The Spreken exam (A2 and B1): format, time and approach

The exam Spreken

Part 1 / 6

Part 1 · 2 min

What does the exam look like?

You sit at a computer with headphones and a microphone. You see a video or a picture with a question, and you record your answer by speaking. So there is no examiner sitting opposite you.

	A2	B1
Duration	35 minutes	about 30 minutes
How	On the computer, with a microphone	Staatsexamen NT2, see staatsexamensnt2.nl
In DUO’s oefenexamens (practice exams)	16 questions	see staatsexamensnt2.nl
Assessment	Partly automatic, partly by assessors	By assessors

DUO: "Het examen Spreken op niveau A2 doet u op de computer. U moet Nederlands spreken en verstaan. U bekijkt filmpjes en u beantwoordt vragen. Het examen duurt 35 minuten." (You take the exam Spreken at level A2 on the computer. You have to speak and understand Dutch. You watch videos and you answer questions. The exam takes 35 minutes.) The exams Spreken at level B1 and B2 (staatsexamen Nt2) take about 30 minutes.

Sources: inburgeren.nl — Taalexamens · Staatsexamens NT2 — accessed 23-08-2026

What does the exam look like?

You sit at a computer with headphones and a microphone. You see a video or a picture with a question, and you record your answer by speaking. So there is no examiner sitting opposite you.

	A2	B1
Duration	35 minutes	about 30 minutes
How	On the computer, with a microphone	Staatsexamen NT2, see staatsexamensnt2.nl
In DUO’s oefenexamens (practice exams)	16 questions	see staatsexamensnt2.nl
Assessment	Partly automatic, partly by assessors	By assessors

Sources: inburgeren.nl — Taalexamens · Staatsexamens NT2 — accessed 23-08-2026

The four types of question

The start screen of DUO’s own oefenexamen Spreken A2 says it literally: there are four types of question. That is the most practical way to divide up your preparation.

A question with a video

Someone speaks to you and asks you something. You answer as you would in real life — short, direct, and to the point.

A question with 1 picture

You see one photo. Usually you have to say what you see, or what you would say or do in that situation.

A question with 2 pictures

Two options next to each other. You choose one and you explain why. The "why" is the point.

A question with 3 pictures

Three images that together form a short story. You tell what happens, in order.

The start screen of DUO’s public oefenexamens Spreken A2 says: "Het examen heeft vier soorten vragen: vragen met een video, vragen met 1 plaatje, vragen met 2 plaatjes, vragen met 3 plaatjes. U mag 35 minuten over het examen doen." (The exam has four types of question: questions with a video, questions with 1 picture, questions with 2 pictures, questions with 3 pictures. You may take 35 minutes for the exam.) The counter shows 16 questions.

Source: inburgeren.nl — Oefenen — accessed 23-08-2026

You get a limited speaking time for each question and the recording starts by itself. You cannot redo an answer. That feels uncomfortable, but it also means: keep talking is better than starting again.

What are you assessed on?

Spreken is assessed partly automatically and partly by people. Broadly speaking, four things matter at the same time.

Did you answer the question? A beautiful story about something else gives you nothing.
Can you be understood? Pronunciation and speed. Calm and clear is better than fast.
Do you use enough language? Two words is too little, even if they are correct. Make sentences.
Does it keep going a bit? Hesitating is allowed; falling completely silent costs you the recording.

Marieke Schipper · NT2 teacher

The biggest problem with Spreken is not the language but the silence. Students think for three seconds, then say one word, and the recording stops. Keep talking, even if you are unsure. Say "let me think for a moment", say it in other words, repeat the question. Anything is better than saying nothing.

Approach for each type of question

With a video: react like a person

Someone asks you something. Answer as you would at a counter: short, friendly, with a reason. "Yes, that is fine, because I am free that day."

With 1 picture: name it, and expand

First say what you see, then where, then what is happening. Three sentences instead of one. "I see a man in a shop. He is standing at the till. He is paying with his pinpas (debit card)."

With 2 pictures: choose and give reasons

Choose quickly — which one you choose does not matter. All the points are in the "because". "I choose the bike, because it is close by and because it is cheaper than the bus."

With 3 pictures: tell it in order

Use sequence words: first, after that, then, finally. They turn separate sentences into a story, and that is exactly what is being asked.

Speak clearly and not too fast, with your mouth close to the microphone
Use full sentences, also for a simple question
Always give a reason — "omdat" (because) is the most useful word in this exam
Correct yourself out loud if you say something wrong; that is allowed and it does not count against you

Do not

Stay silent in order to think
Whisper or turn away from the microphone
Recite a learned story that does not fit the question
Answer only "yes" or "the bike"

Nerves and the microphone

Almost everyone finds it uncomfortable to speak into a computer. That is normal, and you can train it — by doing it often, not by avoiding it.

Record yourself with your phone. The first time is strange, the fifth time is not.
Listen back to your recording. You hear straight away if you speak too softly or fall silent too often.
Practise out loud, also on your own: describe what you see in the street, in full sentences.
Do at least one complete oefenexamen with headphones and a microphone.

Marieke Schipper · NT2 teacher

In class I let students listen back to their own recording. That is confronting, and it is the fastest learning moment of the whole course. Almost nobody hears themselves being silent for as long as they really are.

Waiting time: plan this part early

Just like Schrijven, Spreken A2 is assessed by people, and at the moment there is a longer waiting time for that.

On 31 July 2026 DUO announced that marking the exams Spreken A2 and Schrijven A2 was at that moment taking up to 16 weeks, with an automatic extension of six months for people who get into trouble with their inburgeringstermijn (integration deadline) because of this. For the other exams the usual period of 8 weeks applies.

Sources: inburgeren.nl — Nieuwsbericht 31-07-2026 · inburgeren.nl — Uitslag examen — accessed 23-08-2026

That is a news item and it can change; check with DUO before you plan. But as long as it applies: do not take Spreken last. If you fail, you still have the waiting time for the result and for the resit ahead of you.

Practise Spreken with assessment per criterionRecord your answer as in the exam and get feedback on content, intelligibility and language use.

View the modules

Frequently asked questions

Do I speak to a real person in the exam Spreken?

No. You sit at a computer with headphones and a microphone. You see videos and pictures with questions, and you record your answer by speaking. There is no examiner sitting opposite you, and you cannot ask for anything to be repeated.

What kind of questions do I get in Spreken A2?

According to the start screen of DUO’s own oefenexamen there are four types: questions with a video, with one picture, with two pictures and with three pictures. With two pictures you choose one and explain why; with three pictures you tell in order what happens.

What do I do if I do not know the answer?

Keep talking. Silence never gives you points, half an answer sometimes does. Say the question back in your own words, name what you do see, or give a reason why you are unsure. You may also correct yourself out loud; that does not count against you.

How can I practise Spreken if I have no Dutch conversation partner?

Out loud, on your own, with a recording. Describe what you see in full sentences and record yourself with your phone. Then listen back: you hear straight away if you speak too softly, go too fast or stay silent too long. Also look for a taalmaatje (language buddy) or taalcafé through the library or VluchtelingenWerk.

How long does the result of Spreken take?

Normally within 8 weeks. On 31 July 2026 DUO announced that Spreken A2 and Schrijven A2 were at that moment taking up to 16 weeks, with an automatic extension of six months for people who get into trouble because of this. Check the current situation with DUO and do not plan this part last.

Reviewed by Marieke Schipper, certified NT2 teacher — August 23, 2026 This page is a translation of that reviewed Dutch text; the translation itself was not reviewed. The Dutch version is the source.

Practise the exam part Spreken

Speaking tasks with feedback per criterion, written by an NT2 teacher.

View the modules