The books are positioned based on headwords primarily, and in the absence of such, readability factors and 'best guesses.' The comparison table shows how the scale compares to other major EFL proficiency scales.
Publishers should contact me if they wish their series to be added or amended in some way.
Latest update Jan 5 2019. I plan to do a major update every
year or so. Let me
know if I missed something
Here is a PDF file of some
of this dated Feb 2016
Beg. | Elem | Int. | Upper Int. | Advanced |
|
Bridge | Near Native | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alphabet |
Early | Mid | High | Early | Mid | High | Early | Mid | High | Early | Mid | High | Early | Mid | High | Early | Mid | High | |||
Headword level |
1-50 | 51-100 | 101-200 | 201-300 | 301-400 | 401-600 | 601-800 | 801-1000 | 1001-1250 | 1251-1500 | 1501-1800 | 1801-2100 | 2101-2400 | 2401-3000 | 3001-3600 | 3601-4500+ | 4501-6000 | 6001-8000 | 8001-12000 | 12001-18000 | |
Abax | 1200 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Awesome Adventure Readers |
|
|
|
1 2 3 |
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
Burlington Books | ESO Readers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
Burlington Books | Bachillerato Readers | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
Cideb's Black Cats | Early Reads | 1 | 2 3 | 4 5 | |||||||||||||||||
Cideb's Black Cats | Easyreads | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
Cideb's Black Cats | Green Apple | Starter | Step 1 | Step 2 | |||||||||||||||||
Cideb's Black Cats | Reading and Training | Step 1 | Step 2-B1.1 | Step 3-B1.2 | Step 4-B2.1 | Step 5-B2.2 | Step 6-C1 | ||||||||||||||
Cideb's Black Cats | Reading and Training Discovery | Step 1 | Step 2-B1.1 | Step 3-B1.2 | Step 4-B2.1 | Step 5-B2.2 | Step 6-C1 | ||||||||||||||
Cideb's Black Cats | Reading and Training Professional | Step 1-A2 | Step 2-B1.1 | Step 3-B1.2 | |||||||||||||||||
Cideb's Black Cats | Reading Classics | C1 | C2 | ||||||||||||||||||
Cideb's Black Cats | Interact with literature | B2 | C1 | ||||||||||||||||||
Cambridge University Press | Cambridge English readers | Starters | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |||||||||||||
Cambridge University Press | Discovery readers | Starter | Beg./Elem | Elem/Low Int | Low Int | Int | Upper int | ||||||||||||||
Compass Publishing | Classic readers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||||||||||||||
Collins ELT | English Readers | Readers | |||||||||||||||||||
Collins ELT | Amazing People | 1-A2 | 2- A2-B1 | 3- B1 | 4 - B2 | ||||||||||||||||
Collins ELT | Agathe Christie Readers | 1-A2 | 2- A2-B1 | 3- B1 | 4 - B2 | ||||||||||||||||
Egmont Easyreaders | Teen readers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
Egmont Easy Readers | Read On | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
Egmont Easyreaders | Easy Readers | A | B | C | D | ||||||||||||||||
ELI Readers | Classics | B1/B2 | |||||||||||||||||||
ELI Readers | White | A1/A2 | |||||||||||||||||||
ELI Readers | Ready to Read | Beg/ Elem | |||||||||||||||||||
ELI Readers | Teen beat | Elem | Lower Int. | Int. | |||||||||||||||||
ELI Readers | Young Adult | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |||||||||||||||
ELI Readers | Young ELI Readers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
Express Publishing readers | Illustrated readers | 1-A1 | 2-A | B1 | |||||||||||||||||
Express Publishing readers | ELT Graded readers | 1-A2 | 2-B1 | ||||||||||||||||||
Express Publishing readers | Classic readers | A2 | B1 | B2 | C1 | ||||||||||||||||
Express Publishing readers | ELT Showtime | A1 | A2 | B1 | |||||||||||||||||
Foxton
Readers |
Starter |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
7 |
||||||||||||||
Garnet Education | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | ||||||||||||||||
International Language Teaching Services (Heuber) | Classic readers | Classic readers | |||||||||||||||||||
International Language Teaching Services (Heuber) | Robin readers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||||||||||||||
Helbling | Classics | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |||||||||||||||
Helbling | Fiction Graphic Stories | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
Helbling | Fiction Short reads | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
Helbling | Fiction | 4 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||
Helbling | Young Readers | ?? | ?? | ?? | |||||||||||||||||
Heinle Cengage | Footprint Reading Library | 800-A2 | 1000-A2 | 1300-B1 | 1600-B1 | 1900-B2 | 2200-B2 | 2600-C1 3000-C1 | |||||||||||||
Heinle Cengage | Foundations Reading Library | 1 2 | 3 4 | 5 | 6 7 | ||||||||||||||||
Heinle Cengage | Page Turners
Reading Library![]() |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Level12 | ||||||||
Heinle Cengage | Heinle Reading Library | A | B | C | |||||||||||||||||
Heinle Cengage | Classic Comics | B1 | B2 | ||||||||||||||||||
Heinle Cengage | Collections | A | B | C | |||||||||||||||||
Hueber Lekt�ren | 1 | 2 | 3 | level 4 | 5 | 6 | |||||||||||||||
Macmillan | Macmillan readers | Starter-A1 | Beg.-A1 | Elem-A2 | Pre-Int-A2/B1 | Int-B1 | Upper Int-B2 | ||||||||||||||
Macmillan
Language House |
Read
Smart Readers |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5> |
|||||||||||||||
Marshall Cavendish (owned by Heinle Cengage) | Summertown
readers ![]() |
Pre-Int B1 | Int B2 | Adv C1 | |||||||||||||||||
Marshall Cavendish | Fast Track Classics | Pre-Int B1 | Int B2 | ||||||||||||||||||
MM Publications | Primary readers | Levels 1, 2, 3, 4 | 5 6 | ||||||||||||||||||
MM Publications | Top readers | A1 | A2.1 | A2.2 | B1 | B2 | |||||||||||||||
MM Publications | Classic stories | A1 | A2.1 | B1 | B2 | ||||||||||||||||
MM Publications | Original stories | A1 | A2.1 | B1 | |||||||||||||||||
MPI ![]() |
Building Blocks Library | 1 2 | 3 4 | 5 | 6 7 | 8 | 9 | ||||||||||||||
Oxford University Press | Bookworms Library | Starter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Stage 6-B2/C1 | |||||||||||||
Oxford University Press | Dominoes | Starter | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
Oxford University Press | Factfiles (in Bookworms Library) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |||||||||||||||
Oxford University Press | Graded readers (defunct?) | 500 | 750 | ||||||||||||||||||
Oxford University Press | Oxford Bookworms Collection |
Series
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Oxford University Press | English Today readers | ||||||||||||||||||||
Oxford University Press | Oxford Bookworms Club | C1 | C2 | ||||||||||||||||||
Oxford University Press | Playscripts | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
Oxford University Press | Progressive English readers | Starter | 1 | 2 | 3 | Grade 4 Grade 5 | |||||||||||||||
Oxford University Press | Storylines | ||||||||||||||||||||
Penguin readers | Penguin readers | Easystarts | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |||||||||||||
Penguin readers | Penguin Active reading | Easystarts | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||||||||||||||
R.I.C Publications | Fast Fiction | Fast fiction | |||||||||||||||||||
R.I.C Publications | ELT Readers (Scholastic titles) see below | ||||||||||||||||||||
R.I.C Publications | Elem | Pre-int | |||||||||||||||||||
Richmond readers | Readers | Young Starter | Starter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Adv. | |||||||||||||
Richmond readers | Media readers | ||||||||||||||||||||
Richmond readers | World facts | ||||||||||||||||||||
Scholastic ELT | ELT readers (Mary Glasgow) | Starters | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
Seed
Learning |
World
History Readers |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
||||||||||||||
Usborne |
Usborne
English Readers |
||||||||||||||||||||
Witman readers | |||||||||||||||||||||
World Wide readers | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
Yohan (Now IBC) | Ladders | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Junior African writers | |||||||||||||||||
Shonan Jump (manga in English) | |||||||||||||||||
Childbook (English books with a Chinese flavor) | |||||||||||||||||
Jamestown |
Chinese
Graded readers (Mandarin Companion) |
Level 1 300 Characters | Level 2 450 Characters | |||||||||||||||
Chinese graded readers | |||||||||||||||||
Chinese graded readers | |||||||||||||||||
French Graded readers | |||||||||||||||||
French Graded readers | |||||||||||||||||
French German Spanish Italian Graded readers | |||||||||||||||||
French readers | |||||||||||||||||
French readers | |||||||||||||||||
French
Readers by ELI |
|||||||||||||||||
Japanese Graded readers | |||||||||||||||||
Japanese Graded readers | |||||||||||||||||
Japanese graded readers | |||||||||||||||||
Italian
Readers by ELI |
|||||||||||||||||
German readers | |||||||||||||||||
Cornelsen readers (German) | |||||||||||||||||
German readers | |||||||||||||||||
German readers | |||||||||||||||||
German
readers by ELI |
|||||||||||||||||
Italian Readers | |||||||||||||||||
Russian Readers | |||||||||||||||||
Russian readers (1961) - available here | |||||||||||||||||
Spanish readers | |||||||||||||||||
Spanish readers | |||||||||||||||||
Spanish readers | |||||||||||||||||
Spanish readers | |||||||||||||||||
Spanish readers | |||||||||||||||||
Spanish
Readers |
|||||||||||||||||
Spanish
Readers by ELI |
Thanks to Tom Robb for many of the non-English ones.