The inburgering speaking exam (A2 and B1): format and model answers

You speak to a computer, not a person: a beep, 20 or 30 seconds, another beep. How the A2 and B1 speaking exams work, model answers that fit the time, and how to practise when nobody is there to listen.

Updated November 3, 2026 · 5 min read

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

In the Dutch integration exams the speaking part is recorded: you wear a headset and answer on a computer. At A2 it is DUO's exam — the level of the 2013 Act and of the naturalisation test. At B1 and B2 it is the Staatsexamen NT2, the language exam of the B1 route (inburgeren.nl). Your route decides which you take.

In short: A2 — 35 minutes on a computer: you watch short films and answer questions. B1 — about 25 minutes (inburgeren.nl says about 30), 8 short tasks with 20 seconds each and 8 medium tasks with 30 seconds each; B2 adds a 2-minute talk with preparation time. No dictionary. Two trained raters listen; you pass with 500 (Staatsexamens NT2).

The A2 speaking exam (DUO)

On a computer, 35 minutes, €50: you see short films and answer questions about them out loud. DUO has three free A2 speaking practice exams on inburgeren.nl — note that they do not work in Safari, so use another browser (practice). The questions are everyday ones: what you do, what you want, what happened.

The B1 speaking exam (Staatsexamen NT2)

Part	Programme I (B1)	Programme II (B2)	Speaking time
1 — short tasks	8	4	20 seconds each: a short answer
2 — medium tasks	8	8	30 seconds each: a few sentences or more
3 — long task	—	1	2 minutes on a topic, after preparation time

You hear the situation through the headphones and read the task on the screen. A beep tells you to start; a second beep ends your time, and the next task begins. No dictionary. Single tasks from the official practice environment can appear in the real exam, alongside others (Staatsexamens NT2).

20 seconds is two sentences; 30 seconds is four. Answer the question in your first sentence, then add one reason or one example. Silence scores nothing, and a sentence you stop halfway still shows the rater what you can do — so keep talking until the beep.

Model answers that fit the time

Practice-style tasks at B1, with an answer that fits the timer. Read them out loud with a stopwatch.

Wat doet u meestal in het weekend? — Op zaterdag doe ik boodschappen en op zondag ga ik met mijn kinderen naar het park. Soms bezoeken we familie.

Literally: What do you usually do at the weekend? — On Saturday I do the shopping and on Sunday I go to the park with my children. Sometimes we visit family.

Meaning: A short task (20 s): answer + one detail. Verb second after op zaterdag: doe ik. doen, gaan, bezoeken.

Uw collega vraagt of u morgen haar dienst kunt overnemen. U kunt niet. Wat zegt u? — Sorry, morgen kan ik helaas niet, want ik heb een afspraak bij de tandarts. Misschien kan Pieter je helpen? Volgende week wil ik wel een keer ruilen.

Literally: Your colleague asks if you can take over her shift tomorrow. You can't. What do you say? — Sorry, unfortunately I can't tomorrow, because I have a dentist's appointment. Maybe Pieter can help you? Next week I'm happy to swap once.

Meaning: A medium task (30 s): refuse — reason — alternative. kunnen, hebben, helpen, willen.

Wat vindt u van werken vanuit huis? — Ik vind het prettig, omdat ik minder tijd in de trein zit. Maar ik mis mijn collega's wel. Daarom werk ik het liefst twee dagen thuis en drie dagen op kantoor.

Literally: What do you think of working from home? — I like it, because I spend less time on the train. But I do miss my colleagues. That's why I prefer to work two days at home and three days at the office.

Meaning: An opinion with a reason, a contrast and a conclusion — omdat, maar, daarom. vinden, zitten, missen, werken.

Phrases that buy you a second

Nou, ik denk dat… — Well, I think that… (denken)
Dat is een goede vraag. — That's a good question.
Volgens mij… — In my opinion…
Aan de ene kant… aan de andere kant… — On the one hand… on the other…
Bijvoorbeeld… — For example…
Kortom… — In short… (to finish before the beep)

How to practise alone

Do the official practice — DUO's three A2 speaking exams (not in Safari) or the B1 speaking practice assignments in the Staatsexamen NT2 practice environment.
Record yourself on your phone with a 20- or 30-second timer, then listen back: did you answer the question first? Did you stop before the beep?
Learn the verbs of daily life in all their forms, so you never stop to think: zijn, hebben, wonen, werken, leren, eten, slapen, opstaan.
Prepare the warm-up topics — yourself, your family, your work or study, your home, your free time. Our inburgering path has a vocabulary set for each.
Talk to a person too. The exam is recorded, but your fluency grows in real conversations — a language café, a colleague, or a teacher on Edluxio, where you can book a trial lesson with full refund.

Say it before the beep

16Word's Dialogues track trains exactly this: a partner's line, then yours — in Dutch sentences, with audio and a game of Blocks between answers. Page 1 is free.

Keep learning

All our Dutch exam guides

Frequently asked questions

Do I speak to a person in the inburgering speaking exam?

No. At A2 and at B1/B2 you speak into a microphone and the computer records you. In the Staatsexamen NT2 a beep tells you when to start and another when your time is up.

How long is the speaking exam?

35 minutes at A2 (DUO). The Staatsexamen NT2 speaking exam takes about 25 minutes for programmes I and II (inburgeren.nl says about 30).

How much time do I get per answer in the B1 speaking exam?

20 seconds for each of the 8 short tasks and 30 seconds for each of the 8 medium tasks. Programme II (B2) also has one long task: 2 minutes on a topic, with preparation time.

Who marks the speaking exam?

Two trained raters, using a marking scheme. Your points are converted to a score; you pass with 500 or more.

Can I practise the speaking exam online?

Yes. DUO has three free A2 speaking practice exams on inburgeren.nl (they do not work in Safari), and the Staatsexamen NT2 has B1 speaking practice assignments in its practice environment.

What if I make grammar mistakes?

Keep talking. The raters judge whether you get your message across at the level, and a missing answer scores nothing. Answer the question first, then add a reason or an example.