A 12-week plan to prepare for the inburgering exams

Twelve weeks, about 45 minutes a day, one exam every two to three weeks: a plan for the inburgering exams that starts from a solid A2 and uses the official practice material first. Adjust the pace — not the order.

Updated November 3, 2026 · 4 min read

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Bu rehberi Türkçe okuyun

Canal houses along the Singel in Amsterdam — Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, resized.

This plan is our advice, not an official programme. It assumes you know your route and level — the three routes and A2 or B1 explain them — and that you start at about A2. If our free level test puts you lower, double each phase. The exam facts it relies on are DUO's and the Staatsexamen NT2's, linked in each guide.

Book first, then study. DUO warns that it can take more than six weeks to get an exam date, and NT2 registration opens about 8 weeks ahead (registration guide). Book your first exam in week 1 — for week 5 or 6 — so the plan has a finish line.

The daily 45 minutes

Minutes	What	Why
10	new words — 16 a day, by topic	every part rests on vocabulary; daily beats weekly
10	listening — the news for learners, a podcast, a series	your ear only grows with hours
15	the exam part of the week (below)	format and timing
10	speaking or writing out loud — one answer, one message	production is the skill that freezes

Weeks 1–3: foundation and reading

Week 1: take the level test; book your first exam; do one official practice exam of each part without preparation to see your gaps (DUO practice, NT2 practice).
Week 2: the core verbs in every form — zijn, hebben, kunnen, moeten, willen, mogen, gaan, komen, worden, zullen.
Week 3: reading technique — question first, then text; the signal words (omdat, maar, daarom, hoewel). Guide: the reading exam.

Weeks 4–6: listening and KNM

Week 4: the 25-second routine; numbers and times (half drie = 2:30). Guide: the listening exam.
Week 5: KNM area by area — housing, work and income, health, education, the state — with DUO's two KNM practice exams. Guide: the KNM exam.
Week 6: first exam (reading, for most people). Then rest a day — and book the next.

Weeks 7–9: writing

Week 7: u or je; openings and closings; five model messages by heart. Guide: the writing exam.
Week 8: word order — verb second, verb last after omdat, separable verbs (invullen, opstaan, afspreken, aanmelden); the perfect with hebben or zijn (werken, verhuizen).
Week 9: a timed writing practice exam; second exam (listening or KNM).

Weeks 10–12: speaking and the last exams

Week 10: record yourself with a 20- and 30-second timer; answer first, then a reason. Guide: the speaking exam.
Week 11: a full speaking practice exam (not in Safari for DUO's A2 version); third exam (writing).
Week 12: fourth exam (speaking) — and any retake you need. A failed NT2 part can be re-booked once you have the result.

Costs: each exam is €50 — a retake too. Asylum status holders under the 2021 Act get two attempts per exam free. See costs and the DUO loan and, if time is short, the 3-year deadline.

Twelve verbs to know cold

They turn up in every part of the exam. Know the present, the perfect and the auxiliary of each: wonen, werken, leren, betalen, bellen, vragen, zeggen, vinden, denken, helpen, wachten, zoeken.

The 10 minutes of words, done for you

16Word gives you 16 Dutch words a day by topic, with audio, active recall and a game of Blocks between answers — the inburgering path has 40 sets. Free to start.

Keep learning

All our Dutch exam guides

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to prepare for the inburgering exam?

It depends on your starting level. This plan assumes a solid A2 and 45 minutes a day for 12 weeks; from a lower level, double each phase. Our free level test shows where you start.

Which inburgering exam should I take first?

The one you are strongest in, so you bank a pass early — reading, for example, where a dictionary is allowed at B1. Each part is a separate exam on its own day.

Are there free practice exams?

Yes. DUO has free A2 practice exams for writing, speaking, listening, reading and KNM on inburgeren.nl, and the Staatsexamen NT2 has an official practice environment for B1 and B2.

How far ahead should I book?

Book in your first week: DUO warns it can take more than six weeks to get a date, and NT2 registration opens about eight weeks before the exam.

How many words do I need for the inburgering exam?

There is no official word count. What matters is the vocabulary of everyday and work situations — the inburgering path sorts it into 40 topic sets.