Proficiency is a high level of skill or ability in a particular area, often reached after long practice or study.
From Latin *proficiens* meaning 'making progress, advancing', from *proficere* 'to make progress' (*pro-* 'forward' + *facere* 'to do'). It originally emphasized the idea of moving forward in skill.
Proficiency is literally 'having made progress'—it’s about how far you’ve traveled in a skill, not just where you are right now. That’s why language tests measure 'proficiency': they’re checking how far along your learning journey you’ve gone.
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