The A2 and B1 language exams, component by component
Reading, listening, writing and speaking. What each component asks of you, what the exam looks like, and where to practise it.
The guides
01 · 10 min read · PDFThe A2 and B1 language exams
The inburgering exam is four language exams, KNM and sometimes ONA. What you do in reading, listening, writing and speaking, how long each takes, A2 or B1.
- 02 · 9 min read · PDF
Schrijven A2: vier voorbeelden, nagekeken
Vier voorbeeldopdrachten voor het examen Schrijven A2, elk met een zwak en een beter antwoord. Zo zie je precies waarom een antwoord wel of geen punten krijgt.
Read the guide - 03 · 7 min read · PDF
Wachten op je uitslag Spreken of Schrijven A2
De uitslag van Spreken A2 en Schrijven A2 duurt nu tot 16 weken. Wat dat betekent voor je termijn, je naturalisatie en een herkansing, en wat je zelf kunt doen.
Read the guide 
04 · 8 min read · PDFThe language exam at level B1
You are in the B1 route. What is a staatsexamen NT2, how long are the four parts at B1, where do you sit them, and what if B1 turns out too high?
05 · 9 min read · PDFThe Lezen exam
How does the Lezen (reading) exam look at A2 and B1, how much time do you have per text, and which reading strategy helps you pass? Tips from an NT2 teacher.
06 · 9 min read · PDFThe Luisteren exam
Watch clips and listen to conversations, then answer questions. How the Luisteren exam works at A2 and B1, where the time goes and how to practise.
07 · 8 min read · PDFThe Schrijven exam
You take Schrijven at A2 with pen and paper: four tasks in 40 minutes. What the exam looks like, how it is marked and how to practise for it in a targeted way.
08 · 10 min read · PDFThe exam Spreken
You do Spreken on a computer with a microphone: videos and pictures with questions. How the exam works at A2 and B1, and how to practise out loud.
What are the language exams?
The language part of your integration consists of four exams. You take them separately, on different days. Reading and listening are multiple-choice on a computer. For writing you produce short texts yourself, and for speaking you record your answers. Each component asks something different of you, so you prepare for each one differently.
The four components
- Reading
You read short everyday texts: a letter, an email, an advert or a form. Then you answer questions about them.
- Listening
You hear conversations and short announcements, such as a phone call or a public announcement, and answer questions about what you heard.
- Writing
You fill in a form and write short texts, such as an email or a note. This component is marked by people.
- Speaking
You record your answers at a computer. You respond to questions and describe what you see in a picture.
Also worth reading
Explanations per exam component and about the language levels, in simple Dutch.
See where you stand
Ten questions per component, with an explanation after every answer. No account needed.
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