Inburgering exam · Writing
The inburgering writing exam: what to expect and how to prepare
For anyone preparing the A2 or B1 writing exam: what it contains, how it is marked, the mistakes to avoid, and how to practise with feedback on your own words.
- Explanations in English, Persian, Turkish or Arabic
- Short lessons for about 15 minutes a day
- Start free with Google, no card needed
Start with a few free lessons. Choose full access when it suits you.
See how it works.
From “where do I start?” to a clear next step. A short introduction to the practice, the feedback and the plan.
Try a question
An example in the style of the A2 writing exam, not a real exam question. Choose the sentence that is correct.
Opdracht: schrijf een e-mail aan de huisartsenpraktijk. Je wilt een afspraak maken. Dit is een zin uit jouw e-mail: “Donderdag ik kan komen.”
The writing exam at a glance
The writing part (Schrijven) tests whether you can get a message across in simple, correct Dutch: an e-mail, a form, a short text. Which level you sit, A2 or B1, depends on your route.
- How you answer
- A2 (DUO)On paper, by hand, in a booklet, with the pen you are given
- B1 (state exam NT2)Typed on a computer; one paper dictionary is allowed
- Time
- A2 (DUO)Up to 40 minutes, after 15 minutes of explanation
- B1 (state exam NT2)100 minutes
- What you get
- A2 (DUO)Four assignments, such as an e-mail, a short text and a form
- B1 (state exam NT2)12 tasks: 8 sentence tasks, 2 partial writing tasks, 2 short writing tasks, in any order
- How it is marked
- A2 (DUO)Certified human 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.
Write a short e-mail
An assignment in the style of the A2 writing exam. Write your answer, then compare it with a model answer. Nothing is sent or saved.
Opdracht: Je kunt morgen niet naar je les Nederlands. Schrijf een e-mail aan je docent, Marieke. Schrijf waarom je niet kunt komen, en vraag wat het huiswerk is.
One answer that works
Beste Marieke, Morgen kan ik niet naar de les komen, want mijn dochter is ziek. Wat is het huiswerk voor volgende week? Met vriendelijke groet, Sara
- It does both things the assignment asks: it gives a reason (want mijn dochter is ziek) and asks about the homework.
- After Morgen the verb comes second: Morgen kan ik, not Morgen ik kan.
- A greeting and a closing that fit an e-mail to a teacher: Beste Marieke and Met vriendelijke groet.
What the A2 writing exam checks
- Doing the task (adequacy): does your text give the reader what the assignment asks for, in a way they can understand?
- Spelling: on paper there is no spell checker, so the words you write have to be right.
- Vocabulary: the right words for the situation, such as afspraak, formulier or handtekening.
- In free writing, also grammar and coherence: correct sentences, joined with words like want, maar and omdat.
Four mistakes to avoid
Practising only on a keyboard
A2 writing is by hand, and paper has no spell checker. Write e-mails and short texts on paper, against the clock, then check every word. Typing is for B1.
Answering only part of the task
Each assignment asks for specific things: a reason, a date, a question. Underline them before you write, then tick them off. A good text that skips one of them does not do the task.
Writing sentences that are too long
At A2 a short, correct sentence is safer than a long one with three errors. Use the Dutch you are sure of: one idea per sentence, with the verb in second place.
Handing in without reading it back
Keep the last few minutes for a slow read: spelling first, then verb endings, then de and het. Mistakes are easier to see the second time.
How inburgeringcoach trains writing
You cannot check your own writing the way an assessor will. Here you write exam-style tasks and get corrections on your exact words, with the reason in your language.
Feedback on your own words
Write an e-mail, a form or a short text. Each correction sits on your own words, and the whole text is marked against our A2 rubric: task, register, coherence, grammar, spelling. It is not an official score.
A sheet to write on by hand
A2 writing is on paper, so print the task sheet, write on it with a pen and photograph it when you are done. The sheet fits one A4 page.
Mistakes come back as cards
A mistake you repeat becomes a card. Review brings it back over the following days, with only a few new cards a day, so it stays manageable.
What you wrote
Geachte heer of mevrouw, Ik heb op woensdag een afspraak. Ik kan die dag helaas niet komen. Donderdag ik kan wel komen. Met vriendelijke groet, Ayşe DemirHow it was scored
- Doing the task3 / 3
- Greeting, closing and tone3 / 3
- Linking your sentences2 / 3
- Grammar2 / 3
- Spelling and punctuation3 / 3
The one to look at first
Donderdag ik kan wel komen.Donderdag kan ik wel komen.
Word orderclearly wrongseen in 3 attempts
After a time word at the start of a sentence, the verb comes next: Donderdag kan ik…
A plan for the weeks before
- 1
Build the sentences first
Use the short daily lessons for the sentences an e-mail needs: greeting, request, day and time, thanks, closing. Write each one yourself before you look at the answer.
- 2
Write one full task a week
For A2, write on the printed sheet with a pen and the clock running. For B1, type it, and practise looking words up in the paper dictionary you may use. Always read it back before you stop.
- 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.
Writing exam questions
Is the inburgering writing exam on paper or on a computer?
A2 writing is on paper: a booklet with four assignments, written by hand with a blue pen you are given. B1 writing, which is part of the state exam, is typed on a computer. The other A2 language exams are on a computer.
How long does the writing exam take?
A2: up to 40 minutes, after 15 minutes of explanation that is not exam time. B1: 100 minutes, with 8 sentence tasks, 2 partial writing tasks and 2 short writing tasks, which you can do in any order.
Is there a pass mark, and when do I get the result?
A2: no pass mark is published; the line, the cesuur, is set by the Minister. DUO says results take up to 8 weeks, but since 31 July 2026 A2 writing can take up to 16. B1: a scale score of 500 or more per part.
Can I use a dictionary in the writing exam?
At B1 you may use one paper dictionary, the Van Dale Pocketwoordenboek NT2, for writing and reading. No electronic aids are allowed. At A2 no aid is allowed unless the assignment says so.
Is the AI feedback the same as the exam score?
No. The feedback is marked against our own A2 practice rubric, it can be wrong, and you can report any correction. The real exam is marked by certified assessors, and no score here predicts a pass.
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 · SpeakingOn a computer at A2 and B1: how speaking is marked and how to practise out loud with Bram, an AI tutor.
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.
Write your first practice e-mail today
Make a free account with Google, no card needed, and try the first lessons. The AI writing feedback is part of full access, which starts with a free trial.
Get startedFull access from €16.58 a month, paid yearly (€199). The 7-day free trial needs a card to start.