Everything you need to know about the Dutch speaking exam — format, tips, and strategies.
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The spreken exam is the speaking component of the Dutch inburgering exam. It tests your ability to speak Dutch at A2 level — the basic level required for integration in the Netherlands.
The spreken exam is computer-based. You wear headphones and speak into a microphone. The computer presents a situation — you hear it or read it on screen — and then you speak your response. You are given preparation time before each task.
The task types vary in complexity:
| Task Type | What You Do | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Repeating | Repeat a sentence you hear | "Ik wil graag een afspraak maken" |
| Short response | Answer a simple question | "What is your name?" — respond |
| Describing | Describe a situation or picture | Describe what you see |
| Role-play | Respond in a given scenario | "Call the school to say your child is sick" |
Your speaking responses are assessed by DUO examiners — the exam is not computer-graded. The examiners listen to your recordings and evaluate several criteria:
Important: Silence counts against you — always say something, even if imperfect. A partial answer scores higher than no answer at all.
The hardest part to self-assess is pronunciation — you can't hear your own accent the way an examiner does. Inburgering Coach scores your speaking word by word: record a Dutch phrase and get a per-word accuracy heatmap (green / amber / red) graded to the real exam standard, so you see the exact words that aren't clear enough to pass. Any word you miss becomes a focused retry — hear it, then re-record just that word until you nail it.
These are the types of situations that frequently appear on the spreken exam. Practicing these will prepare you for most tasks:
You may be asked to introduce yourself — your name, age, nationality, where you live, your family, and your work or studies.
Common scenarios include calling a doctor, dentist, gemeente, or school to make an appointment.
You may need to call in sick at work or report your child's absence at school.
Scenarios may involve asking for help, returning items, or asking about prices.
The spreken (speaking) exam takes approximately 35 minutes. You complete several speaking tasks of varying difficulty. Each task gives you preparation time before you need to speak.
No, the spreken exam is computer-based. You wear headphones and speak into a microphone. The computer presents situations and records your responses. DUO examiners listen to your recordings later to assess your speaking ability.
Don't worry about small mistakes — the examiners assess your overall A2 speaking ability, not perfection. If you notice a mistake, you can correct yourself. The most important thing is to keep speaking and complete the task. Silence scores lower than an imperfect answer.
The spreken exam is assessed by DUO examiners who evaluate whether your speaking meets A2 level. There is no fixed percentage — they consider your pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary, grammar, and whether you completed the tasks. You need to demonstrate basic conversational ability in Dutch.
Practice speaking Dutch out loud every day and rehearse common exam scenarios: introducing yourself, making appointments, calling in sick. The Inburgering Coach app makes this concrete — you record Dutch phrases and get a per-word pronunciation score (green/amber/red) graded to the real Staatsexamen NT2 standard, so you see the exact words that aren't clear enough to pass. Any word you miss becomes a focused retry: you hear it, then re-record just that word until you nail it. It's real acoustic scoring, so silence and mumbling can't pass — the same bar the exam holds you to.
Information on this page is summarised for study purposes. Refer to the official sources above for binding rules and current details.