The writing exam

Writing at level A2

The writing exam at A2 is part of the civic integration exam. You get 4 writing tasks, such as writing a short letter or filling in a form. You write with pen and paper.

DUO has two assessment models for writing at A2: one for forms, and one for free writing and letters or messages.

You take the language exams at A2 if you integrate under the Wet inburgering 2013 (Civic Integration Act 2013), or if your level in the B1 route was lowered to A2. Do you take the exams at B1 or B2? Then that is the staatsexamen Nt2 (state exam Dutch as a second language).

Writing in the staatsexamen Nt2 (B1 and B2)

• You take the exam on a computer: you type your text.
• The exam takes 100 minutes, for Programma I and II. You choose the order of the tasks yourself.
• There are different tasks: writing or finishing a sentence, writing a short message or filling in a form, and writing a short text, such as a note or a short letter. In Programma II you also write a longer text, for example about a problem and a solution.
• Most tasks are about work or education. A few are about daily life.
• You may use the Van Dale Pocketwoordenboek Nederlands als tweede taal (NT2), a pocket dictionary.

The exam can contain tasks from the practice environment. It also contains other tasks.

Tips for practising

• Read the task carefully and write about all the points in it.
• Pay attention to how many words you may write.
• Start a letter or message with a greeting and end it with a closing.
• Practise forms too: your name, your address, a date and a short reason.
• Read your text again afterwards. Is every sentence right?

Official practice exams

On inburgeren.nl there are writing practice exams for A2. For B1 and B2 there are writing practice tasks in the practice environment of the staatsexamen Nt2.

• Practice exams by DUO on inburgeren.nl (opens in a new tab)
• Practice exams and practice tasks for B1 and B2 (opens in a new tab)