The staatsexamen Nederlands als tweede taal (state exam NT2) is the state exam for Dutch at B1 and B2. It has two programmes: Programma I at B1 and Programma II at B2. Each has four parts, all on a computer, and you pass a part with a scale score of 500 or more. It costs €50 a part, or €200 for all four. For inburgering, the B1 and B2 language exams are this exam. KNM is not part of it.
The two programmes
Programma I is B1, described as the level of mbo 3 and 4. Programma II is B2, the level of hbo and university. You do not have to pass Programma I before you take Programma II. There is no C1 exam, so B2 is the highest level of the state exam.
Both programmes have the same four parts: reading (Lezen), listening (Luisteren), writing (Schrijven) and speaking (Spreken). The exam is not possible abroad or online.
What each part looks like
For Programma I:
| Part | What you do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Lezen | Read 6 texts in a paper booklet and answer 36 multiple-choice questions on screen (the instruction film says 35 or 36) | 110 minutes |
| Luisteren | About 40 multiple-choice questions on 5 or more texts, 1 to 3 of them films | 90 minutes |
| Schrijven | Type 8 sentence tasks (zinstaken), 2 partial writing tasks and 2 short writing tasks, in any order | 100 minutes |
| Spreken | Answer 8 short prompts (20 seconds each) and 8 medium prompts (30 seconds each), with a headset and microphone | about 25 minutes (DUO says about 30) |
Programma II has the same four parts, with a different mix of tasks. Reading takes 100 minutes and listening 90. Writing has 7 or 8 sentence tasks, 1 or 2 short writing tasks and 1 or 2 medium writing tasks. Speaking has 4 short answers, 8 medium answers and 1 long answer of 2 minutes, with preparation time.
In Programma I speaking, the order is fixed: the prompts follow each other automatically and you cannot go back.
The pass mark and your result
Unlike the A2 exams and KNM, the state exam has a published pass mark: you pass a part with a scale score of 500 or higher. The scales differ by part. As a typical example, reading runs from 200 to 700, listening and speaking from 100 to 800, and writing from 250 to 750. The number of points you need for a 500 differs from one exam to the next, so there is no fixed number of right answers. Two assessors mark speaking and writing.
You receive your result in MijnDUO from 15:00 on the date shown in the exam schedule, and also by e-mail and post. You get a certificate for each part you pass, and a diploma once you have passed all four. Certificates and diplomas never expire.
Fees, booking and retakes
The fee is €50 for a part and €200 for a complete exam, the same for both programmes. The amount can be adjusted by regulation, so check it on DUO's page when you book. You pay by iDEAL or by invoice. If you have to integrate, a DUO loan or a free attempt may cover the fee, depending on your law and your status. Under the 2021 law, an asylum status holder gets the first two attempts per exam free, if the exam is at least at the level in their plan, and later attempts are paid. Your gemeente or DUO can tell you what applies to you, and what the exams cost and how the DUO loan works has more.
You book in MijnDUO with DigiD, about 8 weeks before the exam. There are six exam cities: Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Rijswijk, Rotterdam, Utrecht and Zwolle.
If you fail a part, you can sit it again, and you can register for the new sitting once you have received your result. If you are ill or someone close to you has died, ask for a postponement within 10 days after the exam and send proof.
On the exam day: devices and dictionary
According to the state exam's news of 20 August 2026, all digital devices must be switched off and kept in a locker. That includes phones, digital watches, digital hearing aids and smart glasses, Meta glasses among them. If a rule like this affects you, for example because you use a hearing aid, ask before the day, using the contact details on the state exam's website.
You may use one paper dictionary, the Van Dale Pocketwoordenboek NT2, for reading and writing only.
How it counts for inburgering
DUO says that the B1 and B2 language exams for inburgering are the state exam NT2. How a pass counts depends on your law:
- The 2021 law. Parts you passed at the level in your personal plan (persoonlijk plan inburgering en participatie, PIP) or higher need not be done again, and you need not apply.
- The older law. You apply for an exemption (vrijstelling). If you were obliged to integrate before 1 January 2015 and hold an NT2 diploma, you may need no exams at all.
KNM is a separate exam. Under the 2021 law, the B1 route and the onderwijsroute still need KNM and the participatieverklaringstraject (PVT), and the B1 route also needs the labour-market module (MAP); PVT, MAP and ONA explained covers both. An NT2 diploma also counts for naturalisation, and it exempts you from the civic integration exam abroad.
What this means for how you prepare
- Use the free practice exams. The state exam's site has an online practice environment for all four parts, on a computer. Use it once before the real day so the screens are familiar.
- Practise listening once. Play a clip a single time, answer, and only then listen again.
- Type your writing. The B1 writing exam is typed, in 100 minutes, so practise on a keyboard against the clock.
- Train speaking in fixed lengths. Answer in about 20 seconds, then in about 30, without going back.
- Use the dictionary well. It is allowed for reading and writing only, so do not depend on it in listening and speaking.
The course's B1-style listening practice plays each clip once, like this exam. For how each part is practised, see the inburgering exam.