Families and students
What do the global level, the band and the steps (A1, A2, B1) mean?
Written by the TestFLE team.
In short
TestFLE places the student on nine steps from A0 to B2.2, plus one step beyond, which extend the CEFR levels. The result is a range, the band, and not a single point.
Who this is for, and what you need first
- Who this is for
- Families and students who want to understand a letter such as A2, a range such as “A2.1 to A2.2” or the note “Global level not computable”.
- What you need first
- A completed test, whose result appears on the student’s Home screen.
The steps
- Click “Home” in the menu.
- On the right, look at the “TestFLE global level (CEFR scale)” badge.
- Read the letter in large type, for example A2.
- Read the range written in small type below, for example “A2.1 to A2.2”.
- Read the line “French comprehension level (CEFR scale)”.
- If a yellow box appears under the badge, read it.
The steps, from lowest to highest
TestFLE has nine steps from A0 to B2.2, and one step beyond: A0, A1.1, A1.2, A2.1, A2.2, B1.1, B1.2, B2.1, B2.2, then B2.2++. They extend the levels of the CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, by splitting each level from A1 to B2 in two.
- A0: the child is starting out. They recognise a few isolated words or familiar sounds and need strong support.
- A1.1 and A1.2 (letter A1): first a small set of familiar words and simple expressions, then simple sentences on familiar topics, with help.
- A2.1 and A2.2 (letter A2): simple French in familiar situations, with growing confidence.
- B1.1 and B1.2 (letter B1): talking about familiar topics with growing autonomy, then about a wider range.
- B2.1 and B2.2 (letter B2): more detailed French, then strong autonomy.
- B2.2++: the step beyond B2.2, the highest the test can observe. TestFLE never writes it “C”.
These descriptions sum up the ones the PDF report prints for each step. The screen shows the letter alone in large type: A2.1 and A2.2 both appear as “A2”, and the detail is in the range below.
Going further
Understanding the global level
Why a band rather than a single level?
The test asks a limited number of questions. A single point would therefore claim a precision it does not have. The screen gives the range in which the student sits, for example “A2.1 to A2.2”, and the badge writes in large type the letter of the nearest step.
A wide band points to a less certain measurement: it does not say that the child is weak. Another attempt, on another day, narrows the result.
What does the global level combine?
The global level combines comprehension, interpretation and linguistic resources (vocabulary, grammar, conjugation, sounds and spelling). Comprehension weighs the most. The line “French comprehension level” gives that level alone, drawn from listening and reading.
In a test taken without reading, the same line becomes “Listening comprehension level (CEFR scale)”: only listening counts. See the no-reading test.
The global level is to be read alongside what the teacher observes in class. The test measures comprehension and the resources of the language. It does not assess written production, oral production or interaction, which only the teacher can judge.
What does “Global level not computable” mean?
In place of the badge, the screen may say “Global level not computable”, with one of these three reasons:
- “fewer than fifteen scored answers: nothing is published”: the test stopped too early;
- “listening comprehension did not receive enough questions”;
- “fewer than three skills measured”.
It is not a failure on the child’s part: the test did not gather enough answers to publish a level. In the first case, the end-of-test screen says “Your test stopped too early to give a result. You will be able to take another one.” A test stopped below fifteen answers does not use up the student’s attempt: if they had a single attempt, they can take the test again as long as the school leaves it open to them.
Another attempt, on another day, will give a result. What the student can take, and when, is explained in when to take the test.
What does “The test stopped a little early” mean?
The yellow box “The test stopped a little early, because the end was becoming difficult. The results are given with caution. They can be refined another time.” flags a test that stopped before the level was well established. The teacher sees the cause: a test that had become too long, or probable tiredness.
The level is published, but the ranges are wide. Another attempt will narrow them.
What do “measured”, “indicative” and “not assessed” mean?
These three states describe each skill, not the global level. A skill is “measured” when it has received enough questions, “indicative” when it has received few, “not assessed” when no level could be established. The screen writes the number of questions next to it, for example “indicative (5 questions)”. See reading the results.
Can a child’s level go down or up from one test to the next?
Yes. The test adapts its questions to the child’s answers, and the range remains an estimate. Compare several tests instead: the curve is described in the results history.
Related articles
- How do I read my child’s results on their home screen?The student’s “Home” screen sums up their last test: seven skills, radar, global level and results curve. It fills in after the first completed test, never with a cancelled test.
- How do I read the learning report given by the teacher?The learning report is a three-page PDF that the teacher or the school office produces after a test, then gives to you. It gives the level, the radar, the seven skills and some leads.
- How does the test work for a child who cannot read yet?When the school marks a child as a “Non-reader”, they take a form of the test in which every question can be done without reading. The results say so, and reading comprehension is not assessed.
- Where can I find all the tests my child has taken?The student’s “Results history” lists their last 50 tests, from the most recent to the oldest, with the date, the final level and the level of each skill. It also shows cancelled tests and tests in progress.