Six bands, from “I can order coffee” to “I can argue in a meeting”

You can use simple phrases for immediate needs — introducing yourself, asking for things by name, following very slow, clearly-articulated speech.

• Order food or ask for directions with simple phrases
• Fill in a form with basic personal details
• Understand short, simple instructions in familiar contexts

To reach A2: build a working vocabulary of everyday objects and routines, and get comfortable with present and past simple.

You can handle short, routine exchanges on familiar topics — shopping, local geography, employment — even if you need things repeated slowly.

• Describe your background and immediate environment in simple terms
• Handle short social exchanges, even without following enough to keep the conversation going yourself
• Read short, simple texts and find predictable information

To reach B1: start producing connected sentences on topics you know well, not just isolated phrases.

You can deal with most situations likely to arise while travelling, and produce simple connected text on familiar topics or personal interest.

• Handle unprepared conversation on familiar topics — work, school, hobbies
• Describe experiences, events and ambitions, and give brief reasons for opinions
• Understand the main points of clear, standard input on familiar matters

To reach B2: aim for fluency without constantly searching for words, and start following faster, less predictable speech.

You can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers unstrained, on a wide range of subjects.

• Understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics
• Interact fluently enough that neither party strains
• Produce clear, detailed text and explain a viewpoint, weighing advantages and disadvantages

To reach C1: work on precision — register, idiom and the kind of nuance formal writing and negotiation demand.

You can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes, with only occasional, minor slips.

• Understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts and recognise implicit meaning
• Express ideas fluently and spontaneously without obvious searching for expressions
• Use language flexibly for social, academic and professional purposes

To reach C2: this is mostly about the ceiling cases — very dense, culturally-loaded, or highly technical material.

You can understand virtually everything heard or read, and summarise information from different spoken and written sources coherently.

• Understand virtually everything heard or read with ease
• Express yourself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely in complex situations
• Differentiate finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations

There isn't a next CEFR band — from here it's about maintaining range across specialised registers.