Inburgeringsexamen information

1) General and practical exam information

Non EU citizens who are legally required to integrate or wish to apply for permanent residence or Dutch citizenship voluntarily need to pass the inburgerign exams.

The complete inburgering exam consists of six sections. The four language skills (Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing), Knowledge of Dutch Society (KNM), and Orientation on the Dutch Labour Market (ONA)*. The exams take place at one of the exam locations in the Netherlands.

*If you are a newcomer and the new inburgering law (Inburgeringswet 2021) applies to you, you no longer need to pass the ONA part of the integration process.

Registering for the exam

• Inburgeringsexamen

You can register for the integration exam in Mijn Inburgering. Register for the exam well in advance. 

• Staatsexamen I (B1 level)

You can register for the staatsexamen I here: Registration Staatsexamen I

 

 

Cancelling the exam

• Inburgeringsexamen

You can cancel your exam in Mijn Inburgering. Cancel no later than 2 weeks before the exam to get your money back.

• Staatsexamen I (B1 level)

You can cancel up to 6 weeks before the exam. To cancel you must send an email to [email protected]. If you cancel later, you will have to pay for the exam.

 

2) Levels of the exam: Inburgeringsexamen A2 and B1

The Dutch government has decided to bring the level of the integration exams up from A2 to B1 level for most newcomers, arriving in the Netherlands as of Jan 2022, so they can better participate in Dutch society and on the job market.

 

If you are already living in the Netherlands and want to apply for permanent residence or Dutch citizenship, it is still possible to apply for this with the A2 exam if you apply before the end of 2022.

If you apply after 2022, it could be that the B1 certificate is required. However, it is yet to be decided when exactly this requirement will come into action. This could be as of Jan 2023 but there is also a chance that it will be be delayed.

 

If you wish to apply for permanent residence or Dutch citzenship but it is not yet clear for you which level will be required, it is recommend to start your preparation and expect that you might need to pass the B1 exam*. If that appears not to be necessary at the moment of your application, you will in any case have the required level and if the level has gone up to B1, you will be well on your way to the required level. On this platform there are courses for the A2 exams as well as the B1 exams.

 

*The B1 exam is not a new exam. It already exists for a long time and is better known as the Staatsexamen 1. Candidates take this exam for better job opportunities, to enroll into a Dutch study or simply for personal development.

3) The 6 sections of the exam

 

1) Reading:

 

A2 level
This exam consists of texts with 25 multiple-choice questions. The test is done on the computer and you get 65 minutes to complete it. You must answer at least 18 questions correctly. You can prepare for the reading exam our with our  A2 reading course.

 

B1 level

This exam consists of texts and approximately 40 multiple-choice questions. The test is done on the computer and you get 110 minutes to complete it. Approximately 65% of the questions must be answered correctly in order to pass. You can prepare for the reading exam our with our B1 reading course.

2) Listening

 

A2 level
This exam consists of audio clips with 25 multiple-choice questions. The test is done on the computer and you get 45 minutes to complete it. You must answer at least 19 questions correctly to pass. You can prepare for the listening exam with our: A2 listening course. 

 

B1 level

This exam consists of audio texts and approximately 40 multiple-choice questions. The test is done on the computer and you get 90 minutes to complete it. Approximately 60-65% of the questions must be answered correctly in order to pass. You can prepare for the listening exam with our B1 listening course.

 

3) Writing

 

A2 level
This section is done with pen and paper. It consists of four exercises: filling in a form, writing one or two short messages, and one or two open writing exercises. The test takes 40 minutes.

You can prepare for the writing exam with our: A2 writing course.  

 

B1 level

This exam consists of 10 short exercises that mainly test your grammar skills, one filling in a form exercise and three longer writing exercises (14 exercises in total). The test is done on the computer and and you get 100 minutes to complete the exam. You can prepare for the writing exam with our: B1 writing course.  

4) Speaking

 

A2 level
This exam consists 12 open questions and 12 multiple-choice questions. For the first 12 questions there are videos to which you need to respond out loud. The test is done on the computer and your responses are recorded. The second part consists of 12 videos with dialogues. One person in the dialogue will say something. Before the other person starts to speak the video stops  and you have to choose the best answer from the multiple-choice options. You can prepare for the speaking exam with our: A2 speaking course.  

 

B1 level

This exam consists of 8 short exercises and 8 longer exercises. The test is done on the computer and and you get 35 minutes to complete the exam. You can prepare for the speaking exam our with our: B1 speaking course.  

5) Knowledge of Dutch Society exam (KNM)
The KNM exam is a test about Dutch society. Some of the topics you will get questions about are the Dutch customs and habits, the educational system, the health care system, housing, history and geography etc. The exam consists of 40 multiple-choice questions and is in Dutch. You need to answer 26 questions correctly to pass. You get 45 minutes to complete the KNM exam.

The KNM exam is not affected by the level change to B1

 

6) Orientation on the Dutch Labour Market (ONA)*
The Orientation on the Dutch Labour Market (ONA) exam is about working and identifying opportunities on the Dutch labor market. This is done by compiling a portfolio which consists of filling in forms. In addition to the forms, ONA consists of a choice of two components:
A final interview based on your portfolio or 64 hours of ONA courses.

You don't need to take the ONA exam if:

- You had to start your integration before 1 January 2015.
- You have gained an you have an MBO level 1 diploma. 
- You worked in the Netherlands under the conditions laid down in this link.

For more information on the ONA exam, visit the ONA Exam page.

 

*If you are a newcomer and the new inburgering law (Inburgeringswet 2021) applies to you, you no longer need to pass the ONA part of the integration process.