An English communication test on the CEFR scale
Candidates and employees take an English test of about 30 minutes from one link: grammar and vocabulary, reading, listening and six short spoken answers. Goodfit gives a CEFR level from A1 to C2 for each part and overall. Set the level a role needs, and only people who reach it move on.
SMSofia Martins
CEFR English test
A1
A2
B1
B2
C1
C2
- Use of EnglishB2
- ReadingC1
- ListeningB2
- SpeakingB2
B2 · Upper Intermediate. Ready for most customer calls.
Free · Email code to start · Uses your mic · Up to 3 minutes
Trusted by HR teams at 300+ companies
Every interviewer judges English differently
Without a shared scale, one manager’s “fluent” is another manager’s “basic”.
English is judged by feel
One interviewer passes a candidate that another would turn away. Neither can say what level the role needs.
Every resume says fluent
People rate their own English. You find out the real level on the first customer call.
Training has no before and after
Teams pay for communication courses and cannot show who improved or by how much.
CEFR gives each person a level from A1 to C2
CEFR is the international scale for language ability, used by schools and employers in many countries. A level tells a hiring manager more than a raw score. A B2 speaker handles most work conversations. A C1 speaker handles complex ones with ease.
- A1 and A2: basic users who manage simple, routine exchanges
- B1 and B2: independent users who manage most work situations
- C1 and C2: skilled users who explain complex ideas clearly
- Each person gets an overall level and a level for each part
What each CEFR level means at work
Each part gets a percentage, and the percentage sets the level
- A1 · below 31%Simple phrases, like a greeting or a name
- A2 · 31% or moreShort, routine exchanges, like confirming a time
- B1 · 49% or moreFamiliar work topics and simple customer questions
- B2 · 65% or moreMost work conversations, including customer calls
- C1 · 80% or moreComplex topics, spoken fluently
- C2 · 93% or moreAlmost everything, with fine shades of meaning
The overall level comes from the average of the four parts
The English test has four parts and takes about 30 minutes
Use of English checks grammar and vocabulary. Reading and listening use short passages and audio clips with questions. In the speaking part, the person records six spoken answers. Everything happens in one sitting, from one link.
- Use of English: grammar and vocabulary questions
- Reading: short passages with questions
- Listening: audio clips with questions
- Speaking: six short recorded answers, each with its own timer
Part 4 of 4 · Speaking
Answer 3 of 6
Describe a time you explained something difficult to a customer. What did you say, and how did they respond?
Speaking is scored on what people say (60%) and how clearly they say it (40%)
Each spoken answer is turned into a transcript. Content is 60% of the speaking score: grammar, vocabulary, how well the ideas connect and whether the task was done. Pronunciation is the other 40%. Goodfit checks each sentence for clear sounds, rhythm and pace, and marks words that were hard to make out.
- Every spoken answer comes with its recording and transcript
- Each answer gets a score and a short written reason
- Click a marked word to hear how it was said
- An accent never lowers the score. Only clarity counts.
NKNadia Karim
CEFR English · Speaking
- Answer 1 · Your current job8/10
Content 9 · Pronunciation 6.5 · clear facts, but “handover” was hard to make out
“I lead a team of four on the night shift, and I run the handover each morning.” ▶ 0:21
- Answer 2 · A difficult customer7/10
Content 7 · Pronunciation 7 · good steps, but no apology or next step
“First I let him finish. Then I repeated the problem back so he knew I understood.” ▶ 0:48
- Answer 3 · Describe a chart6/10
Content 5 · Pronunciation 7.5 · described the trend but did not compare the two years
“Sales went up every month, and the biggest jump was in June.” ▶ 1:35
Each part gets its own level so you know what to coach
Two people can both be B1 overall for different reasons. One reads well but struggles to speak. The other speaks easily but makes grammar mistakes. The report shows a level and a plain description for each part, with a short summary at the top.
- The overall level with its CEFR name, such as Upper Intermediate
- A level and a short description for each part
- A two- or three-sentence summary of strengths and gaps
- The same A1 to C2 scale every time
CEFR English · Hannah Lee
Overall B1 · Intermediate
- Use of EnglishB2 · Uses most tenses correctly
- ReadingB2 · Follows long work emails
- ListeningB1 · Gets the main point of a call
- SpeakingA2 · Short answers that stop early
Reads well and knows grammar. Needs speaking practice before taking calls.
Set the minimum level that each role needs
Choose the lowest level a candidate needs for the role, such as B2 for customer support. Candidates who reach it move on. The rest are marked Not a fit. You can open any result and move someone forward by hand.
- Pick any level from A1 to C2 as the minimum
- Set a different minimum for each job
- Filter your talent pool by CEFR level later
- Pair it with an AI interview or a skill test in the same process
Customer Support Agent · CEFR English
Minimum level: B2
- 1GTC1Moves on
Grace Thompson
Speaking C1 · Listening B2
- 2DOB2Moves on
Daniel Okafor
Speaking B2 · Listening B2
- 3CWB2Moves on
Chen Wei
Speaking B2 · Reading C1
- 4LFB1Not a fit
Lucia Fernández
Speaking A2 · Reading B1
Test current employees and see their levels change over time
The scale stays the same between sittings. Test a team before a communication course and again a quarter later. You see how many people sit at each level now and last quarter. Each person’s report shows their old and new level.
- Each person’s report shows their old and new level
- Count how many people sit at each level, this quarter and last
- Works for support, sales and client-facing teams
- Gives new hires a starting level to coach from
Support team · CEFR English
12 agents · 5 moved up a level since last quarter
- 1TFB2Moved up
Tom Fischer
Last quarter B1
- 2ABB1Moved up
Aisha Bello
Last quarter A2
- 3MLC1Moved up
Maria Lopez
Last quarter B2
- 4JPB1Same level
James Park
Last quarter B1
The test runs in fullscreen with the camera recording
People take the test with the camera on. Goodfit logs tab switches and copying and pasting, and checks for AI tools like ChatGPT open in the browser. Every spoken answer is saved, so you can hear that the person speaks the way their level says.
- Each browser event is saved with its time
- A replay of the test page sits next to the camera video
- A phone can be added as a second camera
- Each result gets an integrity rating: Clear, Review or High risk
Recording- Copy attempt · Reading passage 209:12
- Switched tabs for 18 seconds11:40
- Integrity: Review31:05
You can also get a language level from an AI interview
Sometimes a separate test is one step too many. Turn on the language score in an AI interview. Goodfit rates grammar, vocabulary, fluency and coherence across the whole conversation and gives a CEFR-style level.
- One switch in the interview settings
- Four parts: grammar, vocabulary, fluency and coherence
- The language score counts toward the overall score out of 10
- Use the full test when a role needs a set minimum level
Language score · Front Desk Agent
Ana Lima · AI interview, 12 min
- GrammarB2 · Few mistakes, none that change the meaning
- VocabularyB2 · Right words for rooms, rates and upgrades
- FluencyB2 · Steady pace, short pauses
- CoherenceC1 · Apologized, gave a wait time, then offered a fix
“I apologize and offer them a seat in the lobby. Then I tell them how long it will take.”
Free to start
Try Goodfit on your next open role
Create a free account, add a job and send the AI interview to real applicants. You get a scorecard for each one with the recording behind every score.
- 20 free assessments
- No card needed
- Set up in minutes
DBDaniel Brooks
Your first applicant · scored minutes after the AI interview
8.0 /10
- Explains clearly8/10
“First I’d check the order, then call the customer back.” ▶ 02:14
- Handles pressure8/10
“I stayed calm and told them exactly what I could do today.” ▶ 05:40
Set an English level for a role
- 1
Add the test
Add the CEFR English test as a step in a job, or send the link to employees.
- 2
Set the minimum
Pick the lowest level the role needs, from A1 to C2.
- 3
Review the levels
Open the part levels, recordings and transcripts for anyone close to the line.
Ready for enterprise HR
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Not used for AI training
Neither Goodfit nor our AI providers train models on your data.
The same rubric for everyone
Everyone is scored on the same rubric, and accent doesn’t count against anyone. Each score links to that moment in the recording.
No app to install
People join by phone or from a browser link. There is nothing to download.
Works with the tools you already use
All integrations
Slack
Microsoft Teams
Google Calendar
LinkedIn- ATS and HR systems connected during setup
FAQ
Questions teams ask about CEFR Communication Test
How is the overall level worked out?
How is pronunciation scored?
Is accent part of the score?
How long does it take?
Can we set a minimum level for a role?
Which languages can be tested?
Can we test current employees?
Is this an official CEFR certificate?
Can a candidate retake the test?
How is this different from the language score in the AI interview?
Try Goodfit with your own team
Goodfit talks with applicants and employees by phone or in a browser. Try it on one of your open roles.
- 20 free assessments, no card needed
- Then $5 per assessment
- No seats or annual contract