Mastering fluent English

Learning English is a continuous process and even at an advanced level, there's always something new to learn. Using your English daily will ensure you develop your advanced English and maintain your fluency. Whether you are selling your company’s products, negotiating a business deal or hosting an event in English, set goals for yourself and use that as motivation to add value to your already fluent English.

Here is some advice for achieving and maintaining an advanced level and becoming fluent in English:

  • Keep in mind that within the English language, there are many accents – American English, British English, Australian English, Indian English, etc. To improve your fluent English, challenge yourself by exposing your ear to a wide range of English accents. Better yet, spend time in an unfamiliar English-speaking country. Put yourself in social, academic or work situations where only English is spoken and do your best to pick up every word and every nuance.

  • Immerse yourself in advanced English. Watch movies and TV and listen to the radio from many different countries without subtitles. Make phone calls in English. Meet and spend time with English speaking friends and colleagues. Jump into professional conversations rather than sitting in the back row.

  • Listen carefully and try to get more than the basic meaning. If you listen carefully to fluent English speakers—to the way humor is expressed, to the way they share their frustrations—and start to tune in to the nuances used by those who know fluent English, you'll find your advanced English mastery broadening every day.

  • Even if you think you're at an advanced level, continue to assess your advanced English by taking the EF SET. The test measures all levels from beginner to fluent, and it is an accurate way to check your English level.

Advanced English tests

The best way to assess your level in English is to take a reliable standardized test. See below for a list of major recognized tests and their corresponding C1/C2 scores:

Test

Score equivalent to the C1-C2 level¹

EF SET Quick Check86 - 100%
EF SET 50-min61 - 100
IELTS6.5 - 9.0
TOEIC (R&L) Total945 - 990
Cambridge English Scale180 - 230
TOEFL iBT95 - 120
Global Scale of English (Pearson)76 - 90
  1. For full score comparisons, please visit our English Score page

50

MIN

EF SET


Certify your reading and listening skills

Need some practice first?

Take this 20-question practice test to familiarize yourself with the EF SET format and prepare for a certifying test.