MET scoring
MET scores, explained
What the number means, what the letter means, and which one your institution actually cares about.
The 0–80 scale
A MET result is a score out of 80, and that score converts to a CEFR level — the common European scale that runs from A1 (beginner) to C2 (mastery). The MET reports from A2 up to C1.
| Scaled score | CEFR level |
|---|---|
| 64–80 | C1 |
| 53–63 | B2 |
| 40–52 | B1 |
| 27–39 | A2 |
| Below 27 | Below A2 |
- The same cut scores apply to all four skills.
- C1 is the ceiling — the MET does not report C2.
What “a good score” actually means
There is no universal pass mark, and any preparation provider who gives you one is guessing on your behalf. A good MET score is whatever your school, employer, or programme has set as its minimum. Ask them for the number in writing before you book the test, and check whether they set a minimum on individual skills as well as on the overall.
Use the CEFR table above for orientation only: it tells you what level a score corresponds to, not whether that level clears the bar you personally need.
How Writing is judged
Writing is marked on five criteria, each scored 0–4, from the rating scale published by Michigan Language Assessment. In plain English, here is what each criterion is looking at:
| Criterion | What it looks at |
|---|---|
| Grammatical Accuracy | How often errors appear, and whether they obscure your meaning. |
| Vocabulary | Whether your word choice is precise and suited to the task, or simple and sometimes misused. |
| Mechanics | Sentence boundaries, punctuation, and spelling. |
| Cohesion and Organization | Whether ideas connect, and whether your linking devices are used correctly. |
| Task Completion | Whether you answered the actual task, with developed supporting detail. |
How Speaking is judged
Speaking is marked on three criteria, each scored 0–4, from the same published source:
| Criterion | What it looks at |
|---|---|
| Task Completion | Whether your response is relevant and complete, with real supporting detail. |
| Language Resources | Your control of structures, and whether your vocabulary fits the task. |
| Intelligibility and Delivery | How clear and how smooth you are, and how much effort a listener has to make. |
Lexis applies those published descriptors word for word when it marks your practice Speaking, rather than a Lexis paraphrase of them. See how Lexis scores your mock exams.
Thresholds that check two numbers, not one
Some pathways do not look only at your overall score. The CGFNS VisaScreen threshold checks two numbers: 55 or above on the overall score and 55 or above on Speaking.
Every Lexis MET score report tells you whether your projection clears both, because a strong overall carried by Listening and Reading can hide a Speaking score that fails the requirement on its own.
What a Lexis MET score report shows you
- An estimated MET-equivalent score and a CEFR level.
- Item review, so you can see exactly which questions went wrong.
- Writing and speaking feedback against the published criteria.
- Recorded speaking-response playback, so you can hear what the marker heard.
- Whether your projection clears the 55/55 overall-and-Speaking threshold.
You get a report like this on every one of the 10 full-length mocks in the Mock Package. Projected scores are estimates to guide your preparation — they are not official MET results.
Questions
Everything you might want to know.
What is a good MET score?
It depends entirely on what your school, employer, or programme requires, so ask them for their minimum first. For orientation: 64 and above is C1, 53 to 63 is B2, 40 to 52 is B1, and 27 to 39 is A2.
Does the MET report a C2 level?
No. C1 is the ceiling label on the MET. If you are aiming at the top of the scale, C1 is the top of the scale.
Are the CEFR cut scores different for each skill?
No. The same cut scores apply to all four skills.
How are MET Writing and Speaking judged?
On the rating scales published by Michigan Language Assessment: five criteria for Writing and three for Speaking, each scored 0 to 4. Lexis applies those published descriptors word for word when it marks your practice work.
Is my Lexis MET score an official MET result?
No. Every Lexis mock is AI-graded and returns a projected MET score range and CEFR level. Projected scores are estimates to guide your preparation, not official MET results.
See where your MET score lands today
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See MET packagesMET® is a trademark of Michigan Language Assessment. Lexis is an independent preparation provider and is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, Michigan Language Assessment.
Projected scores are estimates, not official MET results.