Understand your results
Cambridge English Scale: B2, C1 and C2 scores explained
Find the grade and CEFR level for an official Scale score. Then understand why a raw practice mark, an exam grade and an AI assessment are different things.
Independent learner guide · Sources checked 9 October 2026 · Free, no account needed
Result lookup
What does your Scale score mean?
Choose the exam you took and enter your overall Cambridge English Scale score. This lookup reads the official grade bands below. It does not predict an exam result or convert practice marks.
Three numbers that answer different questions
Raw mark
Marks awarded for answers on a particular paper or task. For example, 6 out of 8 on our open-cloze sample tells you how many gaps you answered correctly on that sample.
Scale score
A Cambridge result reported on a common numerical scale. It lets you read an overall result and a profile across the assessed skills.
CEFR level and grade
The level and exam grade attached to a result. The same number can have a different grade in a different exam: 180 is Grade A in B2 First and Grade C in C1 Advanced.
Cambridge explains the reporting system in its official Cambridge English Scale overview. Keep the exam name next to the number whenever you compare results.
B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency grade tables
These are overall result bands, from Cambridge’s official results tables. They are not percentages or raw marks.
| Scale score | Result | CEFR |
|---|---|---|
| 180–190 | Grade A | C1 |
| 173–179 | Grade B | B2 |
| 160–172 | Grade C | B2 |
| 140–159 | Level B1 | B1 |
| 122–139 | No certificate | — |
| Scale score | Result | CEFR |
|---|---|---|
| 200–210 | Grade A | C2 |
| 193–199 | Grade B | C1 |
| 180–192 | Grade C | C1 |
| 160–179 | Level B2 | B2 |
| 142–159 | No certificate | — |
| Scale score | Result | CEFR |
|---|---|---|
| 220–230 | Grade A | C2 |
| 213–219 | Grade B | C2 |
| 200–212 | Grade C | C2 |
| 180–199 | Level C1 | C1 |
| 162–179 | No certificate | — |
For example, 175 in B2 First means Grade B at B2; 196 in C1 Advanced means Grade B at C1; 208 in C2 Proficiency means Grade C at C2. A higher-level result in B2 First does not mean you took the C1 Advanced exam.
Can you convert raw marks to a Cambridge Scale score?
For Cambridge practice tests, use the guidance supplied for that exam and component. The official Scale page links to Cambridge’s practice-test conversion guide. Start with the correct answer key and marking rules; do not add all the marks from different papers into one percentage.
- Identify the test. Record the exam, edition or test number, component and maximum available marks. A score without that context is hard to interpret.
- Mark it using its own rules. One question is not always worth one mark. Writing also needs an assessment against the relevant criteria.
- Use the matching official guidance. Keep the raw mark and the practice estimate in separate columns. Treat a practice estimate as preparation information, not a promised exam result.
- Review the errors. Note whether the problem was grammar, interpretation, task fulfilment or time management. Choose the next activity from that evidence.
Our practice marks are not official Scale scores
CambridgePreparationAI’s exercise results and AI assessments cannot be converted into official Cambridge English Scale results. A 75% score on a short practice exercise is not a Cambridge grade. Use it to identify what to practise next.
For instance, missing two prepositions in an eight-gap text suggests a useful revision topic. It says little about your Speaking or Listening. A single short task cannot establish your overall exam level.
How an overall score is calculated
The C1 Advanced Statement of Results guide explains that the overall result averages five reported scores: Reading, Use of English, Writing, Listening and Speaking. Reading and Use of English have separate scores even though they share a paper.
A worked C1 Advanced example
Imagine a result with Reading 190, Use of English 184, Writing 180, Listening 188 and Speaking 183.
(190 + 184 + 180 + 188 + 183) ÷ 5 = 185
That overall result falls in C1 Advanced Grade C, at CEFR C1. The individual scores still matter: a course or employer may require a minimum in a particular skill.
The numbers in this example are already Scale scores. Averaging raw marks, percentages or our AI feedback numbers in the same way would not produce a valid official result.
Common questions about scores
Is 180 always a C1 Advanced pass?
An overall 180 in C1 Advanced is Grade C. In B2 First, 180 is Grade A and reports C1 ability. Always read the number with the exam name; the qualifications are not interchangeable.
Does Grade A mean C2?
Only in the relevant exam context. Grade A in B2 First reports C1. Grade A in C1 Advanced reports C2 ability. All three passing grades in C2 Proficiency report C2.
Do I need a particular score for university or work?
Check the receiving organisation’s requirements for the exact qualification, overall result and individual skills. A general grade table cannot decide whether your result meets a particular application requirement.
How should I track improvement?
Keep a simple log: date, task, conditions, errors and next action. Compare repeated attempts at comparable tasks and review a fresh example later. Separate an improvement in a practised exercise from evidence about a complete exam.
Turn the result into focused practice
Choose a task you can act on today. These guides include public samples or models; no account is needed to read them.