0:00 Today, we are going to finally find out what your level of English is
0:05 in 2026:
0:07 A1, A2, B1, B2 or even C1 or C2 (the maximum level of English)?
0:16 Here is how it's going to work.
0:19 I will ask you 30 questions starting at A1
0:23 and moving all the way up to English proficiency at C2.
0:28 Just keep track of your score as we go,
0:31 and by the end of this lesson,
0:33 you will have a much clearer idea of your current level.
0:36 Today's test will focus mainly on grammar and vocabulary.
0:41 So if you want a more comprehensive assessment of your skills,
0:45 I also offer a free full online level test.
0:49 If you want to take that free online level test,
0:52 click the link in the description box or scan the QR code on screen.
0:56 It takes you through all the levels
0:58 and gives you an even clearer picture of where you are right now.
1:01 I'll send your results straight to your inbox.
1:03 Okay, let's begin with the test, we're starting with A1,
1:07 the beginner level of English.
1:09 I'm going to give you 5 multiple-choice questions
1:12 and I will explain each answer.
1:14 Use the pause button if you need more time.
1:17 Okay 1, choose the correct question word: '___ is your name?
1:23 I'm Maria.'
1:28 A) Whom B) What or C) Who?
1:35 It's B.
1:36 'What is your name?'
1:38 We use 'what' to ask for information like someone's name.
1:41 We use 'who' to talk about a person, as in 'Who is that?'
1:45 'Whom' is a formal word for 'who' but it's not common in everyday English.
1:50 It doesn't fit here grammatically, as it's used as an object.
1:54 Okay, 2: which sentence is correct?
1:58 A) 'She have two cats.'
2:01 B) 'She has two cats.'
2:05 Or C) 'She's having two cats.'
2:11 The answer is B: 'She has two cats.'
2:15 Use 'has' not 'have' for 'he', 'she' and 'it'.
2:19 'She's having two cats' is incorrect because we use simple tenses to show possession,
2:25 not continuous tenses.
2:27 Question 3: 'There ___ a park near my house.'
2:34 Is it A) 'is', B) 'are' or C) am?
2:42 Well, I hope you chose A: 'There is a park near my house.'
2:47 We usually use 'there is' with one thing,
2:50 and 'there are' with more than one.
2:52 A 'park' is one place so we need 'is'.
2:54 'Am' only used with 'I'.
2:58 Question 4, which sentence sounds the most natural?
3:02 A) 'I go often to the gym.'
3:06 B) 'Often I go to the gym.'
3:09 Or C) 'I often go to the gym.'
3:15 It's C: 'I often go to the gym.'
3:18 Words like 'often', 'usually' and 'sometimes' are called adverbs of frequency.
3:23 In English, they usually go before the main verb.
3:27 That's a really good rule to remember.
3:29 Option B: 'Often I go to the gym' is technically correct,
3:34 but it sounds a bit unnatural and is much less common in everyday speech.
3:40 And our last question at A1, which word is correct in this sentence?
3:48 'She ___ like pizza.'
3:51 A) 'don't', B) 'doesn't' or C) 'hasn't'.
4:01 You said B), right?
4:02 That's perfect: 'She doesn't like pizza.'
4:05 To make negative sentences in the present simple with 'he', 'she' or 'it',
4:11 we use 'doesn't'.
4:12 'Don't' is used with 'I', 'you', 'we' or 'they'.
4:17 Okay, the A1 level is complete.
4:19 How many did you get right?
4:21 Remember to keep track of your score.
4:23 Let's move up to A2, the pre-intermediate level.
4:27 Okay, question 6, choose the correct word to complete the sentence:
4:33 'Brenda has lived here ___ three years.'
4:38 A) 'since' B) 'for' or C) 'during'.
4:47 It's B: 'for'.
4:49 We use 'for' with a period of time showing duration like 'three years'
4:55 or 'two months'.
4:56 You'll often hear this with the present perfect:
4:59 'have' or 'has' + past participle—when something started in the past
5:05 and is still true now.
5:06 Seven, choose the correct option: 'She's much ___ than her sister.'
5:13 A) 'more kind' B) 'kinder' or C) 'kindest'.
5:23 The answer is B: 'kinder'.
5:25 With short adjectives like kind, we add -er or /ə/ to compare 2 nouns.
5:32 In this case, people.
5:33 'Kindest' is the superlative form used to compare more than 2 people or things.
5:39 Next up 8, which word accurately completes the sentence?
5:45 'I was really tired, ___ I went to bed early.'
5:50 A) 'but' B) 'because' or C) 'so'.
5:59 C) 'so' is the correct answer.
6:03 We use 'so' to talk about a result.
6:06 The reason I went to bed was that I was tired.
6:09 Okay, question 9, what do we need to complete this sentence?
6:14 'You ___ park here.
6:16 It's not allowed.'
6:18 Is it A) 'don't have to' B) 'don't need to' or C) 'mustn't'.
6:25 It C) 'mustn't'.
6:30 'Mustn't' is a contraction or a blending of the words 'must' and 'not',
6:37 it means something is not allowed.
6:39 And our last question at A2, number 10, which sentence is correct?
6:44 Is it A) 'I'm interesting in learning English.'
6:48 B) 'I'm interested in learning English.'
6:52 Or C) Both sentences are correct.
6:58 It's B).
6:59 We use -ed adjectives to talk about how a person feels,
7:05 -ing adjectives describe things or situations, not how you feel.
7:10 They tell us what causes the feeling.
7:13 All right, before we move on, let's pause for a second.
7:15 Please add up your correct answers from the A1 and A2 sections.
7:21 If you got around 8 or more correct,
7:24 you were looking at a pretty solid A2 level.
7:28 You're clearly comfortable with the basics and ready to keep pushing forward.
7:32 That said, I would still recommend taking my free online level test to double-check
7:38 and get a clearer picture of where you stand overall.
7:41 Just click the link in the description box or scan the QR code there.
7:45 Right, let's step things up a bit.
7:47 We are moving to B1,
7:49 it's going to be a little bit more challenging—this is the intermediate level of
7:53 English.
7:54 I cover B1 in my Beautiful British English B1 Programme
7:59 so if you are working towards this level,
8:02 that's perfect for you.
8:03 Let's start with question 11, what do we need to complete this sentence?
8:11 'I ___ working here since January.'
8:13 Is it A) 'am' B) 'have been' or C) 'was'.
8:22 It's B) 'have been'.
8:24 'I have been working here since January.'
8:28 We can use the present perfect continuous to talk about something
8:32 that started in the past
8:34 and is still happening now.
8:36 'Since' is a strong clue
8:38 that we need a perfect tense
8:40 because it marks the starting point of an action
8:43 or state.
8:44 Number 12, let's test your vocabulary.
8:47 'The hotel offers excellent __, including a gym and pool.'
8:53 A) facilities, B) services or C) equipment.
9:02 It's A: 'facilities'.
9:03 'Facilities' are the buildings, equipment and services provided for a specific purpose.
9:12 Hotels, sports centers and public spaces all have facilities.
9:18 'Services' refers more to what's done for you,
9:21 while 'equipment' is used for the physical items.
9:24 Thirteen, how can we complete this sentence?
9:28 'Gerald's phone ___ while he was traveling.'
9:32 Is it A) is stealing, B) were stolen or C) was stolen?
9:42 It's C: 'was stolen'.
9:44 'Gerald's phone was stolen while he was traveling.'
9:49 This is the passive voice.
9:51 We use it when the action is more important than who did it,
9:55 or when we don't know who did it.
9:58 Here, the phone is the focus, not the thief.
10:01 We also don't know who the thief was.
10:04 All right, question 14 has some practical vocabulary for you.
10:08 You're calling a restaurant.
10:11 Which word best completes this sentence?
10:13 'I'd like to make a/an ___ for two people at 8 o'clock.'
10:20 Is it A) reservation, B) appointment or C) arrangement?
10:29 You should have said A: 'reservation'.
10:32 We make 'reservations' at restaurants, hotels or for travel.
10:36 An 'appointment' is specifically for professional services, like at the doctor's or hairdresser's.
10:42 And an 'arrangement' is more general.
10:45 It's any plan you make with someone.
10:47 Okay, on to 15,
10:48 let's try a two-parter for our final question at B1.
10:52 Complete this sentence with the correct form of the verb in brackets:
10:56 'If I had ___ you needed help, I would have ___ the document for you.'
11:03 The first word in brackets is 'know' and the second is 'translate'.
11:09 Is it A) know / translate, B) known / translated or C) knew / had translated?
11:23 The answer is B: 'had known' / 'translated'.
11:27 This is the third conditional, which we use for imaginary situations,
11:32 things that didn't happen.
11:34 The structure is 'if' + past perfect, which is 'had' and past participle,
11:39 comma 'would have' + past participle.
11:42 'If I had known you needed help,
11:45 I would have translated the document for you.'
11:47 You didn't know, so you didn't translate it.
11:49 Okay, that was B1.
11:51 Not too bad, right?
11:53 Make sure to note down your total score out of 15
11:56 and let's keep going!
11:57 We're over halfway through now.
12:00 Let's move to B2!
12:01 This is our upper-intermediate level of English.
12:04 I also offer my Beautiful British English B2 Programme,
12:09 which would be perfect for you if you're working towards the B2 level.
12:12 Let's test whether you can actually think in English
12:15 and handle the kind of natural language you'd encounter in real life.
12:20 Sixteen, complete the sentence with the correct phrasal verb:
12:24 'The meeting was supposed to start at 9,
12:27 but technical issues us ___ for over an hour.'
12:34 Is it A) held / up, B) took / over or C) cut / off?
12:47 The answer is A: 'held us up'.
12:50 To hold up means to delay someone or something.
12:54 And you'll hear this constantly in British English, often in the passive voice: 'Sorry,
13:00 I'm late.
13:01 I got held up in traffic.'
13:03 'Take over' can mean to assume control of something, like:
13:07 'She took over the company.'
13:09 And 'cut off' can mean to disconnect or isolate, like:
13:14 'The village was cut off by the snowstorm.'
13:17 In these contexts, they don't fit the meaning we need
13:20 but all of the phrasal verbs have multiple meanings depending on how they're used.
13:25 Now, let's test whether you can spot the differences between these tricky adjectives.
13:31 Number 17, which sentence is correct?
13:34 A) 'Buying in bulk is more economic than buying single items.'
13:39 B) 'Buying in bulk is more economical than buying single items.'
13:45 Or C) both are correct.
13:51 You want B) here - 'economical'.
13:53 'Economical' means cost-effective or efficient with money.
13:58 'Economic' relates to the economy or economics as a field.
14:01 So, an 'economical' choice saves you money
14:04 but 'economic' policy affects the whole country—easy to mix up.
14:09 Okay, number 18, complete the sentence with the correct verb:
14:13 'The Council decided to ___ a survey to gather community feedback on the proposed
14:20 plan.'
14:21 A) conduct, B) convert or C) construct.
14:30 That's right, it's A: 'conduct'.
14:31 'Conduct' means to organise and carry out something like research,
14:37 a survey or an investigation.
14:40 'Convert' means to change something from one form to another,
14:45 and 'construct' means to build.
14:47 Okay, 19, choose the correct option: 'We experienced technical issues ___ the presentation.'
14:56 Is it A) during, B) throughout or C) both are correct?
15:06 The answer is C: both work, but with a subtle difference.
15:11 'During' is more flexible,
15:12 it could mean at some points in the presentation or from beginning to end.
15:18 It doesn't specify.
15:19 'Throughout' emphasises issues that happened across the entire presentation,
15:24 suggesting the issues were continuous or repeated.
15:27 Since the sentence doesn't tell us if the issues were occasional or constant,
15:32 either preposition could be correct.
15:34 Okay, let's try some more grammar for our final question at B2:
15:37 'She suggested ___ the deadline rather than ___ the project entirely.'
15:44 Is it A) to extend and to cancel?
15:48 Is it B) extending / cancelling or C) extend / cancel?
15:58 It's B) extending / cancelling.
16:00 'She suggested extending the deadline rather than cancelling the project entirely.'
16:06 Suggest is followed by the -ing form (gerund), not the infinitive.
16:11 And notice we need the gerund in both gaps because of 'rather than',
16:16 which creates a parallel structure so both verbs take the same form.
16:20 Okay, how are you doing so far?
16:22 Go ahead and tally up your correct answers from the B1
16:26 and B2 sections—that's 10 questions between the 2 levels.
16:30 If you got at least 17 or 18 out of 20 correct so far,
16:36 you are most likely working towards B2 level, which is brilliant.
16:40 If you got anything less than 16, I would generally recommend starting at B1.
16:47 You really want to build those strong intermediate foundations before trying to reach any
16:52 higher levels.
16:53 Trust me, it will make everything else so much easier.
16:56 We cover a lot of grammar at B1, and again,
16:59 if you want to test yourself in a more in-depth way,
17:02 I've got my free online English level test.
17:05 Click the link in the description box
17:07 or scan the QR code there
17:08 and I'll send your result via email.
17:10 Okay, let's move on to C1, this is advanced English.
17:15 My most popular English course ever is the Beautiful British English C1 Programme.
17:21 If you're working towards this level, this course is ideal for you.
17:25 Let's start with question 21.
17:27 How could we paraphrase this sentence?
17:30 'After years of neglecting her mental health,
17:33 Sarah decided to completely overhaul her approach to wellness.'
17:39 A) Sarah ignored her mental health for years,
17:42 so she decided to change her wellness routine.
17:45 B) Having neglected her mental health for years,
17:48 Sarah resolved to transform her approach to well-being completely.
17:53 Or: C) 'Years of ignoring her mental health led Sarah to think negatively about
17:59 wellness.'
18:02 It's B), A) is close, but 'wellness routine' is narrower than 'approach to wellness'.
18:09 A 'routine' is just what you do regularly,
18:12 whereas an 'approach' is your entire philosophy.
18:16 C) completely changes the meaning of the original sentence.
18:20 B) captures everything: the timeframe, the active decision and the scale of change.
18:25 At C1, you need to be aware of these tiny shifts in meaning,
18:29 the nuance.
18:30 Okay, 22, complete this sentence: 'What Anna needed ___ a complete lifestyle overhaul,
18:39 not just a new job.'
18:41 A) was, B) to do, or C) that was.
18:50 It's A: 'was'.
18:52 This is a cleft sentence.
18:54 I love teaching cleft sentences.
18:57 We go into some really advanced grammar in the C1 programme.
19:01 It begins with a 'what' clause
19:02 and is joined to the second clause with a form of 'to be',
19:06 in this case 'was'.
19:07 Cleft sentences help us emphasise information: 'a complete lifestyle overhaul'.
19:13 Options B) and C) don't create a grammatically correct cleft structure.
19:17 Okay, for 23, I want you to complete this sentence: 'After hours of negotiation,
19:24 both parties agreed to ___ a compromise.'
19:28 A) do, B) strike, or C) hit.
19:37 It's B: 'strike'.
19:37 'Strike a compromise,' this is the natural collocation for reaching an agreement where both
19:44 sides give something up.
19:46 'Do a compromise' and 'hit a compromise' simply don't work,
19:50 they're not common collocations in English.
19:53 You might do a workout or hit a target,
19:56 but they don't collocate with compromise.
19:59 Okay, next one complete the sentence using the correct negative inversion.
20:04 Another C1 topic, I love teaching in my programme.
20:06 'Hardly ____ concerns were raised about the funding allocation.'
20:14 Is it A) the committee approved the budget then,
20:18 B) had the committee approved the budget when,
20:25 or C) when the committee approved the budget than?
20:31 It's B: 'Hardly had the committee approved the budget
20:36 when concerns were raised about the funding allocation.'
20:39 This is a negative inversion classic C1 grammar
20:42 that adds emphasis and a touch of formality.
20:46 The structure is 'hardly' + auxiliary verb + subject + main verb + 'when' or 'than'.
20:54 Okay, your final C1 question, just tell me which sentence is the clearest?
21:01 A) Hoping to reduce carbon emissions,
21:04 the new transport policy was introduced by the council.
21:09 B) Hoping to reduce carbon emissions, the council introduced a new transport policy.,
21:16 or C) The new transport policy, hoping to reduce carbon emissions,
21:21 was introduced by the council.
21:26 It's B) non-finite clauses like 'Hoping to reduce carbon emissions,...' should usually have the
21:32 same subject as the main clause.
21:35 'The council' was hoping and 'the council' introduced a new policy.
21:39 In A) and C), it sounds like the policy has hopes and dreams.
21:45 This catches out even advanced learners
21:47 because it requires you to think about logical subjects,
21:51 not just grammar rules.
21:53 Okay, that was C1.
21:54 That was hard!
21:55 Are you still with me?
21:56 Note down your score and let's move to the final level—the highest maximum,
22:01 most extreme, C2.
22:04 Can't be that bad, can it?
22:06 And by the way, if you are working towards the C2 level,
22:10 that's the maximum level of English.
22:12 I have very recently launched my brand new Beautiful British English C2 Programme.
22:18 I'm very excited that that is now available for you.
22:21 It's been requested for years.
22:23 Question 26, I've decided
22:26 that I want future Lucy to deliver question 26
22:30 because present Lucy has decided this one is not hard enough,
22:33 we need to give you a harder one.
22:35 Complete the gap: 'After the scandal, his reputation was in ___'.
22:40 Is it A) remnants, B) shards, or C) tatters?
22:49 It's C: 'tatters'.
22:51 'In tatters' means so badly damaged that it can't be saved.
22:56 It collocates strongly with 'reputation'.
22:57 'Remnants' are the small remaining parts of something.
23:03 And 'shards', a small broken pieces of something sharp like glass.
23:08 Neither collocates strongly with reputation.
23:10 Thank you, future Lucy.
23:12 Very, very kind of you.
23:14 On to 27 now, which preposition do we need in these 3 phrases?
23:20 '___ the blink, ___ the doll, ___ the ball'.
23:23 Is it A) in, B) on, or C) at?
23:30 It's B: 'on'.
23:31 'On the blink' means not working.
23:34 'On the doll' means receiving unemployment benefits
23:38 and 'on the ball' means understanding what's happening,
23:42 I'm reacting quickly.
23:43 Now, question 28, which sentence best captures the tone of this original statement?
23:50 'I've failed completely,' she said, disappointedly.
23:54 Is it A) She seethed over her failure.
23:58 B) She was livid at her failure or C) She lamented her failure.
24:07 It C: 'She lamented her failure.'
24:10 'To lament' means to express sorrow or disappointment,
24:14 which matches the disappointed tone of the original.
24:17 You could also say: 'She was crestfallen at her failure.'
24:21 Both capture sadness and regret.
24:23 Options A) and B) both convey anger.
24:27 'Seethe' suggests simmering rage and 'livid' means furiously angry.
24:34 Neither is a good match for the disappointed, sorrowful tone we're looking for.
24:40 Okay, question 29, the penultimate here.
24:43 Complete the sentence with the correct words: '___ for Sarah's patience,
24:51 we ___ never have stopped being poles ___ on ___ the holiday plans.'
24:57 Is it A) But / would / apart, B) Not / will / away,
25:03 or C) Except / could / aside?
25:10 The answer is A: 'But for Sarah's patience,
25:13 we would never have stopped being poles apart on the holiday plans.'
25:17 'But for' means 'if it were not for' or 'without'.
25:22 It's a formal phrase to introduce a conditional.
25:25 In this sentence, we pair it with would have + past participle:
25:30 to talk about what would have happened in the past without Sarah's intervention.
25:34 This is a really advanced grammatical construction.
25:38 'To be poles apart' is an idiom meaning to have completely opposite views
25:43 or to disagree fundamentally.
25:45 And our final C2-level question: What is the critic primarily suggesting?
25:52 'The exhibition assembles its gestures with immaculate assurance,
25:57 yet the profusion of references feels more like a catalogue of influence than a
26:02 conversation with it.'
26:04 Is it A) The exhibition demonstrates technical confidence
26:08 but relies too heavily on existing artistic traditions.
26:12 B) The exhibition successfully reinterprets a wide range of influences in an original
26:18 and dialogic way.,
26:20 or C) The exhibition lacks coherence due to an excess of competing artistic styles.
26:28 The correct answer is A).
26:30 'A catalogue of influence' suggests a neat, exhaustive listing,
26:34 but there's no conversation within it, implying no questioning or reworking.
26:39 It's not a successful reinterpretation, nor does it lack coherence.
26:44 It relies too much on other influences and that's C2!
26:48 If you got most of those right, I'm seriously impressed.
26:53 You're using English at a near native level, if not beyond native at times.
26:58 That last question, particularly, was incredibly academic.
27:02 C2 isn't always academic, but it can be sometimes.
27:05 If you found them challenging, that's completely normal.
27:08 C2 is a different beast entirely
27:12 and some congratulations are in order
27:14 because you have made it to the end of our level test.
27:17 Go ahead and add up your scores from each section
27:19 and let me know in the comments how many you got out of 30.
27:23 And if you want to go more in-depth,
27:26 scan the QR code there
27:27 or click the link in the description box—take my full free online English level
27:32 test.
27:33 This will give you a more comprehensive assessment
27:35 and I'll send you the results via email.
27:37 I'm wishing you a very happy 2026!
27:40 I hope you achieve all of your English goals.
27:43 I will see you in the next lesson.
27:45 Bye!
27:45 Muah!
