2.1 The Cambridge English Scale

What Is the Cambridge English Scale?

Cambridge English Qualifications no longer report only a grade letter or a raw mark out of the paper total. Results sit on the Cambridge English Scale: a single numerical ladder that runs across exams from the youngest learner tests through C2 Proficiency. The scale lets candidates, teachers, and employers compare performance between sessions and between qualifications on one continuum.

For A2 Key (KET), the scores that matter for your certificate and grade sit in the 100–150 band. That is the range of interest printed and explained for this exam. The full Cambridge English Scale continues well above and below that window—up to about 230 at the top of C2 Proficiency—so a score of 145 on A2 Key is not “out of 150 total possible forever”; it is a position on a much longer ladder that also covers B1 Preliminary, B2 First, C1 Advanced, and C2 Proficiency.

Quick answer: On A2 Key you care about scale scores from 100 to 150. Reaching 120 is the A2 pass threshold. 140 and above shows B1-level performance and can lead to a B1 certificate even though you sat A2 Key.

Why a shared scale helps

Before the scale, candidates often asked whether a strong Key pass was “better” than a weak Preliminary pass. Raw marks from different papers cannot answer that. Scale scores place both results on the same CEFR-aligned continuum. A clear 140 on A2 Key signals the start of B1; a candidate aiming for B1 Preliminary already has evidence of readiness for the next qualification.

The scale also supports fair comparison across test versions. Cambridge equates each paper so that the same scale score means the same level of ability whether you sat a slightly easier or slightly harder form.

CEFR Bands You Will See on A2 Key

Your Statement of Results and certificate language map scale scores to CEFR levels. For A2 Key, learn these three bands by heart:

Memorise the edges, not only the middle:

• 119 vs 120 — one point can separate an A1 certificate from an A2 pass (Grade C).
• 139 vs 140 — one point can separate a strong A2 (Grade B) from Grade A and a B1 certificate.

A2 band: 120–139

A2 on the scale is 120–139. That is the official CEFR A2 band Cambridge uses for this qualification. Inside that band, grades still differ (covered in the next section): lower A2 scores are Grade C; higher A2 scores are Grade B. Both are successful A2 Key passes at CEFR A2.

Think of 120 as “you have shown A2 ability overall” and 139 as “you are at the top of A2, almost B1.” Practice goals should sit comfortably above 120 so exam-day stress does not push you under the line.

A1 band: 100–119

Scores from 100 to 119 map to A1. You have not reached the A2 Key pass standard, but Cambridge still recognises demonstrated A1 performance with an A1 certificate when your overall score falls in this range. Many candidates who are early in their English journey still find this useful for school records or immigration pathways that accept A1 evidence.

B1 from 140

From 140 upward (within the A2 Key reported range up to 150), performance is described at B1. That does not mean you took B1 Preliminary. It means your A2 Key performance was strong enough to be certified at the next CEFR level. Grade A (140–150) is exactly this outcome: you keep the achievement of sitting A2 Key but receive documentation at B1.

Each Skill Gets Its Own Score

A2 Key assesses four skills:

1. Reading
2. Writing
3. Listening
4. Speaking

Each skill receives its own Cambridge English Scale score (again in the 100–150 range of interest for this exam). You do not only get one global number. The Statement of Results shows a profile so you can see, for example, that Listening is 135 while Writing is 118.

Why skill scores matter more than “I passed”

• Next exam planning: A candidate with Reading 142 and Speaking 121 may need speaking practice before B1 Preliminary, not more reading drills.
• Course placement: Teachers use the profile to set priorities for the next term.
• Employers and institutions: Some organisations care that every skill meets a minimum; a single weak skill can matter even if the average is high.

How papers map to skills

A2 Key is organised as three papers, but four skills:

Reading and Writing share one timed paper and one answer document in paper-based mode, but Cambridge still produces two scale scores from that paper. That design is essential when you study how the overall score is averaged (Section 2.3).

Overall Score From the Four Skills

Your overall Cambridge English Scale score is derived from the four skill scores. Officially, candidates should understand overall performance as reflecting the average of Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. Because each skill is weighted equally in that average, no single paper “owns” the certificate by itself—and you are not required to pass every paper separately at 120 to receive an overall A2 result.

That said, a very low skill can still pull the average under 120 even if two skills look strong. Balanced preparation across all four skills is the safest path to a secure pass.

Reading the numbers without panic

Scale scores are not the same as “percentage correct” on the day. A raw mark of 20/25 on Listening is converted through Cambridge’s equating process to a scale score. Two candidates with slightly different raw marks on different versions can end with the same scale score if the versions differed in difficulty. Focus practice on skill mastery, not on inventing your own conversion table from unofficial mock tests—unless you use Cambridge’s published converting-practice-test guidance for approximate mapping only.

Common misconceptions

Study actions that match the scale

1. Set a target overall of at least 125–130 in mocks so you have a buffer under 120.
2. Track four skill scores, not only a blended “test percentage.”
3. Push toward 140 only if B1 certification is a real goal; Grade A is a stretch target, not the minimum for a successful A2 Key pass.
4. Use official sample papers and Cambridge’s converting-practice-test materials when you want a rough sense of scale position from raw marks.

The next section turns these bands into grades A, B, and C and explains which certificate you receive. The section after that shows exactly how paper marks feed the four skills and the overall average.