Teachers' English proficiency is a significant qualification for successful teaching of English. However, the issue of what level of proficiency teachers believe they need for different settings has not received much attention. This study investigates this issue by looking at novice Chinese pre-service teachers (N = 113) in an MA TESOL program in Ontario, Canada. Data are drawn from surveys and reflective writing pieces to investigate teachers' self-perceived English proficiency based on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), the minimum level of proficiency these teachers believe is required to teach across different settings based on students' level of proficiency, student age, and context (e.g., EFL vs ESL), and finally, how their own self-perceived proficiency compares with these minimum levels. Results show teachers perceive their proficiency around the B2-C1 level. Looking at the minimum level required for various settings, teachers perceived ESL contexts to require higher levels. However, for many of the settings, teachers' self-perceived proficiency appeared inadequate, suggesting these teachers did not feel their general proficiency was suitable. The results are discussed along with implications for language teacher education programs.