# The Dutch inburgering exam (integration exam), explained Source: https://mykora.nl/inburgering-exam ยท Sources checked 2026-11-07 The inburgering exam is the civic integration exam you take in the Netherlands: Dutch language exams plus KNM, knowledge of Dutch society. Which exams you sit, and at which level, depends on the law that applies to you. Below are the short answers first, then each part in more detail. Every fact links to the official source. ## Short answers ### Is the inburgering exam A2 or B1? It depends on the law you integrate under. Under the Wet inburgering 2013 (integration duty that started before 2022) the language exams are at A2. Under the Wet inburgering 2021 (residence right announced on or after 1 January 2022) most people are on the B1 route, where the language exam is the Staatsexamen NT2 Programma I at B1. That is a different exam from the A2 exam, not a harder version of it. Mijn Inburgering shows which exams and which level apply to you. - [Find your route in 2 minutes](https://mykora.nl/which-inburgering-exam) ### What level will the Dutch inburgering exam be in 2026? The year you sit the exam does not decide the level. The date your integration duty started does. If you were already required to integrate on 31 December 2021, you stay under the 2013 law and sit A2. If your residence right was announced from 1 January 2022, you fall under the 2021 law: on the B1 route that means B1, and your municipality can move some skills down to A2 after at least 600 hours of lessons. For naturalisation, the IND's published requirement is the inburgering exam at A2 as a minimum. Reports of a move to B1 are not in force until they appear in the Staatsblad, so check ind.nl for your own case. - [A2 or B1: which route are you on?](https://mykora.nl/blog/a2-or-b1-route) - [Which exam for naturalisation?](https://mykora.nl/which-inburgering-exam/naturalisation) ### What is the passing score for the inburgering exam? For the A2 exams and KNM, DUO gives a result of pass or fail and does not publish a pass mark. Be careful with percentages you see online: we could not trace them to an official source. For the B1 Staatsexamen NT2, CvTE publishes the rule: you need a score of at least 500 on each part. Each part has its own scale (Lezen 200 to 700, Luisteren and Spreken 100 to 800, Schrijven 250 to 750). - [How your results arrive](https://mykora.nl/blog/inburgering-exam-results) ### Which is the easiest inburgering exam? There is no official answer: DUO does not rank the parts, and what feels hard is personal. What is true: for the A2 exams and KNM, every part is booked separately, so you can start with the part you feel closest to. KNM is a knowledge exam, not a language exam. Its questions are in simple Dutch at A2 level, with pictures and audio. Many people find speaking the scariest part, because you answer out loud into a microphone, which is why practicing it aloud early helps. - [The KNM exam, explained](https://mykora.nl/blog/knm-exam-explained) ### How much does the inburgering exam cost? On inburgeren.nl (checked 7 November 2026) each A2 language exam and KNM costs 50 euro, and ONA (2013 law only) costs 40 euro. Each part of the Staatsexamen NT2 costs 50 euro, or 200 euro for all four (DUO). If you are an asylum status holder under the 2021 law, your first 2 attempts at each exam are free, unless you sit it at a lower level than your integration plan (PIP) says. Fees can change, so check the costs page on inburgeren.nl before you book. - [inburgeren.nl: how much does inburgering cost?](https://www.inburgeren.nl/inburgeren-betalen/index.jsp) ### Can I retake a part I did not pass? Yes. You retake only the part you did not pass, and each new attempt is a new booking (and a new fee, unless your attempts are free). For the Staatsexamen NT2 you can register again only after you have your result. Staatsexamen certificates for the parts you pass do not expire. ### Do I talk to a person in the speaking exam? No. The A2 speaking exam (Spreken) is on a computer at a DUO exam location. You wear headphones, watch short videos or look at pictures, and answer out loud into a microphone. It takes 35 minutes, after 15 minutes of explanation. Your answers are marked partly by a computer and partly by people. - [The A2 speaking exam, explained](https://mykora.nl/blog/spreken-a2-explained) ### How hard is the inburgering exam? There is no official answer for the A2 exams: DUO does not publish pass rates for them. For the B1 Staatsexamen NT2 there is. In 2025, CvTE reported that on average 51% of Programma I exams were passed, from 62% for Schrijven to 43% for Luisteren. A2 tests short, everyday Dutch. B1 asks more: longer texts and conversations about work and daily life. At either level the format itself can catch you out, so practice with questions that look like the real exam before you book. - [B1 Staatsexamen pass rates, explained](https://mykora.nl/blog/b1-staatsexamen-pass-rates) ### How long do I have to finish inburgering? If you have to integrate, you have 3 years. This is your inburgeringstermijn, and Mijn Inburgering always shows from which date it runs. Under the Wet inburgering 2021, your municipality first makes a personal plan with you (the PIP), and DUO then sends a letter with the date your 3 years start. If you finish late and have no right to an extension, DUO can give you a fine. For not finishing your learning route on time it is never more than 1,000 euro, and you still have to finish, with extra time. Asylum status holders never get a fine. - [inburgeren.nl: 3 years to integrate](https://www.inburgeren.nl/u-gaat-inburgeren/index.jsp) - [inburgeren.nl: fines](https://www.inburgeren.nl/u-gaat-inburgeren/boete.jsp) ### Can I borrow money from DUO for my course and exams? Often, yes. You apply in Mijn Inburgering, and DUO pays the school or the exam fee directly: the money does not go to your bank account. You can borrow for a course at an approved school and for the exam, so a DUO loan cannot pay for apps like Kora. Asylum status holders under the 2021 law cannot borrow, because the municipality pays the course and 2 exam attempts. Asylum status holders under the 2013 law can borrow up to 10,000 euro and never have to pay it back. For everyone else, DUO decides how much you can borrow based on your income. You start paying back 6 months after you finish inburgering, over 10 years, with interest (2.29% for 2026 on inburgeren.nl, checked 8 November 2026). If you integrate voluntarily, you can borrow until 3 years after you registered with your municipality. - [inburgeren.nl: borrowing from DUO](https://www.inburgeren.nl/inburgeren-betalen/lenen-bij-duo.jsp) - [inburgeren.nl: paying the loan back](https://www.inburgeren.nl/inburgeren-betalen/lening-terugbetalen.jsp) ### What happens after I pass all my exams? You get your inburgeringsdiploma. Download the digital diploma for free in Mijn Diploma's (in Mijn Inburgering, go to 'Diploma'). You can also ask once for a free paper diploma, which arrives within 8 weeks. If you did the Z-route, you get a certificate from your municipality instead. If you passed all four parts of the B1 Staatsexamen, the diploma arrives by post within 4 weeks. With your diploma you can apply to the IND for a stronger residence permit, or for naturalisation through your municipality, if you also meet the IND's other conditions. The digital diploma counts as a certified copy, so you can use it for naturalisation. - [inburgeren.nl: your diploma](https://www.inburgeren.nl/examen-doen/diploma.jsp) - [inburgeren.nl: naturalisation](https://www.inburgeren.nl/u-gaat-inburgeren/naturaliseren.jsp) ### Is Kora part of DUO? No. Kora is an independent practice app. It is not connected to DUO, CvTE or the IND, it cannot book exams for you, and it cannot tell you that you will pass. The official information is on inburgeren.nl, and your own letters from DUO and your municipality decide what applies to you. ## A2 or B1: which law applies to you There are two integration laws, and they lead to different exams. Which one applies depends on when your integration duty started, not on when you take the exam. Mijn Inburgering on inburgeren.nl shows which exams you must do. - Wet inburgering 2013: for people who were already required to integrate on 31 December 2021. The language exams are at A2 (Lezen, Luisteren, Schrijven, Spreken), plus KNM. Depending on your start date, ONA (from 1 January 2015) and the participation statement PVT (from 1 October 2017) are part of it too. The obligation does not expire. You may also choose the Staatsexamen NT2 at B1 or B2 instead of the A2 language exams. - Wet inburgering 2021: for people whose residence right was announced on or after 1 January 2022. Your municipality makes a personal plan with you (the PIP) and places you on a learning route. On the B1 route you sit the Staatsexamen NT2 Programma I in four skills, plus KNM, plus MAP and PVT through your municipality. The education route ends in the Staatsexamen at B1 or B2. The self-reliance route (Z-route) has no central language exam. - Downscaling: on the B1 route, your municipality can decide that some or all language skills are examined at A2 instead, but only after at least 600 hours of lessons at a school with a Blik op Werk quality mark. It is decided skill by skill. - [Which inburgering exam do I have to take?](https://mykora.nl/which-inburgering-exam) - [Downscaling from B1 to A2](https://mykora.nl/which-inburgering-exam/downscaled-to-a2) ## The parts of the exam The A2 exams and KNM are run by DUO. You book them one at a time and take them at a DUO exam location. Every part starts with 15 minutes of explanation. - The Staatsexamen NT2 is set by CvTE and run by DUO. It takes place on fixed dates from an exam schedule, and you register through DUO, not through Mijn Inburgering. - Under the 2013 law, ONA (orientation on the Dutch labour market) can also be required. It is a portfolio plus a 64-hour course or a final interview. | Part | A2 inburgering exam (DUO) | B1 Staatsexamen NT2 (CvTE) | |---|---|---| | Lezen (reading) | 65 minutes on a computer, multiple choice | 110 minutes, 6 texts, answers on a computer, paper Van Dale NT2 pocket dictionary allowed | | Luisteren (listening) | 45 minutes on a computer, with headphones and short video clips | 90 minutes, around 40 questions, each recording plays once | | Schrijven (writing) | At most 40 minutes, on paper, 4 tasks such as a form or a short message | 100 minutes on a computer, 12 tasks, dictionary allowed | | Spreken (speaking) | 35 minutes on a computer, answers into a microphone | About 25 to 30 minutes on a computer, 16 spoken tasks | | KNM | 45 minutes on a computer, multiple choice with video clips | The same DUO KNM exam: it is not part of the Staatsexamen | - [The A2 reading exam, explained](https://mykora.nl/blog/lezen-a2-explained) - [The A2 listening exam, explained](https://mykora.nl/blog/luisteren-a2-explained) - [The A2 writing exam, explained](https://mykora.nl/blog/schrijven-a2-explained) - [The A2 speaking exam, explained](https://mykora.nl/blog/spreken-a2-explained) - [A2 inburgering exam: all five parts](https://mykora.nl/a2-inburgering-exam) - [B1 Staatsexamen NT2 Programma I](https://mykora.nl/b1-staatsexamen-nt2) ## How the speaking exam works on a computer At A2, you sit Spreken at a computer with headphones and a microphone. You watch short videos or look at pictures, hear a question, and answer out loud. Nobody sits across from you. Since 1 March 2025 the A2 speaking exam is spoken answers only: the multiple-choice section was removed. It takes 35 minutes and is marked partly by a computer and partly by people. inburgeren.nl currently says marking for Spreken A2 and Schrijven A2 takes about 16 weeks. If that makes you late for your integration deadline, DUO extends your term by 6 months automatically. At B1, Spreken has sixteen tasks: eight short ones with 20 seconds of speaking time and eight longer ones with 30 seconds. You cannot go back to a task. Two trained assessors judge every answer against a marking scheme. - Listen to the whole question. Many questions have two parts: answer both. - Use short, full sentences. Simple and complete beats long and unfinished. - If you forget a word, say it another way and keep talking. - Practice with headphones and a microphone, so the setup feels normal on the day. - [The A2 speaking exam, explained](https://mykora.nl/blog/spreken-a2-explained) - [How B1 Spreken is scored](https://mykora.nl/blog/b1-spreken-scoring) ## KNM: knowledge of Dutch society KNM (Kennis van de Nederlandse Maatschappij) is a knowledge exam, not a language exam. It is part of both the A2 route and the B1 route, and on both it is the same DUO exam. You take it on a computer: 45 minutes of multiple-choice questions with short video clips, and you also hear the questions through headphones. A computer marks it. The official exam standards group the questions into eight themes: work and income; manners, values and norms; housing; health and healthcare; history and geography; institutions; the state and the rule of law; and education and parenting. Since 1 July 2025 there are new standards, with more attention for women's right to make their own choices and for knowledge of the Holocaust. KNM questions are situations, so learning which organisation does what helps more than memorising practice questions word for word. - [Try a KNM practice question free](https://mykora.nl/knm-practice) - [Who does what in the Netherlands?](https://mykora.nl/blog/who-does-what-netherlands) ## How to register in Mijn Inburgering You book the A2 exams, KNM and ONA in Mijn Inburgering, your personal page on inburgeren.nl. You log in with DigiD. If you do not have DigiD yet, apply on digid.nl in time: the activation code arrives by post. - Log in to Mijn Inburgering with DigiD. - Choose the exam part, then the location, date and time. You can book one part or several on the same day. - You get a confirmation by email and by letter, and DUO sends a letter with the place, date and time about 1 week before the exam. - Book well ahead: inburgeren.nl says it can take more than 6 weeks before you can sit the exam. - You can change or cancel in Mijn Inburgering up to 1 week before the exam. Cancel at least 1 week ahead and you get your money back. - The A2 exams and KNM take place at DUO locations in Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Rijswijk, Rotterdam, Utrecht and Zwolle, open Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 16:30. - For the B1 Staatsexamen NT2 you register through DUO on fixed dates. DUO sends an invitation letter about 12 days before the exam. Bring it, with a valid ID. - [How to book your inburgering exam](https://mykora.nl/blog/book-inburgering-exam) - [Exam locations and booking](https://mykora.nl/exam-info) - [What happens on exam day](https://mykora.nl/blog/inburgering-exam-day) ## Results, retakes and costs A2 and KNM results arrive by letter and in Mijn Inburgering. For KNM and the other A2 parts this is usually within 8 weeks; for Spreken A2 and Schrijven A2 inburgeren.nl currently says about 16 weeks. The result is pass or fail. Staatsexamen results appear in Mijn DUO on the date in the exam schedule. Each part you pass gets a certificate, and when you pass all four, DUO sends the diploma automatically. You retake only the parts you did not pass. Each attempt is a separate booking with its own fee: 50 euro per A2 exam or KNM, 40 euro for ONA, 50 euro per Staatsexamen part (as published on inburgeren.nl and duo.nl when we checked on 7 November 2026). Asylum status holders under the 2021 law get their first 2 attempts at each exam free, at the level in their plan. - [Your exam results and what comes next](https://mykora.nl/blog/inburgering-exam-results) - [inburgeren.nl: costs](https://www.inburgeren.nl/inburgeren-betalen/index.jsp) ## How to practice Start with the official material. DUO publishes free A2 practice exams on inburgeren.nl for Schrijven, Spreken, Luisteren, Lezen and KNM, and there are official practice exams for the B1 and B2 Staatsexamen. Practicing in the exam format makes the screens familiar, which takes away a lot of exam-day stress. Kora is a practice app for these exams: exam-style questions for every part, speaking practice that listens and tells you what to fix, KNM questions that come back in new words, and every explanation in your own language. It is practice, not an official result, and it cannot promise you will pass. - [inburgeren.nl: official practice exams](https://www.inburgeren.nl/examen-doen/oefenen.jsp) - [How to practice each part of the B1 Staatsexamen](https://mykora.nl/blog/b1-staatsexamen-practice-each-part) ## Sources - [inburgeren.nl: which exams (2013 and 2021 law)](https://www.inburgeren.nl/examen-doen/index.jsp) - [inburgeren.nl: the language exams at A2, B1 and B2](https://www.inburgeren.nl/examen-doen/inhoud-taalexamens-a2-b1-b2.jsp) - [inburgeren.nl: the knowledge exams (KNM, MAP, ONA, PVT)](https://www.inburgeren.nl/examen-doen/inhoud-kennisexamens.jsp) - [inburgeren.nl: registering for an exam](https://www.inburgeren.nl/examen-doen/aanmelden-examen.jsp) - [inburgeren.nl: exam locations](https://www.inburgeren.nl/examen-doen/examenplaatsen.jsp) - [inburgeren.nl: results](https://www.inburgeren.nl/examen-doen/uitslag.jsp) - [inburgeren.nl: practice exams](https://www.inburgeren.nl/examen-doen/oefenen.jsp) - [inburgeren.nl: how much inburgering costs](https://www.inburgeren.nl/inburgeren-betalen/index.jsp) - [inburgeren.nl: 3 years to integrate](https://www.inburgeren.nl/u-gaat-inburgeren/index.jsp) - [inburgeren.nl: fines for finishing late](https://www.inburgeren.nl/u-gaat-inburgeren/boete.jsp) - [inburgeren.nl: borrowing from DUO](https://www.inburgeren.nl/inburgeren-betalen/lenen-bij-duo.jsp) - [inburgeren.nl: how much you can borrow](https://www.inburgeren.nl/inburgeren-betalen/hoeveel-geld-mag-u-lenen.jsp) - [inburgeren.nl: paying the loan back](https://www.inburgeren.nl/inburgeren-betalen/lening-terugbetalen.jsp) - [inburgeren.nl: your diploma](https://www.inburgeren.nl/examen-doen/diploma.jsp) - [inburgeren.nl: naturalisation](https://www.inburgeren.nl/u-gaat-inburgeren/naturaliseren.jsp) - [CvTE annual report 2025 (pass rates, table 9)](https://www.cvte.nl/site/binaries/site-content/collections/documents/2026/04/13/jaarverslag-2025/jaarverslag-college-voor-toetsen-en-examens.pdf) - [inburgeren.nl: DUO exam regulations (PDF)](https://www.inburgeren.nl/images/examenreglement.pdf) - [DUO: Staatsexamen NT2 exam fees](https://duo.nl/particulier/staatsexamen-nt2/examengeld.jsp) - [DUO: exams under the Wet inburgering 2021](https://duo.nl/zakelijk/inburgering-ketenpartners/wet-inburgering-2021/examens-wi2021/examen-doen-wi2021.jsp) - [Staatsexamens NT2 (CvTE): what the exam looks like](https://www.staatsexamensnt2.nl/voorbereiden/hoe-ziet-het-examen-eruit) - [Staatsexamens NT2 (CvTE): how the exam is marked](https://www.staatsexamensnt2.nl/examen-doen-en-uitslag/beoordeling) - [Wet inburgering 2021 (legal text)](https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0044770/) - [Besluit inburgering 2021 (legal text)](https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0045555) - [IND: civic integration for naturalisation](https://ind.nl/nl/inburgering-voor-naturalisatie) - [Rijksoverheid: renewed KNM exam, 30 June 2025](https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/actueel/nieuws/2025/06/30/inburgeringsexamen-vernieuwd-extra-aandacht-voor-zelfbeschikking-vrouwen-en-kennis-holocaust) 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.