Inburgering exam · Speaking
The inburgering speaking exam: what to expect and how to practise
For anyone preparing the A2 or B1 speaking exam: what it contains, how it is marked, the mistakes to avoid, and how to practise speaking Dutch out loud with an AI tutor.
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Try a question
A situation in the style of the A2 speaking exam, not a real exam question. In the exam you would say your answer; here, choose the one that fits best.
Je buurman vraagt: “Hallo. Kun je morgen een pakket voor mij aannemen? Ik ben niet thuis.”
The speaking exam at a glance
The speaking part (Spreken) tests whether you can answer questions in spoken Dutch clearly enough to be understood. Which level you sit, A2 or B1, depends on your route.
- How you answer
- A2 (DUO)On a computer: you watch video clips and answer the questions
- B1 (state exam NT2)On a computer, with a headset and microphone; you record your answers
- Time
- A2 (DUO)Up to 35 minutes, after 15 minutes of explanation
- B1 (state exam NT2)About 25 to 30 minutes (the sources differ)
- What you get
- A2 (DUO)Video clips with questions, some multiple choice and some open
- B1 (state exam NT2)16 recorded answers: 8 short (20 seconds) and 8 longer (30 seconds), in a fixed order
- How it is marked
- A2 (DUO)Partly by computer, partly by assessors; no pass mark is published
- B1 (state exam NT2)Two assessors; a scale score of 500 or more passes the part
Checked against the official sources on October 6, 2026. Rules change: your own letter from DUO or your gemeente decides.
Say your answer out loud
A question in the style of the speaking exam. Press start and answer aloud, in Dutch: 30 seconds is what a longer B1 answer gets. Then compare with a model answer. Nothing is recorded.
Je collega vraagt: “Wat doe je meestal in het weekend? Vertel er iets over.”
One answer that works
In het weekend slaap ik eerst lekker uit. Op zaterdag doe ik boodschappen op de markt. Op zondag ga ik vaak wandelen in het park met mijn kinderen, want dat vinden ze leuk.
- It answers the question straight away, then adds details: the market, a walk in the park.
- Time words first, then the verb: Op zaterdag doe ik, Op zondag ga ik.
- Want joins a reason to a sentence. Short, linked sentences sound fluent without being difficult.
What the A2 speaking exam checks
- Adequacy: can the listener understand you, and do you answer the question? In DUO’s model a zero here means zero for the other aspects too.
- Vocabulary and grammar: the right words for the situation, and sentences with the verb in the right place and the right ending.
- Fluency and coherence: speaking without long stops, and joining your sentences into one clear answer.
- Pronunciation: how you say the words. It is its own aspect, so practise saying Dutch aloud, not only reading it.
Four mistakes to avoid
Practising silently
Reading answers in your head is not speaking. The exam is spoken, so say every practice answer out loud, hear yourself, and say it again until it comes easily.
Stopping to find the perfect word
Long pauses hurt fluency, which is one of the aspects assessed. If a word will not come, use a simpler one and carry on. Say what you can say.
Answering a different question
A smooth answer to the wrong question does not help. Listen for what is asked: who, when, why. Answer that first, then add one detail.
Ignoring the clock at B1
At B1 each answer is short (20 seconds) or longer (30 seconds), the next one starts by itself and you cannot go back. Practise with a timer so that a full answer fits.
How inburgeringcoach trains speaking
You need to say Dutch aloud, and it is hard to find someone to practise with every day. Bram, our AI Dutch tutor, is there when you are.
Voice notes with Bram
Record a short voice note in Dutch. Bram answers in Dutch, with his voice and in writing, and gives a translation when you ask. He is an AI, so he can be wrong.
A better way to say it
Where your note can improve, Bram suggests a better way to say it, in Dutch with a translation in your language. He works from what you said, so he helps with words and grammar, not your accent.
Lessons built on the exam
Bram’s conversation lessons run from your first words to B2, and some are built on the A2 speaking exam: a situation, a question, an answer that fits.
BramYour AI Dutch tutorA plan for the weeks before
- 1
Speak a little every day
Send Bram a voice note most days, even a short one. Listen back to yourself once, then say it again, a little smoother. Repeat his audio aloud to train your pronunciation.
- 2
Practise everyday situations
Take a doctor’s appointment, a neighbour, work, the shop. Answer in two or three sentences: the answer, a reason, one detail. For B1, time yourself to 20 and 30 seconds.
- 3
Sit a practice exam
Take a timed practice exam in the exam’s format and read the report. It never predicts a pass. Also use the free official practice exams: DUO’s for A2 (opens in a new tab), the state exam’s for B1.
Speaking exam questions
Is the A2 speaking exam on a computer, or with a person?
It is on a computer. You watch video clips and answer the questions. Multiple-choice answers are marked by computer, open answers by assessors. It takes up to 35 minutes, after 15 minutes of explanation.
How is A2 speaking marked?
On six aspects: adequacy, vocabulary, grammar, fluency, coherence and pronunciation (DUO’s model of 10 August 2026). No pass mark is published; the line, the cesuur, is set by the Minister.
What is the B1 speaking exam like?
You wear a headset and record 16 answers: 8 short ones of 20 seconds and 8 longer ones of 30 seconds, in a fixed order. Each recording starts by itself and you cannot go back. It takes about 25 to 30 minutes.
What score do I need, and when do I get the result?
B1: a scale score of 500 or more per part. A2: no pass mark is published. DUO says A2 results take up to 8 weeks, but since 31 July 2026 speaking and writing can take up to 16 weeks.
Can Bram check my pronunciation?
No. Bram works from what you said, so he helps with words, grammar and answering the question, not your accent. The A2 exam does assess pronunciation, so also repeat Dutch aloud and, when you can, ask a Dutch speaker to listen.
More about the inburgering exam
- The inburgering exam, explained in plain EnglishThe inburgeringsexamen is not one test. Here is which exam is yours, what the five parts ask, what they cost, how to book and when results arrive. We are independent of DUO.
- Inburgering exam · KNMThe exam on life in the Netherlands: eight themes, up to 45 minutes, and practice that fits your day.
- Inburgering exam · ReadingReading at A2 and B1: the texts, the time and the questions. See what to expect and how to practise.
- Inburgering exam · ListeningListening at A2 and B1: audio, video and time. At B1 each clip plays once. See how to practise.
- Inburgering exam · WritingA2 on paper, B1 typed: what the writing exam contains, how it is marked and how to practise it.
inburgeringcoach is an independent course. It is not part of DUO, IND, CvTE or any gemeente, and preparing with it is not a guarantee of passing.
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