# The A2 listening exam, explained Source: https://mykora.nl/blog/luisteren-a2-explained ยท Sources checked 2026-11-10 In Luisteren A2 you listen through headphones, watch short videos and click the right answer. Here is how it works, how it is marked, and how to practice. ## How it works You take Luisteren A2 on a computer at a DUO exam location. You wear headphones. You get questions about short films, and you listen to spoken texts. The questions and the answer options are on the screen. Every question is multiple choice: you click the right answer with the mouse. The texts and questions are about work, education and daily life. - [What the inburgering exam looks like on the computer](https://mykora.nl/blog/inburgering-exam-computer-screen) ## Time First a DUO staff member gives 15 minutes of explanation. Then the exam takes 45 minutes. inburgeren.nl does not say how many questions there are. DUO's official practice exams show you the length and the pace. ## How it is marked A computer marks Luisteren. You get a grade, and the result is pass (geslaagd) or fail (niet geslaagd). DUO's exam rules say that not all your answers have to be right to pass. The pass mark is set by the minister, and DUO does not publish it as a number. ## Can you listen twice? inburgeren.nl and DUO's exam rules do not say how often you can play a fragment in the A2 exam. Because there is no official rule to quote, we do not guess. A safe habit: read the question before you listen, and listen as if you hear the fragment only once. For the B1 Staatsexamen the rule is published: CvTE says you can listen to each text only once. ## What you may bring Bring a valid ID and arrive 30 minutes before the exam starts. Your coat, bag, watch, phone and other things go into a locker. You may not take paper, pens or study books into the exam room. If you want something to drink, bring a cup. The exam is secret: you may not take photos or copy the questions. - [What happens on your exam day](https://mykora.nl/blog/inburgering-exam-day) ## Tips that help These tips are about how you listen, not about the content of the real exam. - Read the question carefully. Then you know what to listen for. - Listen for the key facts: who, where, when, what time, how much. - Watch the video too. Where people are and what they do can help you. - You do not need to understand every word. Keep listening for the part the question asks about. - Practice with headphones, so the sound feels normal on the day. ## How to practice Start with DUO's free practice exams on inburgeren.nl. There are three for Luisteren. DUO says they work best on a desktop computer. On a phone or tablet, turn it sideways. inburgeren.nl also points to netinnederland.nl, with short videos about topics that also come up in the exam. Listening to everyday Dutch for a few minutes a day helps your ear: the radio, the news in simple Dutch, people at the shop. Kora has listening practice with spoken Dutch fragments and questions in the exam style. After every answer you see the explanation in your own language. Kora's fragments are audio, not video. There is also a mock exam with the same time limit as the real part. It is practice, not an official result, and it cannot promise a result. - [inburgeren.nl: official practice exams](https://www.inburgeren.nl/examen-doen/oefenen.jsp) - [A study plan when you work full time](https://mykora.nl/blog/inburgering-study-plan) ## Results and retakes The result comes by letter, and you can also see it in Mijn Inburgering. DUO's exam rules say you get it within 8 weeks. If you do not pass, you only take Luisteren again, not the other parts. A new attempt is a new booking, and usually a new fee. - [Your exam results and what comes next](https://mykora.nl/blog/inburgering-exam-results) - [What a retake costs](https://mykora.nl/blog/inburgering-retake-costs) ## The B1 Staatsexamen is different If you are on the B1 route, your listening exam is part of the Staatsexamen NT2, set by CvTE. inburgeren.nl says Luisteren at B1 takes 90 minutes. - [How to practice each part of the B1 Staatsexamen](https://mykora.nl/blog/b1-staatsexamen-practice-each-part) ## Questions ### How long is the A2 listening exam? 45 minutes, after 15 minutes of explanation. ### Are there videos in Luisteren A2? Yes. inburgeren.nl says you get questions about films, and you also listen to texts. You wear headphones. ### Can I listen to a fragment twice in Luisteren A2? DUO does not publish a rule about this for A2. At the B1 Staatsexamen you can listen to each text only once. ### What score do I need to pass Luisteren A2? DUO does not publish a pass mark. The result is pass or fail, and not every answer has to be right. ## Sources - [inburgeren.nl: language exams A2, B1, B2](https://www.inburgeren.nl/examen-doen/inhoud-taalexamens-a2-b1-b2.jsp) - [DUO exam regulations (PDF): times, marking, results, what you may bring](https://www.inburgeren.nl/images/examenreglement.pdf) - [Regeling inburgering 2021 (how each A2 part is taken and marked)](https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0045574/) - [inburgeren.nl: official practice exams](https://www.inburgeren.nl/examen-doen/oefenen.jsp) - [inburgeren.nl: exam rules](https://www.inburgeren.nl/examen-doen/regels-voor-het-examen.jsp) - [inburgeren.nl: results](https://www.inburgeren.nl/examen-doen/uitslag.jsp) - [Staatsexamens NT2: what the exam looks like (B1 Luisteren: listen once)](https://www.staatsexamensnt2.nl/voorbereiden/hoe-ziet-het-examen-eruit) Kora is an independent practice app. It is not connected to DUO, CvTE or the IND. Your own letters from DUO and your municipality decide what applies to you.