Here's a quick test.
I'm going to say a word, and you tell me, do you actually know it?
Not, I've seen it before.
Not, I think it means something like.
Do you actually know it well enough to use it correctly in a sentence?
Ready?
The first word is tenacious.
Then reticent.
Finally, perspicacious.
If those words felt comfortable, you're already operating at a very high level.
But if one or two of them made you hesitate a little bit, stay with me, because today we're going to find out exactly where you stand when it comes to vocabulary in English.
This is not a vocabulary lesson.
This is a diagnostic.
Hey everybody, Thiago here and welcome back to another video.
Today's video is a vocabulary quiz, but it's a specific kind of quiz.
The title promises you 10 C1 words, and that's exactly what you will get.
But to get there, we're going to go through 15 words in total.
A short warm-up at B2, then 10 C1 words at the core, and two C2 bonus questions at the end.
That, you know, will challenge even advanced learners.
For each word, I'll give you three sentences.
Only one of them uses the word correctly.
Your job is to find it.
Keep score as we go.
I'll tell you what your result means at the end of the video.
So, let's start.
B2 warm-up, questions 1 to 3.
Three warm-up questions.
These are B2 level.
Most of you should know them.
If you do, great.
You're exactly where you should be.
If you don't, that's okay.
That's also useful information for you.
Let's go.
Question 1.
Ambiguous.
She was ambiguous about the trip, so she packed her bags immediately.
The politician gave an ambiguous answer.
No one could tell if he supported the bill or not.
The ambiguous weather made it a perfect day for the beach.
Which sentence uses ambiguous correctly?
The answer is B.
Ambiguous means open to more than one interpretation, deliberately or accidentally unclear.
It describes language, situations, or signals that can be read in two or more ways.
You don't feel ambiguous.
You feel uncertain.
And weather isn't ambiguous.
It's just weather.
The politician's answer is ambiguous.
Because it could mean yes or it could mean no.
That double meaning is the whole point of the word.
Question two, reluctant.
The reluctant sunshine made it a perfect morning for a walk.
She was reluctant and eager to start the new job at the same time.
He was reluctant to admit he was wrong. even after the evidence was clear.
Which sentence uses reluctant correctly?
The answer is C. Reluctant means unwilling.
You're doing something, but you don't want to do it.
It describes a person's attitude toward an action.
Sunshine can't be reluctant.
Only people can.
And you can be reluctant and eager at the same time.
Those are contradictory states.
Reluctant means you're leaning away from something. even as you do it.
Question 3.
Tangible.
After six months of hard work, they finally saw tangible results.
Sales had doubled.
The tangible rain made it impossible to see more than a few meters ahead.
She felt tangible about her chances of getting the job.
Which sentence uses tangible correctly?
The answer is A. Tangible means real, concrete, and measurable.
Something you can point to or prove.
It's the opposite of vague or theoretical.
Rain isn't tangible.
Rain is just rain.
And you don't feel tangible.
Tangible is a quality of things, not a feeling.
When results are tangible...
They're no longer just a promise.
You can see them.
You can measure them.
They're real.
All right, before we get to the C1 words, hear me out.
If you're watching this and you want a structured daily English practice that actually moves you towards C1, the B2Edge app is exactly that.
77 micro lessons, AI speaking coach, Deep Dive Masterclasses.
The link is in the description, so go ahead and check it out.
Alright, now the C1 words.
This is what you came for.
10 words.
This is the core of today's test.
These are the words that separate B2 from C1.
The vocabulary of precision, nuance, and professional fluency.
If you know how to use all ten, your English is excellent.
Period.
Question 4.
Meticulous.
He felt meticulous about his decision.
It was one of the hardest of his life.
The meticulous storm left a trail of destruction across the region.
She was meticulous in her preparation.
Every slide was perfect, every number perfect. double-checked.
Which sentence uses meticulous correctly?
The answer is C.
Meticulous means extremely careful and precise, paying close attention to every detail.
It almost always describes a person or their work.
You don't feel meticulous.
It's not an emotion and a storm isn't meticulous.
Storms are powerful, not precise.
When someone is meticulous in their preparation, It means nothing was left to chance.
Question 5.
Eloquent.
Her speech was so eloquent that the entire room went silent.
He was eloquent in English because he had lived in London for years.
The eloquent solution resolved the conflict in 10 minutes.
Which sentence uses eloquent correctly?
The answer is A Eloquent means, fluent and persuasive in speech or writing in a way that is clear, precise and emotionally compelling.
This is not the same as just being fluent.
I've matched students with strong vocabulary who were not eloquent, and I've matched students with more modest vocabulary who were deeply eloquent.
Because they chose the words carefully.
They spoke with rhythm.
They connected emotionally.
Living abroad might make you fluent.
But it doesn't automatically make you eloquent.
And solutions aren't eloquent.
People are eloquent.
Question 6.
Pragmatic.
He gave a very pragmatic speech.
It was full of passion and emotional appeal.
Instead of complaining about the budget cuts, she took a pragmatic approach and looked for alternative funding.
The landscape was pragmatic and difficult to navigate.
Which sentence uses pragmatic correctly?
The answer is B.
Pragmatic means practical, focused on what actually works, not on ideals or theories.
A pragmatic approach deals with real constraints and finds realistic solutions.
An emotional, passionate speech is the opposite of pragmatic.
It's inspirational, not practical.
And landscapes can be challenging, remote or beautiful, but not pragmatic.
Pragmatic is about problem solving, not about things.
Question seven, reticent.
The reticent speech was heard clearly by everyone at the back of the room.
He was reticent to try new food.
He loved exploring different cuisines.
She was reticent about sharing her opinion, even when asked directly.
Which sentence uses reticent correctly?
The answer is C.
Rattesand means reluctant to speak quiet reserved, unwilling to share your thoughts.
Remember question two?
Reluctant?
Here is the distinction.
Reluctant is broader.
You can be reluctant to do something.
Rattesand is specifically about communication.
You're reticent about speaking, sharing, or revealing information.
If someone loves exploring cuisines, they're curious and open.
That's the opposite of reticent.
And speech can be reticent.
Only people can.
Question 8.
Condescending.
His condescending tone made her feel like he thought she was stupid.
She was condescending because she always went out of her way to help others.
The condescending results show the team had performed well under pressure.
Which sentence uses condescending correctly?
The answer is A Condescending means treating someone as if they are inferior, talking down to them, making them feel less intelligent or less capable.
The trap in option B is subtle.
Someone can be condescending while claiming to help.
In fact, that's often exactly what condescension looks like.
The person thinks they're being generous, but the effect is patronizing.
Results can't be condescending.
Only people can.
Question 9.
Inadvertently.
He inadvertently decided to change careers after two years of careful planning.
She inadvertently revealed the surprise by mentioning it in front of everyone.
The team inadvertently worked around the clock to meet the deadline.
Which sentence uses inadvertently correctly?
The answer is B. Inadvertently means without intending to, by accident, without realizing.
The key is that it describes an unplanned, unintentional action.
If you spent two years carefully planning something, the decision was deliberate.
That's the opposite of inadvertent.
Working around the clock is always a choice, always intentional.
Inadvertently belongs to those moments when you say or do something you didn't mean to.
The accidental reveal, the unintended consequence.
Inadvertently.
Question 10.
Pervasive.
She was pervasive about her work.
She always gave 100%.
The pervasive athlete trained six days a week without fail.
The use of smartphones has become so pervasive that it's changed how we think.
Which sentence uses pervasive correctly?
The answer is letter C. Pervasive means spreading widely through something and present everywhere.
It describes things that have infiltrated an environment, a culture, a habit, a problem, to the point where they are impossible to avoid or ignore.
You don't describe a person as pervasive.
That's not how the word works.
Pervasive is for phenomena, attitudes, trends, smells, problems.
When something is pervasive, you can't escape it.
Question 11.
Tenacious.
Despite failing three times, she remained tenacious and eventually passed the exam.
He was tenacious about being in on time.
He was always perfectly punctual.
The tenacious sunshine made it a beautiful afternoon.
Which sentence uses tenacious correctly?
The answer is A Tenacious means persistent, holding on with determination, especially in the face of difficulty or failure.
The defining feature here is the obstacle.
You're not tenacious because things go well.
You're tenacious because things go wrong, and you keep going anyway.
Being punctual is a habit, not tenacity.
And sunshine can't be tenacious.
I want to stop here for a second.
Tenacious is a word I think about often because it describes the kind of learner I was.
I didn't have a teacher.
I didn't go abroad.
I learned English alone in Brazil with a dictionary and a lot of stubbornness.
And for a long time, I failed.
My pronunciation was wrong.
My vocabulary was limited.
I sounded like I was reading from a textbook.
But I kept going anyway.
That's tenacity.
And if you're watching this video, if you have made it this far, you have it too.
Now, last two C1 words.
Let's finish strong.
Question 12, ambivalent.
He was ambivalent about the outcome, so he took immediate action.
She felt ambivalent about the job offer.
Part of her was excited.
Part of her was afraid.
The ambivalent Sky suggested it might rain later.
Which sentence uses ambivalent correctly?
The answer is B.
Ambivalent means having mixed, contradictory feelings about something pulled in two directions at the same time.
Remember ambiguous from question one?
Both words start with amb, and both involve a kind of doubleness.
Here is the distinction.
Ambiguous is about language or situations that can be interpreted in more than one way.
Ambivalent is about emotions, when you feel two things at once and can't resolve them.
If he took immediate action, he wasn't ambivalent.
Ambivalence causes hesitation, not speed.
Question 13.
Nuanced.
He gave a nuanced answer.
It was a straightforward yes or no.
The nuanced equipment made the experiment much easier to run.
Her nuanced understanding of the conflict helped her see beyond the simple narratives.
Which sentence uses nuanced correctly?
The answer is C.
Nuanced means showing awareness of subtle distinctions, seeing complexity where others see only black and white.
A yes or no answer is binary by definition, the opposite of nuanced.
Equipment can be sophisticated or precise, but not nuanced.
Nuanced is almost always used to describe thinking, analysis, understanding, or language.
When someone has a nuanced view, they're showing they can hold complexity without collapsing it into something simple.
All right, now the bonus questions.
Two bonus questions.
These are C2, the highest level of the CEFR framework.
Even strong C1 speakers may pause here.
There is no shaming on knowing these.
But if you do know these, that's exceptional.
Question 13.
Equivocate.
When asked directly about the scandal, the minister equivocated, giving answers that technically said nothing.
She equivocated her message clearly, so there was no room for misunderstanding.
The equivocate weather made it hard to know what to wear.
Which sentence uses equivocate correctly?
The answer is A.
To equivocate means to use vague or ambiguous language deliberately to avoid committing to a clear answer.
Politicians equivocate.
Lawyers equivocate.
Anyone who wants to seem cooperative while actually saying nothing equivocates.
Option B is the classic trap.
You can't equivocate a message clearly.
Clarity is the opposite of equivocation.
And if you knew this word, you're working at C2 level.
Congratulations.
Finally, question 15.
Perspicacious.
The perspicacious storm arrives without warning and caught everyone off guard.
He was perspicacious about completing his tasks on time.
He never missed a deadline.
Her perspicacious analysis identified the flaw that everyone else had missed.
Which sentence uses perspicacious correctly?
The answer is C.
Perspicacious means having a ready insight into things, able to notice and understand things that are not obvious to others.
It describes a person or their thinking.
A storm isn't perspicacious because storms don't think.
Being punctual about deadlines is reliable, not perspicacious.
Perspicacious, belongs to the rare observer who sees what others miss, the analyst who spot the flaw, the leader who reach the room, the learner who notices the pattern.
Nobody else caught.
If this word was new to you today, write it down because it's worth knowing and owning.
All right, now let's find out where you stand.
Count all your correct answers from the 15 questions that I presented to you today.
If you got between 0 and 5 correct, you're building toward B2.
And that's a real place to be.
Most people in the world never get here anyway.
The words you missed today are your next targets.
Write them down.
Work with them in real sentences.
Now, if you got between 6 and 10 correct, you are in C1 territory or very close to it.
The vocabulary is there in patches.
Now, the goal is consistency.
You recognize these words when you see them.
The next step for you is owning these words, using them naturally, under pressure, in real conversations, without thinking about it.
Now, if you got between 11 and 13 questions correct, congratulations.
You are operating at C1 level.
That's excellent English.
These aren't common words because they require exposure, reading, and careful attention to meaning.
You've earned it.
Now, if you happen to get 14 or 15 correct, that's C2 level.
That's exceptional.
If the two bonus words felt natural, not just recognizable, but genuinely familiar to you.
You are at the top of the framework.
So, keep doing whatever it is you're doing.
Now you have two things.
A clear picture of where you stand and a precise list of which words to work on next.
The question now is what you do with that information.
You can go the do-it-yourself route.
You know, write your own sentences with the words you missed, come back to this video, keep reading.
That works.
I know it works because that's exactly how I learned English.
No app, no teacher, just tenacity, remember?
And a notebook.
Or if you want a structured path, you can open the B2Edge app and work with my AI coach.
We'll take the words you missed today and build them into real speaking practice.
No recognition, no flashcards, real usage, under pressure, in context.
The link is in the description.
Take a look.
And if you decide to do it yourself, I respect that completely.
But just do it.
I'm Thiago.
Thank you very much for hanging out with me today.
And I'll talk to you in the next video.
