B2: the level French institutions ask for

B2 is where French stops being a subject and starts being a tool. It is also the level that appears on university admission pages, and a DELF B2 will usually excuse you from any further language testing. For most people it is the certificate worth aiming at.

What B2 actually lets you do

At B2 you can follow a lecture, argue a position, read a newspaper without a dictionary and hold your own in a meeting. You will still miss jokes and fast group conversation, but nothing practical is closed to you any more.

How long it takes

French sits in the easiest group of languages for an English speaker, alongside Spanish and Italian. B2 usually costs somewhere between five and six hundred hours of real study - more than Spanish takes to reach B1, which is the honest comparison to make before you plan.

Studying and working in French

For studying in France, B2 is the usual requirement and a DELF B2 is accepted in place of the TCF at most universities. It is also the level at which internships and graduate jobs in French-speaking companies stop treating your French as a risk.

Check the level you actually need

If your reason is naturalisation rather than study, the bar has been lower than B2 - so check the current requirement before you book, because it has been revised in recent years and paying for a level above the one you need is an expensive way to be safe.