PROFICIENCY SCALE DESCRIPTORS:
A+/ Distinguished: creates longer, more complex sentences, asks and
answers questions with a variety of vocabulary, provides full answers with
details
A/Proficient Plus: creates correct full sentences, can ask and answer
questions in full sentences
B/Proficient: Creates sentences, can ask and answer questions
C/Basic: lists, recites practiced sentences, responds with phrases not
sentences
D/Below Basic: responds with words not phrases, limited recall of
information
F/Below Basic: unable to complete prompts with sufficient information
PROFICIENCY SCALE DESCRIPTORS IN DETAIL
AUDIENCE
RESPONSE
TOPICS
ACTFL /
Goal Levels
TYPES
Intermediate
ACCURACY
Can generally be
understood
Responds using
some
Handles
complicated
Converses more
than 50% of
(even by those not
accustomed
simple paragraphlength
communicative
tasks with
the time in
paragraph- length
to dealing with
language
discourse*, begins
to
some degree of
success; can
discourse with
connector words
learners)
narrate, describe,
initiate, sustain,
and close a
such as first,
second, therefore,
general
conversation about
before, afterwards,
then, etc.;
many different
concrete
narrates and
describes
topics
in past, present,
and future time;
High
Distinguished A+
summarize, and
compare or
contrast—but
cannot
sustain it
uses comparative
expressions;
speaks with few
pauses.
Intermediate
Can be understood
by a native
Responds by
creating** a
Handles survival
topics and
Creates complex
sentences that
Mid
speaker who is
accustomed to
variety of more
complex
dealing with
language learners
sentences and
questions,
Proficient
Plus A
can sustain basic
communicative
tasks and
participate in short
conversations
a variety of social
situations, e.g.,
courtesy
and social
requirements
have dependent
clauses with
connector words
such as which,
that, when,
because, etc.; gives
such as: accepting /
refusing
invitations,
greetings,
introductions,
arrangements, etc.
making meeting
and asks for
information in the
present tense; uses
question
words, negation,
some noun /
adjective
agreement, and
subject
/ verb agreement
Intermediate
Can be understood
by a person
Responds by
creating a
Handles a limited
number
Creates simple
sentences; gives
who is accustomed
to dealing
variety of simple
sentences
of social situations
and
and asks for
information in the
with language
learners
and questions; can
basic survival
topics, e.g.,
present tense;
creates 3-4
order a meal, ask
for and
different types of
questions, some
basic
communicative
tasks;
give directions to a
place,
negation, some
noun / adjective
can give very
simple
get a hotel room,
get
agreement, and
some subject /
descriptions
transportation, get
help for
verb agreement;
gives simple
health problem,
etc.
directions
Low
Proficient B
minimally sustain
simple,
Novice
Can be understood
(with some
Responds by
creating some
Talks about self in
a limited
Creates very
simple sentences
difficulty) by
person who is
simple sentences
but still
way including
some basic
more than 50% of
the time with
High
Basic C
Novice
accustomed to
dealing with
relies heavily on
learned
likes and dislikes,
identifies
limited subject /
verb agreement
language learners
material, no real
autonomy
basic objects,
places, some
of expression
kinship terms
Is difficult to
understand even
Responds with
words and
Produces
memorized
Enumerates; lists
words and
by listeners who
are very
memorized
phrases, some
vocabulary in basic
phrases, names,
recites, says
sympathetic to
language
recombined
sentences, lists,
learners
naming (more than
50
Mid
Below Basic D
words, phrases,
memorized
sentences)
contexts, e.g. ,
numbers,
colors, dates, pets,
clothes,
weather, activities,
time,
memorized
sentences;
demonstrates little
or no
grammatical usage
sports, greetings
and leave
taking, foods,
family,
workers, home
Novice
Is very difficult to
understand
Responds with
isolated
even by listeners
who are very
words and a few
Low
Below Basic F
sympathetic to
language
learners (such as
world
language teachers)
No Rating
Student
demonstrates no
ability to use the
second language
(less than 15
words, phrases) or
memorized phrases
(more
than 15 words,
phrases,
memorized
sentences)
Produces limited
vocabulary in very
limited
contexts
Produces
vocabulary at the
word
or phrase level, no
evidence of
correct
grammatical usage
non-ratable sample
* Paragraph-length discourse = It is likely to be a paragraph if the sentences have to stay in the original
sequence to make sense. If the sentences can be rearranged and still make sense, then it is not a paragraph.
** Creating = original sentences that are not memorized, not lists
Please note: Each higher level subsumes all levels below.
There are additional (higher) levels on the ACTFL Scale: Advanced Low, Advanced Mid, Advanced High,
and Superior.