulary - Questions in the test will feature a large vocabulary to assess how comprehensive and your understanding of the language is. For example, do you know a few simple key phrases? Or do you have a deeper understanding of the language?
  • Listening - You will also be tested on how well you understand the language through a number of spoken questions and phrases. The speed at which you answer them will also help us to gauge how quickly you comprehend the language.
  • Reading - A number of questions will focus on how well you can read and understand the nuance of the language. These questions will gradually increase in difficulty throughout the foreign language placement test.
  • Grammar - We will also assess your understanding of grammar by presenting you with in-language questions with answers that are dependent on grammar to make sense.

Proficiency levels

Functional

Level 1 - A1

Knowledge of language is sufficient to communicate in a very limited way, with the simplest oral and listening tasks and situations.

Please select a level for more info
Functional
Intermediate
Upper Intermediate
Advanced
Professional

Language test FAQs

  • You need to know where you’re starting from in order to plan your learning journey. The Berlitz foreign language placement test will give you an honest appraisal of your current in-language ability.
  • Based on your proficiency level, we will recommend courses that will build your current skills to get you where you want to be.
  • Sharing your language proficiency level with employers and educational institutions will give them a good understanding of your exact skill level as it currently stands.

There are 5 proficiency levels on the Berlitz scale: Functional, Intermediate, Upper Intermediate, Advanced, and Professional. Each level has two steps, so the gradings range from 1 to 10.

  • Functional, Levels 1 and 2: You have a rudimentary understanding of the language and can ask and answer basic questions.
  • Intermediate, Levels 3 and 4: You can follow the general meaning of conversations and can handle uncomplicated communication in social and work situations.
  • Upper Intermediate, Levels 5 and 6: You can sustain general conversation at work and in social situations.
  • Advanced, Levels 7 and 8: You have a more complex grasp of the language and can keep up with technical and demanding conversations.
  • Professional, Levels 9 and 10: You have a free and natural grasp of the language and are comfortable communicating in any setting, including public speaking and academic situations.
  • After you complete your test, you will be taken to a waiting screen where you will wait while your results are calculated. This will take around one minute.
  • Once your results are ready they will appear on screen. Your results will include your Berlitz Level and where you sit on the CEFR scale.
  • Below your results we will recommend two courses that are suitable for your current proficiency level.
  • You can reach out to us via phone, or online to discuss your individual goals, so we can place you in the perfect course to suit your lifestyle, learning style and your ambitions.