What a Cambridge score of 140, 160 or 180 means, what Grades A, B and C are, and which level the certificate shows for Key, Preliminary, First and Advanced.
In short: a Cambridge score is a number on the Cambridge English Scale, one scale shared by every exam. The key thresholds are 140 (B1), 160 (B2), 180 (C1) and 200 (C2). Grades A, B and C show how well the exam was passed: Grade A usually means a certificate one level above the exam, and below Grade C the certificate shows one level below it.
A Cambridge score is a result on the Cambridge English Scale, a common scale for A2 Key, B1 Preliminary, B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency. Your child gets a score for each part of the exam and an overall score, which is their average. The overall score sets the grade and the CEFR level on the certificate.
The Statement of Results shows three things: the overall score, the score for each part and, for the exam as a whole, the grade and CEFR level. On A2 Key and B1 Preliminary, the overall score averages four scores (Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking). B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency add Use of English, so the overall score averages five.
The part scores show where your child needs work. An overall 175 on B2 First can hide, for example, a Writing score well below the rest.
These numbers are where each CEFR level starts on the Cambridge English Scale: 140 starts B1, 160 starts B2, 180 starts C1 and 200 starts C2. The same threshold means the same level on any exam, but the grade differs, because each exam is built for a different level.
For example, 165 means B2 level on both B1 Preliminary and B2 First. On B1 Preliminary it is Grade A; on B2 First it is Grade C.
Grades A, B and C are the three passing grades of a Cambridge exam. Grade C and Grade B confirm the level the exam was built for. Grade A confirms the level above: a student with Grade A on B2 First gets a C1 certificate. Below Grade C, the certificate shows the level below.
On the results document the grade appears as "Pass at Grade A", "Pass at Grade B" or "Pass at Grade C". If the score falls below Grade C but stays within the lower level's range, only that level appears, for example "Level B1".
Each exam has its own score ranges for Grade A, B, C and for the level below. The ranges below are the ones Cambridge publishes, and they are the same for the "for Schools" versions (A2 Key for Schools, B1 Preliminary for Schools, B2 First for Schools).
Below these ranges there is no certificate, but the score still appears on the Statement of Results: 80–99 on A2 Key, 102–119 on B1 Preliminary, 122–139 on B2 First, 142–159 on C1 Advanced and 162–179 on C2 Proficiency.
Find the exam name first, then the overall score, and match it to the ranges above. The grade tells you how comfortably the exam was passed; the CEFR level tells you which level the certificate shows. Some examples, all based on the official ranges:
For the bac language competence test, the score matters through the exam taken and the pass statement. The current order lists B1 Preliminary at 140–170, B2 First at 160–190, C1 Advanced at 180–210 and C2 Proficiency at 200–230, provided the certificate states explicitly that the exam was passed.
The safe route: B1 Preliminary or a higher exam, passed with at least Grade C. Don't rely on A2 Key, even though at 140–150 its certificate shows B1 level. The orders, deadlines and filing steps are in our guide to Cambridge certificates and the bac English equivalence. Always confirm with the high school's secretariat too.
Look at the part scores, not just the overall score. If one part pulls the average down, that is the part to work on before the next exam. If the score sits close to the next threshold, for example 178 on B2 First or 190 on C1 Advanced, it is worth asking the teacher what is missing for the next grade.
At Pathway, students learn online in small groups of 6–8 at the same level, with Cambridge-certified lecturers, and receive a progress report every month. To see what preparation for the next exam would look like, book a free trial lesson.
140 is where B1 starts on the Cambridge English Scale. On B1 Preliminary, 140–152 is Grade C with a B1 certificate. On A2 Key, 140–150 is Grade A with a B1 certificate. On B2 First, 140–159 gets a B1 certificate, one level below the exam.
160 is where B2 starts and 180 is where C1 starts. On B2 First, 160 is the minimum for Grade C (B2) and 180 the minimum for Grade A (C1 certificate). On C1 Advanced, 180 is the minimum for Grade C (C1), and 160–179 gets a B2 certificate.
199 on C1 Advanced is Grade B, level C1. Grade B runs from 193 to 199. From 200 up, the result becomes Grade A, with a certificate showing C2 level.
The overall score is the average of the scores for each part. A2 Key and B1 Preliminary average four scores: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency add Use of English, so they average five scores.
No. A2 Key for Schools, B1 Preliminary for Schools and B2 First for Schools use the same score ranges and grades as the general versions. The topics are chosen for school-age students; the marking does not change.
For the bac language competence test, sit B1 Preliminary or a higher exam and pass with at least Grade C. The certificate must state explicitly that the exam was passed. Our bac equivalence guide covers the details.
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