Am I aware of my level of english? — comparing students’ perceptions of CEFR levels and diagnostic test results

University students in Portugal are often required to certify their level of English before, after or during their course of studies, either as a degree or international studies program requirement. Consequently, at the Catholic University in Lisbon, students are often asked to take writing and speaking diagnostic tests in order to assess their proficiency in the foreign language and place them into the right Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) level. Although students in Portugal are generally aware of the different levels, they seldom lack specific knowledge concerning the objectives or descriptors that the reference involves and hesitate when asked what is their level of English as a Foreign Language. This lack of knowledge constrains one of the advantages of the CEFR for learners which would be”to encourage practitioners in the language field to reflect on their current practice, particularly in relation to learners’ practical language learning needs, the setting of suitable objectives and the tracking of learner progress” (North, 2006). It would be desirable that such framework, which seems to offer such clear guidance for teachers, would also be beneficial for the students, particularly at tertiary level, given that most graduate and post-graduate course requirements around the world are now aligned with the CEFR standards. This study compares students’ diagnostic test results to their perception of their own CEFR levels. The data include a speaking interview to assess oral skills, a written diagnostic test to assess grammar, vocabulary and writing and a questionnaire based on the CEFR self-assessment grid. Two undergraduate classes enrolled in the Media Studies course participated in the study which main goal was to achieve a better understanding of students’ perception of the CEFR levels and, ultimately, to help increase student’s awareness of the language learning process.