What Are the Levels in Duolingo? Sections, Units & CEFR Explained

What Are the Levels in Duolingo?

If you are new to Duolingo, the word “level” can be confusing because it does not refer to just one system. Duolingo has used different ways to measure progress over time, including XP levels, Crown Levels, Learning Path levels, sections, units, and the Duolingo Score.

The most important thing to understand is that your Duolingo course progress is not the same as your actual language proficiency. Completing more lessons means you have progressed further through the course, but it does not automatically mean you are fluent.

Today, the clearest way to understand your progress is to look at the sections and units in your course. These show where you are in the Learning Path, while CEFR levels such as A1, A2, B1, and B2 provide a broader way to describe language ability.

How Many Levels Are There in Duolingo?

Duolingo previously used a 1–25 XP level system, where Level 1 was the lowest and Level 25 was the highest. That system focused mainly on the amount of XP a learner earned.

The newer course structure is different. Instead of giving every learner one universal set of 25 levels, Duolingo organizes courses into sections and units. The number of sections and units depends on the language course.

Based on the course figures covered in the available data, courses can contain roughly 3 to 9 sections, while the number of units can range from fewer than 20 to more than 200.

This means there is no single number that answers “How many levels does Duolingo have?” for every language.

Your course may be much shorter or longer than another course because Duolingo does not give every language the same amount of content.

Why Duolingo Levels Are Confusing

The confusion mostly comes from the fact that several different progression systems have existed or are still discussed.

When someone says “I am Level 15 in Duolingo,” they could be talking about an old XP level. Someone else might use “level” to describe a position on the Learning Path. Another learner might be referring to their CEFR proficiency, while the Duolingo Score provides yet another measurement.

These systems should not be treated as interchangeable.

A learner can make substantial progress through a Duolingo course without that progress translating directly into an equivalent CEFR level. Likewise, reaching a particular course position does not automatically make someone fluent.

The Old Duolingo XP Levels: 1 to 25

The original XP-based system used 25 levels.

Level 1 represented the lowest stage, while Level 25 represented the highest XP level. Your level increased as you accumulated experience points from completing activities.

XP, or Experience Points, was therefore primarily a measurement of activity and progress within Duolingo rather than a direct test of your language ability.

For example, two learners could have different XP totals because one practices more frequently, completes more lessons, or spends more time using Duolingo. That does not necessarily mean one person has twice the language ability of the other.

The old 1–25 system is still important because many older guides and discussions use these numbers. However, it should not be confused with the current section-and-unit structure.

Duolingo’s Current Sections and Units

The newer Learning Path organizes course content into sections and units.

A section contains multiple units, and units contain the lessons and learning activities that move you forward through the course.

This makes course progression easier to understand than simply looking at XP because you can see where you are in the actual learning material.

The number of units varies considerably between languages. For example, the available course data gives Spanish at 236 units and French at 225 units, while some smaller courses contain fewer than 20 units.

This difference is important when comparing languages. Being on Unit 50 in one course does not necessarily represent the same amount of course content as Unit 50 in another.

How Many Sections and Units Does Each Duolingo Course Have?

The number of sections and units differs by language. The following figures provide the course-size overview covered in the available data.

Language	Sections	Units
Arabic	4	36
Chinese	5	63
Czech	5	63
Danish	5	46
Dutch	5	85
Esperanto	5	45
Finnish	4	29
French	9	225
German	7	137
Greek	5	67
Hebrew	5	60
Hindi	4	27
Hungarian	5	77
Indonesian	5	50
Irish	5	48
Italian	5	72
Japanese	6	131
Korean	5	78
Latin	4	20
Navajo	3	13
Norwegian	7	165
Polish	5	49
Portuguese	5	81
Romanian	5	46
Russian	5	67
Scottish	5	75
Spanish	9	236
Swahili	5	53
Swedish	5	61
Turkish	5	49
Ukrainian	4	39
Vietnamese	5	55
Welsh	5	75
Yiddish	5	67
Zulu	5	19

These figures show why there is no universal number of Duolingo levels. A learner studying Spanish may encounter a substantially longer course than someone studying Navajo, Latin, or Zulu.

The exact course structure can also change as Duolingo updates its courses, so these numbers should be understood as course data rather than a permanent rule for every language.

What Do the Duolingo Sections Mean?

Sections represent major stages of the Learning Path. As you move through them, the material generally becomes more advanced.

The section structure can also be associated with broad proficiency stages. In the course data provided, the progression is approximately:

Section 1–2 → A1

Section 3–4 → A2

Section 5–6 → B1

Section 7–8 → B2

Section 9 → C1

However, this mapping should not be interpreted as a universal guarantee for every Duolingo language course.

Some courses do not contain nine sections, and not every course reaches C1. The amount of content and the highest proficiency target can vary by language.

What Are the CEFR Levels in Duolingo?

CEFR, or the Common European Framework of Reference, is a widely used framework for describing language proficiency.

The six main CEFR levels are:

• A1
• A2
• B1
• B2
• C1
• C2

A1 and A2 represent beginner-level ability. B1 and B2 describe intermediate and upper-intermediate ability, while C1 and C2 represent advanced proficiency.

Duolingo course progression can be related to CEFR levels, but the two systems are not identical.

For example, completing a certain Duolingo section does not mean you have officially earned that CEFR certification. CEFR describes what you can actually do with a language, including areas such as comprehension and communication.

This distinction is especially important for anyone using Duolingo to prepare for real-world language use.

What Is the Duolingo Score?

The Duolingo Score is another way to understand progress.

The score ranges from 0 to 160. The data provided describes these broad ranges:

10–55: Basic

60–85: Intermediate

90–115: Upper-Intermediate

125–160: Advanced

The same material describes 95+ as very good and 110+ as excellent.

The Duolingo Score should not be confused with your course unit number or your old XP level. These measurements answer different questions.

Your course position tells you how far you have progressed through the learning material. XP reflects experience earned from activities. The Duolingo Score provides another measure of learning progress.

Are Duolingo Course Levels the Same as Language Fluency?

No.

Completing a Duolingo level, unit, or even an entire course does not automatically mean that you are fluent.

Fluency involves being able to understand and communicate naturally in different situations. That includes vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, pronunciation, conversation, and the ability to respond appropriately in context.

This is why a learner should not use a Duolingo level as the only measurement of language ability.

For example, someone may complete a large amount of Duolingo content but still need additional exposure to real-world language before communicating comfortably.

What Were Duolingo Crown Levels?

Before the newer Learning Path structure, Duolingo also used a Crown system.

A skill could have multiple Crown Levels as learners completed increasingly difficult versions of that skill. The historical system used up to 6 Crown Levels, numbered from 0 to 5.

Some explanations also describe five progression levels within individual skills. The important point is that Crowns belong to the older skill-based progression model and should not be confused with today’s section-and-unit structure.

The Crown system helped learners see how deeply they had practiced a particular skill. It was different from the overall XP level.

What Happened to the 25 Duolingo Levels?

The old 25-level XP system was gradually replaced as Duolingo moved toward the Learning Path.

Instead of asking only how much XP you have accumulated, the newer structure places greater emphasis on progressing through course content.

That means older statements such as “Level 25 is the highest Duolingo level” can be misleading when applied to the current course structure.

The more useful question today is often: Which section and unit are you currently studying, and what material does that part of the course cover?

Can You Skip Duolingo Levels?

Yes. Duolingo has provided ways for learners to move ahead when existing material is too easy.

Two important options discussed in the available information are the Placement Test and Jump Here.

A learner who already knows some of the language can use testing or a jump-ahead option to reach more appropriate content instead of starting from the very beginning.

The jump-ahead process involves a test, and the historical information describes a test with 5 lives. This approach can be useful for learners who have previous experience with the language.

Skipping ahead, however, does not mean that earlier knowledge is perfect. If advanced lessons become difficult, reviewing older units can help reinforce weaker areas.

How Long Are Duolingo Courses?

There is no single course length.

The available data shows a major difference between languages. Spanish is listed with 236 units across 9 sections, while French has 225 units across 9 sections. German has 137 units across 7 sections, and Japanese has 131 units across 6 sections.

At the shorter end, Navajo is listed with 13 units across 3 sections, while Zulu has 19 units across 5 sections and Latin has 20 units across 4 sections.

This variation explains why comparing your unit number directly with another learner can be misleading.

How Should You Measure Your Duolingo Progress?

For most learners, the easiest approach is to use your current section and unit as your primary course-progress indicator.

XP can show how actively you use Duolingo, while the Duolingo Score can provide another indication of progress. CEFR is useful when you want to understand broader language proficiency.

In other words, these measurements work best when you understand what each one is actually measuring rather than trying to convert every number into a single “level.”

A learner who wants a simple progress check can ask three questions: Where am I in my course? What can I understand and produce in the language? Which CEFR stage does my demonstrated ability most closely resemble?

Duolingo Levels for Spanish and French

Spanish and French are among the longer courses in the available data.

The Spanish course is listed at 9 sections and 236 units, while the French course is listed at 9 sections and 225 units.

The section-to-CEFR progression provided in the data places Sections 1 and 2 around A1, Sections 3 and 4 around A2, Sections 5 and 6 around B1, Sections 7 and 8 around B2, and Section 9 around C1.

This makes the section structure particularly useful for learners who want to understand how their course progression relates to broader proficiency stages.

Still, completing a section should be viewed as progress through Duolingo’s curriculum, not as an official CEFR assessment.

What Is the Difference Between XP, Levels, Sections, Units, and Score?

The easiest way to avoid confusion is to stop treating all Duolingo numbers as the same type of measurement.

XP represents experience points earned through activities.

Old Levels referred to the historical 1–25 XP progression.

Crown Levels were associated with the older skill-based system.

Units are pieces of course content within the newer Learning Path.

Sections group units into larger stages of the course.

Duolingo Score uses a 0–160 scale to describe progress.

CEFR describes language proficiency through A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2.

Once these terms are separated, the Duolingo progression system becomes much easier to understand.

What Is the Highest Duolingo Level?

There is no single highest course level that applies to every Duolingo language.

Historically, the XP system ended at Level 25. The newer system depends on the course, with the available data showing courses containing approximately 3 to 9 sections and very different numbers of units.

Some courses have more than 200 units, while others have fewer than 20.

The highest possible position therefore depends on the language you are learning and the current structure of that course.

Does Level 25 Mean You Are Fluent?

No.

The old Level 25 represented the highest point of the historical XP progression system. It did not certify fluency.

The same principle applies to the newer course structure. Finishing units or sections demonstrates that you completed Duolingo content, but language proficiency depends on what you can actually understand and communicate.

For a more realistic picture of your ability, consider your comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, reading, listening, and real-world communication skills alongside your Duolingo progress.

The Bottom Line

So, what are the levels in Duolingo? The answer depends on which Duolingo progression system you mean.

The old system had 25 XP levels, while the older skill system used Crown Levels. The newer Learning Path is organized around sections and units, and the size of those courses varies significantly between languages.

The Duolingo Score runs from 0 to 160, while language proficiency can be described through the CEFR framework from A1 to C2.

The most important takeaway is that these are not interchangeable measurements. Your XP, course position, Score, Crown history, and CEFR proficiency describe different aspects of your learning journey.

If you are using Duolingo today, your section and unit position are the clearest way to understand where you are inside your course, while your actual language abilities are the better indicator of how much you can communicate outside the app.