First, one important limit
This is guidance, not an official proficiency test
CEFR levels describe what a learner can do across communication activities. One short reading check cannot certify a level, and your reading may be stronger or weaker than your listening, speaking, or writing. Use this page only to choose a useful starting point for graded stories.
A1 reading check
47 Spanish words
Read once without opening the translation. You do not need to know every word. Try to answer the three questions from the event itself.
La caja en el número ochenta y uno
The Box at Number Eighty-One
Clara vive en el número dieciocho. Hoy sus vecinos abren una biblioteca pequeña. Clara lleva una caja de libros. Es un día importante para todos.
Un repartidor recoge la caja. Él mira la dirección muy rápido. Lee ochenta y uno. Después lleva la caja a otra casa.
Check the English translation
Clara lives at number eighteen. Today her neighbors open a small library. Clara carries a box of books. It is an important day for everyone.
A courier collects the box. He looks at the address very quickly. He reads eighty-one. Then he takes the box to another house.
Can you recover these details?
- What is Clara carrying?
- Why is the day important to the neighbors?
- What number does the courier read?
Check the event summary
Clara is carrying a box of books for the neighbors' new library. The courier reads number eighty-one and takes the box to the wrong house.
Observable A1 signals
- You can identify Clara, the library, the box, and the two house numbers without translating each sentence.
- You can follow the explicit order: Clara prepares the books, a courier reads the address, and the box goes to another house.
- Present-tense actions and concrete everyday words carry the event, so no unstated motive is needed to understand it.
A2 reading check
105 Spanish words
Read once without opening the translation. You do not need to know every word. Try to answer the three questions from the event itself.
La caja en el número ochenta y uno
The Box at Number Eighty-One
Clara vivía en el número dieciocho y colaboraba con sus vecinos. Aquel sábado inauguraron una biblioteca pequeña en un local del barrio. Ella preparó una caja con novelas y libros infantiles. También escribió la dirección con un marcador azul.
Un repartidor llegó poco antes del mediodía. Miró la etiqueta durante unos segundos. Confundió el dieciocho con el ochenta y uno. Llevó la caja a una casa situada al final de la calle.
Clara esperó junto a los estantes vacíos. Los vecinos colocaron mesas y prepararon limonada. Pasó una hora y la caja no llegó. Entonces Clara llamó al servicio de reparto y explicó el problema.
Check the English translation
Clara lived at number eighteen and helped her neighbors. That Saturday they opened a small library in a neighborhood storefront. She prepared a box with novels and children's books. She also wrote the address with a blue marker.
A courier arrived shortly before noon. He looked at the label for a few seconds. He confused eighteen with eighty-one. He took the box to a house at the end of the street.
Clara waited beside the empty shelves. The neighbors arranged tables and prepared lemonade. An hour passed and the box did not arrive. Then Clara called the delivery service and explained the problem.
Can you recover these details?
- What did Clara and her neighbors prepare for Saturday?
- Why did the courier take the box to another house?
- What did Clara do after an hour passed?
Check the event summary
The neighbors prepared a small library, and Clara prepared donated books. The courier confused eighteen with eighty-one, so Clara called the delivery service after the box failed to arrive.
Observable A2 signals
- You can follow a short beginning, problem, and consequence even when several events are narrated in common past forms.
- You can use time and sequence cues such as aquel sábado, poco antes del mediodía, and entonces to keep the plot organized.
- You can recover the main idea from key phrases and context even if words such as inauguraron, etiqueta, or estantes are new.
- You can connect the visible cause and result: the handwritten number is misread, so the books do not reach the library.
Choose from what you observed
Which description is closest?
Submit one honest observation. The recommendation is a practice starting point, not a score.
Suggested starting point · A1
Start with A1 and use the support deliberately
A1 is the useful starting point when the shorter, explicit sequence still takes close work. The label is not a judgment about your overall Spanish; it identifies the reading practice most likely to stay understandable.
Try next: Read the A1 story once in Spanish, check the full translation after each paragraph, then reread the Spanish without stopping. Aim to recover the people, place, and event order before worrying about every word.
Complete decision guide
Every recommendation remains available
The form highlights one path, but it does not hide the rest of the guidance. Compare all four outcomes here.
| What you observed | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The A1 example needed frequent word-by-word translation | A1 | A1 is the useful starting point when the shorter, explicit sequence still takes close work. The label is not a judgment about your overall Spanish; it identifies the reading practice most likely to stay understandable. |
| The A1 example was clear, but I lost the plot in A2 | A1 | You are ready to read complete A1 stories and stretch toward A2. Losing the event sequence matters more than meeting a particular unknown-word count. |
| A1 was clear, and A2 was challenging but I followed it | A2 | A2 is a good working level when the longer sequence requires attention but you can still explain what happened, why the problem occurred, and what followed. |
| Both examples were comfortable and the details were clear | A2 | Comfort with both excerpts makes A2 the stronger daily baseline. It does not prove an official A2 result, and your listening, writing, speaking, or other reading tasks may show a different profile. |
What matters more than a percentage
Follow meaning before counting unknown words
People and place
Can you identify who is involved and where the event happens?
Sequence and cause
Can you say what happened first, what changed, and why?
Recovery
Can you keep reading past a new word and use the sentence or paragraph to recover the main idea?
No official CEFR rule says that knowing a fixed percentage of words proves A1 or A2. These observable signals are Read Spanish Daily guidance derived from broader official descriptors.
Official sources and interpretation limits
- Council of Europe · CEFR Companion Volume (2020)Provides illustrative reading descriptors. A1 emphasizes very short, simple texts; A2 expands to short, simple texts on familiar concrete matters and straightforward short narratives.
- Instituto Cervantes · A1–A2 general objectivesDescribes A1 processing of very brief, simple, clearly structured written texts and A2 use of key words or phrases to capture main ideas and topic changes in brief texts.
- Instituto Cervantes · A1–A2 written genresShows the broader range of written reception at A2, including brief simplified stories, biographies, reports, personal messages, and predictable news on familiar topics.
- Instituto Cervantes · A1–A2 pragmatic strategiesDocuments progression in maintaining reference and following discourse through pronouns, adverbs, repetition, and familiar connectors rather than isolated vocabulary alone.
The Council of Europe and Instituto Cervantes sources orient the level distinction. The excerpts, self-observation choices, and recommendation paths are original Read Spanish Daily materials and still require qualified review.