What the inburgering exam screen looks like

The best way to see the screens: DUO's own practice exams

We do not show pictures of DUO's exam screens. The exam is secret, and DUO's practice exams are the official way to see what it looks like. They are free on inburgeren.nl, for Lezen, Luisteren, Spreken and KNM on a computer, and for Schrijven as a paper PDF.

DUO says the practice exams work best on a desktop computer. On a phone or tablet, turn it sideways. The Spreken practice exam does not work in Safari.

• inburgeren.nl: official practice exams ↗

Before the screen: in the exam room

You arrive 30 minutes early and show a valid ID. Your phone, watch, coat, pens and paper go into a locker. In the room, a DUO staff member explains the rules. After the explanation you can start.

Every A2 part and KNM starts with 15 minutes of explanation. Then the exam time begins. You may go to the toilet during the exam, but only after you ask. A staff member walks with you.

• What happens on your exam day →

Which parts are on the computer

DUO's exam regulations describe how each A2 part is taken:

• Lezen (reading): on the computer, with texts on the screen. At most 65 minutes. You answer multiple-choice questions.
• Luisteren (listening): on the computer, with audio and video. 45 minutes. You wear headphones, get questions about short films and listen to texts.
• Spreken (speaking): on the computer. At most 35 minutes. You answer out loud into a microphone.
• KNM: on the computer, with audio and video. At most 45 minutes. Multiple choice.
• Schrijven (writing): not on the computer. It is on paper, in a booklet, for at most 40 minutes.

Lezen on screen

The texts are on the screen, and so are the questions. inburgeren.nl says you read texts and answer questions about them. You click your answer.

A tip from practice: read the question first, then look for the answer in the text. With 65 minutes you have time, but not time to read every text twice.

Luisteren and KNM: headphones and video

For Luisteren you wear headphones. inburgeren.nl says you get questions about films, and you listen to texts. The topics are work, study and daily life.

For KNM you watch short video clips, read the questions on the screen and also hear them through headphones. Every question is multiple choice: you click the answer. The official exam standards say questions and answers are supported by pictures. A computer marks both parts.

• The KNM exam, explained →

Spreken: headphones and a microphone

For Spreken you wear a headset with a microphone. You watch short videos or look at pictures, hear a question, and answer out loud. Nobody sits across from you: you speak to the computer.

Since 1 March 2025 the A2 speaking exam is spoken answers only. The multiple-choice section was removed. Your answers are marked partly by a computer and partly by people.

• The A2 speaking exam, explained →
• Practicing the speaking exam at home →

Schrijven: paper, not a screen

Schrijven A2 is the only part on paper. You get 4 writing tasks, for example a short letter or a form to fill in. You write by hand in a booklet. If you are used to typing, practice writing by hand. The three official Schrijven practice exams are PDFs you can print.

Rules that matter at the computer

A few rules from DUO's exam regulations affect what you do at your screen. Breaking them can make your exam invalid.

Because the exam is secret, nobody can show you the real questions in advance. Anyone who offers you real exam questions is offering fraud. Practice with DUO's official practice exams and with practice questions written for practice.

• The exam is secret. You may not take photos or videos, or copy the questions.
• You may not bring your own paper, pens, books, watch or phone into the room.
• You may not disturb other candidates. After a warning, you can be sent out.
• You may only leave the room after you ask.

The B1 Staatsexamen is different

If you take the Staatsexamen NT2 at B1, all four parts are on a computer, also Schrijven. CvTE, which sets this exam, describes its screens in more detail on staatsexamensnt2.nl:

• You log in first. Then you see a screen with information about the exam and wait until the exam leader starts it. Each exam begins with an example.
• A clock at the top right shows how much time you have left. 15 minutes before the end, a warning appears on the screen.
• In Luisteren, numbers at the bottom of the screen show which task you are on. A task you have done changes colour, and you can mark a task to look at it again later.
• A magnifier (loep) makes the text bigger. Small pictures open larger when you click them.
• Lezen: the texts come in a paper booklet. The questions and answer options are on the computer, always multiple choice.
• Luisteren: you get 25 seconds to read each question and its answers. The audio starts by itself and plays only once. You can go back to change an answer, but you cannot listen again.
• Spreken: you listen through headphones and read along on the screen. After a beep, you speak into the microphone.
• When you are done, you click 'Overzicht' (overview) and then 'Inleveren' (hand in).

• How to practice each part of the B1 Staatsexamen →

Make the screens familiar

Many people are nervous because they do not know what the exam looks like. Doing DUO's practice exams once or twice takes a lot of that away. After that, practice the questions themselves.

Kora's mock exams copy the format and the timer of each part, with explanations in your own language. They are practice, not the real DUO screens, and they cannot predict your result.