Tools / German level test

German level test: find your CEFR level from A1 to C2

Read up to 24 short "I can" statements about your German and answer each one honestly. You get an estimated level for listening, reading, speaking and writing, the right line for your CV, and the job ad phrases that roughly match your level. Free, no account, and your answers stay in your browser.

What can you do in German?

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Listening A1Statement 1

Keys 1, 2, 3 work too.
Put your level on your CV

Your level goes into the languages section of your CV.

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Find my German level

What the levels mean

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, CEFR for short, was developed by the Council of Europe. It sorts language skills into six levels in three groups (DAAD, retrieved 31 Oct 2026):

Group Level In short
Basic user A1 Simple everyday phrases, if the other person speaks slowly and helps
Basic user A2 Routine exchanges about familiar things, like shopping or your job
Independent user B1 The main points of clear standard German, simple connected text
Independent user B2 Complex texts in your field, normal conversation without strain for either side
Proficient user C1 Fluent and flexible German at work, clear text on complex topics
Proficient user C2 Understands almost everything with ease, very precise

The short descriptions follow the Council of Europe’s global scale (retrieved 31 Oct 2026).

Your level goes into the languages section of your CV. Our German CV builder has a field for each language and its level, in English or German.

How the test works

The test uses one “I can” statement for each skill and level, written in our own words and based on the Council of Europe’s self-assessment grid (retrieved 31 Oct 2026). The Council of Europe calls this grid an orientation tool that helps learners profile their main language skills.

  1. Read each statement and answer “Yes”, “Partly” or “Not yet”.
  2. Start at A1 and work up. After two “Not yet” in a row, the test moves on to the next skill.
  3. Say if you have a German certificate, and at which level.
  4. See your level for each skill and copy your CV line.

Your level for a skill is the highest one you answered “Yes” to, as long as no lower level is “Not yet”. The same answers always give the same result. No AI is involved.

Many people have different levels in different skills. You might read at B2 but speak at B1. The University of Bamberg’s language centre notes that the CEFR describes each skill separately, so learners can assess themselves skill by skill (Uni Bamberg, retrieved 31 Oct 2026).

How to write your German level in your CV

Write each language with its level. If you have no certificate, KIT’s career service asks for an honest self-assessment. It also suggests words such as “fluent”, because CV parsers read words more reliably than letter and number codes (KIT Career Service, retrieved 31 Oct 2026). LMU’s Jobline suggests adding the CEFR level in brackets for applications in Europe (LMU Jobline, retrieved 31 Oct 2026). The test gives you both: the words first, the level in brackets.

Your level English CV (LMU wording) German CV
A1 to A2 German: basic communication skills (A2) Deutsch: Grundkenntnisse (A2)
B1 German: good working knowledge (B1) Deutsch: gute Kenntnisse (B1)
B2 German: very good command (B2) Deutsch: sehr gute Kenntnisse (B2)
C1 German: excellent command (C1) Deutsch: verhandlungssicher (C1)
C2 German: near native (C2) Deutsch: annähernd muttersprachlich (C2)

The German words are not standardised. Ours are a common choice, not a rule. If your skills are two or more levels apart, the test suggests a split line, such as “very good reading (B2), good speaking (B1)”.

Be ready to prove it. KIT points out that if a job needs a language, you should expect interview questions in that language.

Answer likely interview questions out loud before the real one.

Practise in the Mock Interview Trainer

Which job ads match your level

Some job ads name a level directly, such as “Deutsch B2”. Others use words. This is our rough reading of common phrases:

Phrase in the ad Roughly
Grundkenntnisse, basic German A1 to A2
gute Deutschkenntnisse, conversational German B1 to B2
sehr gute or fließende Deutschkenntnisse, fluent German B2 to C1
verhandlungssicher, business fluent C1 to C2
muttersprachlich, native level C2 or native

Employers use these words differently, so read the whole ad. B2 is a common bar. In a survey of 9,549 establishments in the second quarter of 2025, 57 percent said their most recent vacancy required at least B2 German (IAB-Kurzbericht 7/2026, retrieved 31 Oct 2026). The same report found that 12 percent still consider applicants below B2 when the job allows it, and another 15 percent if they take a language course.

Paste a job ad and see which German level it asks for.

Check a job ad

Self-assessment or certificate

This test is a self-assessment, not a certificate. It helps you describe your German and pick the right jobs. It does not prove your level to an employer.

A certificate comes from a recognised exam that tests listening, reading, writing and speaking under exam conditions. The Goethe-Institut offers German exams from A1 to C2, and its B1 to C2 exams let you take the four parts separately (Goethe-Institut, retrieved 31 Oct 2026). telc also offers German certificates from A1 to C2 (telc, retrieved 31 Oct 2026). If you plan to take a course, university language centres often place you with their own test. TUM’s language center says a good self-assessment helps, but still recommends its placement test (TUM Language Center, retrieved 31 Oct 2026).

Take your level into the app

Your result is free and stays in your browser. With a free Joblumi account, your level goes straight into the languages section of your CV. The job ad analysis then shows which German and English level an ad asks for, so you can compare it with your result. Your free account includes one ad analysis.

Add my German level to my CV

Questions people ask

Is this German level test free?

Yes. All statements, your level for each skill and the CV line are free and need no account. Your answers are not sent anywhere.

How accurate is a self-assessment?

It is an estimate. It works best when you answer for what you can do today, not what you did in a course. Only a recognised exam gives you a certified level.

What level is B1 German?

B1 is the first independent level. You understand the main points of clear standard German on familiar topics and can write simple connected text (Council of Europe).

Can I put A1 German on my CV?

Yes, if it helps for the job. Write it in words, for example “German: basic communication skills (A1)”, so a recruiter knows what to expect.

Should I say “fluent” if I am B2?

LMU’s Jobline links “near native / fluent” with C2 and “very good command” with B2. Use the words that match your level, because the interview may switch to German.

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