Dutch inburgering exam example: what each part looks like
Last checked: 29 October 2026
The inburgering exam at A2 has five computer or paper exams: Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking and KNM. Reading and Listening are multiple choice with three options. Writing is four short tasks on paper. Speaking is 16 recorded answers to videos and pictures. KNM has 40 questions about life in the Netherlands. DUO has free official practice exams for each part.
| Part | Time | Format | Official practice exams |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading A2 | 65 minutes | Computer, short texts, A/B/C questions (25 in the practice exam) | 4 |
| Listening A2 | 45 minutes | Computer, short videos and audio, A/B/C questions (25 in the practice exam) | 3 |
| Writing A2 | 40 minutes | Pen and paper, 4 tasks | 3 (PDF) |
| Speaking A2 | 35 minutes | Computer, 16 recorded answers in the practice exam | 3 |
| KNM | 45 minutes | Computer, 40 questions with pictures, audio and video | 2 |
Sources: inburgeren.nl: language exams, DUO exam rules, inburgeren.nl: practice exams.
More Dutch is not affiliated with DUO. Real exam questions are secret, and you promise to keep them secret when you take the exam. Every example on this page is written by us to show the type of task. For the real format, use DUO's practice exams.
Reading A2: an example
You read short everyday texts on screen: a notice, an email, a page from a brochure, a letter from the municipality. Each text has one or more questions with three answer options. The practice exam tells you to read the question first and then the text (practice exam Lezen 1).
Our example text: "Bibliotheek Noord. Vanaf 1 maart zijn wij op maandag gesloten. Op dinsdag tot en met zaterdag zijn wij open van 10.00 tot 17.00 uur. Boeken terugbrengen kan altijd via de brievenbus naast de deur."
Question: Wat kunt u op maandag doen? A. Een boek lenen. B. Een boek terugbrengen. C. Vragen stellen aan de medewerker.
Answer: B. The library is closed on Monday, but the letterbox is always open. Most reading questions work like this: one detail in the text decides the answer.
Listening A2: an example
You watch short videos or hear audio of everyday conversations, and answer A/B/C questions. You read the question first, then play the fragment (practice exam Luisteren 1).
Our example: a woman calls the doctor's office. "Goedemorgen, u spreekt met Fatima Yilmaz. Ik wil graag een afspraak maken voor mijn zoon. Hij heeft al drie dagen koorts. Kan het vandaag nog?" The assistant answers: "Vandaag is het vol, maar morgen om half negen kan het."
Question: Wanneer gaat Fatima met haar zoon naar de dokter? A. Vandaag. B. Morgen om 8.30 uur. C. Over drie dagen.
Answer: B. Watch out for half negen: in Dutch that is 8.30, not 9.30. Times and numbers come up a lot.
Writing A2: an example
Writing is the only part on paper. You get 4 tasks in 40 minutes (exam rules). DUO's practice exams show the mix: short emails where you must cover three points, a short text, and a form to fill in (practice exam Schrijven 1).
Our example task: "U bent ziek en kunt morgen niet naar uw werk. U schrijft een e-mail aan uw leidinggevende, meneer Bakker. Schrijf dat u ziek bent. Schrijf wat u heeft. Schrijf wanneer u denkt dat u weer komt."
A good answer:
Beste meneer Bakker,
Ik ben ziek. Ik kan morgen niet naar mijn werk komen. Ik heb griep en koorts. Ik denk dat ik maandag weer kom.
Met vriendelijke groet, Amir
Short and simple is fine. What counts is that all three points are there, in full sentences.
Speaking A2: an example
You speak into a microphone at a computer. The practice exam has four parts of 4 questions: questions with a video, with 1 picture, with 2 pictures (you pick one), and with 3 pictures (practice exam Spreken 1).
Our example (2 pictures): you see a bike and a bus. "U gaat naar uw werk. Hoe gaat u liever? Vertel ook waarom."
A good answer: Ik ga liever met de fiets, want dat is goedkoop en gezond. Met de bus moet ik vaak wachten.
Every part, with more examples, is in our page on the A2 speaking exam.
KNM: an example
KNM (Kennis van de Nederlandse Maatschappij) asks how life in the Netherlands works: housing, work, health, school, history and politics. It has 40 questions in 45 minutes, grouped by theme, with pictures, audio and video (exam rules).
Our example: "Uw buurman zet zijn vuilniszak elke week op de stoep op de verkeerde dag. Wat kunt u het beste eerst doen?" A. De politie bellen. B. Met uw buurman praten. C. De vuilniszak zelf weggooien.
Answer: B. Talking first is what people normally do here. Many KNM questions test this kind of everyday norm, not just facts. We wrote more in KNM exam questions.
Where to find official example exams
DUO's free practice exams are on inburgeren.nl: 4 for Reading, 3 each for Listening, Writing and Speaking, and 2 for KNM. They run in the browser, except Writing, which is a PDF you print and write on. The speaking practice exams do not work in Safari.
Do each one under the real time limit. They show you the format, the speed and your weak part better than any description. For B1, the official practice tasks are on the Nt2 practice environment, and the Dutch B1 exam explains that exam.
What to do next
Start with the part you are least sure of. For KNM, try a free 15-question KNM drill in the same style as our example above. For reading and listening, everyday words do most of the work: learn the 594 most common Dutch words. And to keep going in small steps, get one KNM question a week by email.
The overview of every exam, cost and deadline is in the inburgering exam guide, and how to take the inburgering exam walks you through the day itself.
Frequently asked questions
Can I see real inburgering exam questions?
No. The real questions are secret, and sharing them counts as exam fraud. DUO's official practice exams are the closest you can get.
Are DUO's practice exams the same as the real exam?
They use the same format and level, and DUO made them. The questions in the real exam are different.
How many questions does the inburgering exam have?
It differs per part. KNM has 40. DUO's Reading and Listening practice exams have 25 each, Writing has 4 tasks and Speaking 16 questions in the practice exam.
Is there a PDF of the inburgering exam?
Only the Writing practice exams are PDFs, because that part is on paper. The other practice exams run in your browser.
Which part should I practise first?
The one you find hardest. Do one official practice exam for each part under time, then spend most of your time on the weakest.
Is the B1 exam example different?
Yes. At B1 you take the Nt2 state exam, with longer texts, typed writing and shorter spoken answers. Its official practice tasks are in the Nt2 practice environment.