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Exam part

The ONA exam

Oriëntatie op de Nederlandse Arbeidsmarkt (orientation on the Dutch labour market). Not a test you sit on one morning, but a portfolio you build yourself — and one that most people start too late.

Marieke Schipper

Marieke Schipper

NT2 teacher · 24 August 2026 · 9 min read

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First things first: is ONA yours at all?

Many people read about ONA while they do not have to do it. ONA belongs to the Wet inburgering 2013, the old law. If you became inburgeringsplichtig (obliged to integrate) on or after 1 January 2022, you fall under the Wet 2021 and instead do the MAP at your gemeente (municipality). Nobody does both.

You do ONA if…

  • You are inburgeringsplichtig under the Wet 2013, and you became so on or after 1 October 2017
  • You are integrating voluntarily

You do not do ONA if…

  • You fall under the Wet 2021 — then you do the MAP at your gemeente
  • You had to start integrating before 1 January 2015
  • You have a Dutch-language diploma from an entreeopleiding (mbo niveau 1)
  • You were given an exemption because you have worked in the Netherlands

Under the Wet 2013, candidates who became inburgeringsplichtig from 1 October 2017 do the exams Lezen, Luisteren, Schrijven, Spreken, KNM, ONA and the participatieverklaringstraject. You also do the ONA exam if you are integrating voluntarily. Under the Wet 2021, your PIP and your leerroute determine which parts you do.

Sources: inburgeren.nl — Examen doen · inburgeren.nl — Kennisexamens en ONA — accessed 24-08-2026

Not sure which law applies to you? Look in Mijn Inburgering. It shows which parts apply to you. That is the only list that is correct — not the one from your neighbour and not the one from a forum.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to do ONA or the MAP?

That depends on your law. ONA belongs to the Wet inburgering 2013 and you do it at DUO, with a portfolio and after that an eindgesprek or a course. The MAP belongs to the Wet inburgering 2021 and you do it at your gemeente. Nobody does both. Mijn Inburgering shows what applies to you.

How many parts does the ONA portfolio have?

Eight resultaatkaarten, from beroepenoriëntatie to werkcultuur, with evidence attached. You send them in together through Mijn Inburgering and pay the exam fee at the same time. DUO does not help you fill them in and has no example portfolio.

How long does the ONA exam take in total?

Count on half a year or more. Marking your portfolio takes about six weeks, and if it is rejected, another six weeks for the adjusted version. After that you wait about six weeks for the eindgesprek, and the result comes within eight weeks.

Which is better: the eindgesprek or the 64-hour course?

That depends on your time. The eindgesprek lasts about thirty minutes and is included in the exam fee, but you wait about six weeks for it. The course has no waiting time at DUO, but you have to find a school that offers ONA, and those 64 hours cost time and money.

What does the ONA exam cost?

At the moment €40, to be paid when you send in your resultaatkaarten through Mijn Inburgering. If you choose the 64-hour course instead of the eindgesprek, the cost of that course comes on top, separately; the school sets that itself. Rates can change.

What happens if my portfolio is rejected?

Then you adjust the kaarten that were not good enough and send the portfolio in again. The marking then starts over and takes about six weeks again. That is why it is wise to have your kaarten looked at first by your language school or your klantmanager.

Reviewed by Marieke Schipper, certified NT2 teacher — August 24, 2026 This page is a translation of that reviewed Dutch text; the translation itself was not reviewed. The Dutch version is the source.

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