CEFR B1.1 / B1.2, etc and Exam Results

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luke
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CEFR B1.1 / B1.2, etc and Exam Results

Postby luke » Wed Jul 14, 2021 1:37 pm

Some language learning classes split up CEFR levels into subcategories like B1.1 and B1.2, C1.1 and C1.2, etc. A student could take 2 courses to prepare for a single CEFR level.

Classes are not exams.

On the other side, CEFR exams have their pass/fail status. When I did one, I also got feedback on how well I did. For example, 28 out of 30 where, say 16 is a "pass" (let's just say. I'm not remembering my score).

But back to the decimal point discussion. B1 "barely passed" is sort of like B1.1 and B1 "high score" is sort of like B1.2. (Although there are no official decimal point designations). On resumes (CVs), one typically wouldn't put their score down, so B1 "barely" and B1 "perfectly" look the same.

What are your thoughts on passing an exam? How much confidence does a high CEFR exam grade give you for taking the "next level"?
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Cavesa
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Re: CEFR B1.1 / B1.2, etc and Exam Results

Postby Cavesa » Wed Jul 14, 2021 3:19 pm

I don't think the B1.1 or B1.2 are convertible to the results in any way. IMHO, even a person, who has completed just half the B1 level, could pass and perhaps with not that bad score. But it would depend much more on luck on the topics and tasks, basically whether the tasks would be more about the stuff they have covered already, or not. When you are fully at the level, you can pass (even though with low score perhaps) even at one of your worse moments, and even if the tasks don't fit you well.

I don't have experience with too high scores, nor do I consider the score that important for tackling the next level. It is about pass and fail, a nice score can give you a bit of an ego boost, and that's it. The score shows how you did at that particular exam, it is not automatically "convertible" to another level, unless the exam is specifically designed for that (like the CAE, where you can get also B2 or C2 scores, if you do too well or too badly for C1). And I find it perfectly acceptable, that your CV doesn't show "awesome B1" or "barely B1". You are B1, that means you've passed the required minimum. That's it. Also, the difference between an awesome and barely B1 wouldn't be too important, I'd say. If you are really so good, take the B2. Even barely B2 is more respected than awesome B1 and for obvious reasons.

And don't forget that the exams can also be different not just in the difficulty level, but also in the format and types of exam. I don't think a person with full score at DELF B2 would be sure to barely pass C1, because the assignments are simply very different. And a person with DALF C1 may struggle with DELF B2, because their resumé and compte rendu writing skills would be of limited use for too long complaint letter writing for example.
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Re: CEFR B1.1 / B1.2, etc and Exam Results

Postby gsbod » Wed Jul 14, 2021 5:04 pm

As Cavesa says, officially, there's no difference between a weak B1 and a strong B1. Practically, a strong B1 just has less work to do to reach B2 than the weak B1.

Subdividing classes and courses into B1.1, B1.2 etc is more about the way that course providers organise themselves. I've seen some providers have 3 levels for a single CEFR level, and other providers with only 1 level per CEFR level. It's all very arbitrary. If the course or textbook is well organised, you would expect there to be noticeable progression throughout the course, with B1.2 being noticeably more challenging than B1.1, but not as challenging as B2.1. In practice, this isn't always the case. And in any case, it doesn't have much of a relationship to the official exams, which you may or may not be ready for after completing some, or all, of the classes.

I spent two weeks at a German language school (genuinely my idea of a good holiday) and tested into a C1.2 class. The class itself was a good fit, the tutors were excellent, and I had a lovely two weeks, but the C1.2 label was pretty meaningless - without any further assessments, all I could say for sure, at the time, was that I was probably B2 or better.

(I then went on to do a year long evening course at the C1 level which was assessed at the end in a very similar way to the Goethe Zertifikat exam, and on this basis I'm confident I can claim C1 for German now - although if I wanted to, say, study at a German university, I'd still need to pass the required specific official exam.)
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