What Is A2 English Level? A Complete Guide
On this page
A2 English is the CEFR "elementary" level, the second of six. An A2 speaker can handle simple, routine situations such as shopping, asking for directions or talking about family and work, using short sentences and common phrases. It is the top of the "basic user" band: you can get by in familiar situations, but you still struggle once a conversation moves off the script.
If you're deciding whether you've outgrown A2, what B1 English means shows the next bar. For the whole scale on one page, see CEFR levels explained. Here is what A2 looks like in practice, which test scores match it, and how to move up.
TL;DR:
- A2 is the CEFR "elementary" level, the second of the two "basic user" levels (A1 and A2).
- A2 means handling simple, routine exchanges and describing your background and immediate needs in short sentences.
- Typical score matches: Cambridge A2 Key 120-139, TOEFL 2-2.5 on the 1-6 scale. This guide doesn't map IELTS to A2.
- Cambridge estimates around 180-200 guided learning hours from zero to A2, and 350-400 to B1.
- The A2 to B1 jump is about connecting sentences and handling the unexpected, not just learning more words.
What does A2 English mean? The official description
The Council of Europe's global scale describes an A2 user like this:
- Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions on areas of immediate relevance, such as basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography and employment.
- Can communicate in simple, routine tasks that need a direct exchange of information on familiar matters.
- Can describe their background, their immediate surroundings and matters of immediate need in simple terms.
Key takeaway: the key words are "immediate" and "routine". At A2 English works for predictable situations. Once the conversation is unplanned, A2 speakers usually need the other person to slow down or rephrase.
What can an A2 speaker do?
You can:
- Order food, buy a ticket or ask the price of something in a shop
- Ask for and give simple directions: Turn left at the bank. It's next to the station.
- Talk about your family, job, daily routine and hobbies in short, simple sentences
- Understand short, clear messages and simple notices, such as a text from a friend or a menu
- Write a short note or message, for example to accept an invitation or say thank you
You can't yet (that's B1):
- Keep a conversation going when it moves to topics you haven't prepared
- Give reasons or explanations in anything longer than a simple clause
- Follow normal-speed speech without asking people to repeat or slow down
- Write a connected paragraph, rather than a list of separate short sentences
A2 vs A1 and B1: what actually changes
At A1 you use memorised phrases and single facts. At A2 you start to build your own sentences and talk about the past and future more freely. At B1 you link those sentences into a story or an explanation.
| A1 (beginner) | A2 (elementary) | B1 (intermediate) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speaking | Short phrases about yourself | Simple exchanges in routine situations | Connected talk about experiences and opinions |
| Tenses | Present, simple past, will | Plus continuous tenses and going to | Present perfect, conditionals, reported speech |
| Listening | Slow, clear speech with pauses | Main point of short, clear messages | Main points of standard speech on familiar topics |
| Writing | Fill in a form, write a postcard line | Short notes and simple messages | Connected text on familiar topics |
A2 English test scores: Cambridge, TOEFL and IELTS
Each exam board maps its own scores to the CEFR, so treat these as close equivalents, not exact conversions.
| Exam | Score that matches A2 |
|---|---|
| Cambridge English Scale (A2 Key) | 120-139 (120-132 is Grade C, 133-139 is Grade B) |
| TOEFL iBT (1-6 scale from January 2026) | 2-2.5 |
| IELTS | Not mapped in this guide; IELTS Life Skills tests A1-B1 for UK visas |
A score of 140 or more on A2 Key earns a B1 certificate, and 100-119 earns an A1 certificate. Our guide to Cambridge English Scale scores has the full conversion table, and the new TOEFL score scale explains the 1-6 bands. IELTS offers a separate speaking and listening test, IELTS Life Skills, for UK visa applications at A1, A2 and B1.
How many words do you need for A2?
There is no single agreed number, because it depends on whether you count word families or individual forms. Budling's vocabulary-by-level guide uses a working estimate of roughly 1,000 words for A2, about double the A1 figure, while CEFR levels explained gives a range of about 1,000 to 2,000. Both are rough guides, not exam requirements.
At A2 the new words are mostly concrete and everyday:
- Daily life: breakfast, appointment, discount, recipe, schedule
- Travel and places: platform, reservation, souvenir, tourist, delay
- Common verbs and phrasal verbs: wake up, look for, give back, spend, borrow
- Describing things and feelings: crowded, noisy, worried, polite, available
The A2 vocabulary flashcards group sets like these by topic. Good starting points are the food and drink set and the travel and transport set.
What grammar should you master at A2?
A2 grammar is about talking beyond the present moment and comparing things. These topics come up again and again:
- Present continuous: I'm waiting for the bus.
- Past continuous: I was cooking when you called.
- Future with going to: We're going to visit my aunt on Sunday.
- Comparatives and superlatives: This train is faster, but the bus is cheaper.
- Can and could: Could you help me, please?
- Some and any: Is there any milk? There are some eggs.
- Countable and uncountable nouns: two apples, but some water
- Prepositions of time and place: at six o'clock, on Monday, in the kitchen
You also need the A1 basics to be solid first, including past simple with common irregular verbs. The grammar hub lists every topic by level with examples and a short quiz.
How long does it take to reach A2?
Cambridge English estimates around 180-200 guided learning hours from zero to A2, against about 90-100 for A1, so the step from A1 to A2 is roughly 90-100 hours of guided study. B1 needs about 350-400 in total. Guided hours are classroom-style time and don't include homework or listening practice on your own. These figures are a guideline, and Cambridge notes that your first language, how intensely you study and how much English you meet outside lessons all change the result. Those hours add up faster the more often you study, so regular short sessions beat occasional long ones.
How do you get from A2 to B1?
- Learn the next 1,000 words by topic. Our guide to the A2 to B1 vocabulary gap shows which words matter most.
- Review with spaced repetition. A spaced repetition schedule keeps new words alive without daily cramming.
- Start joining sentences. Practise because, but, so and when to turn three short sentences into one story.
- Listen to slow, clear English every day. Graded podcasts, children's shows and subtitled series all work. Ten minutes a day beats one long weekend session.
- Say it out loud. Describe your day in English to yourself or a language partner. Speaking is the skill most A2 learners practise least.
- Re-test every few months. A placement test tells you more than how confident a conversation felt.
Many idioms are too hard for A2, but a few common ones are fine to learn early. See English idioms for beginners.
Do you need A2 English?
It depends on your goal. Some visa routes ask for a stated CEFR level. For example, the UK government's family visa guidance asks applicants to show A1 speaking and listening at the first application and A2 when they extend, so A2 is a real requirement for some learners. Study and English-speaking workplaces usually need a higher level, so check the requirement for your own course or job. Rules change, so always check the current requirement of the organisation you're applying to.
Not sure whether you're at A1, A2 or already at B1? Take Budling's free English level test for a CEFR estimate in a few minutes, then study the A2 sets that match your real level. Your pixel pet levels up as you study, so the climb from elementary to intermediate comes with some company.