The B1 inburgering exam (Staatsexamen NT2 Programma I): what to expect

Updated September 2026

If you arrived in the Netherlands after 2021, you've probably heard that the inburgering bar went up from A2 to B1. That's true for most people on the new route — and the B1 exams are a real step up in length and difficulty. Here's what you're actually facing.

A2 or B1: which applies to you?

Integration obligation started…	Law	Language level
before 1 January 2022	Wet inburgering 2013	A2
on or after 1 January 2022	Wet inburgering 2021	B1 (standard route)

Your personal requirements — including your route and deadline — are in Mijn Inburgering (log in with DigiD). On the A2 route? See the A2 writing guide instead.

The four B1 language exams

On the Wi2021 B1 route, the language exams are the Staatsexamen NT2 Programma I:

Part	Format	Time
Lezen	Six texts in a paper booklet; multiple-choice answers on the computer	110 min
Luisteren	Around 40 multiple-choice tasks on audio and short films; each fragment plays once	90 min
Schrijven	Typed on a computer: 8 sentence tasks, 2 partial-writing tasks, 2 short writing tasks	100 min
Spreken	Computer with headset: 8 short and 8 medium-length spoken tasks	~25–30 min

Each part costs €50 and is scored separately: you need at least 500 scaled points on every part. A great reading score can't rescue a failed speaking exam. KNM (€50, 45 minutes) is a separate DUO exam — see the KNM guide.

What makes B1 harder than A2

• Length and stamina. Lezen alone is almost two hours. Practise full-length sets, not just single texts.
• Opinions and reasons. At B1 you're expected to give your view and back it up — ik vind dat…, omdat…, aan de andere kant… — in both speaking and writing.
• Register. Writing tasks switch between formal (a complaint to a company) and informal (a message to a colleague). Getting the tone right is part of the score.
• Listening once. No replay — you need to catch the key information the first time.

How to prepare

1. Take a level check first to see whether you're close to B1 or still building from A2.
2. Practise writing and speaking with feedback — they're the parts you can't score yourself, and the ones where B1 differs most from A2.
3. Do full timed rounds of lezen and luisteren in the final weeks.
4. Book early. Exam places can be scarce; check the rooster on staatsexamensnt2.nl.

RateMyDutch has a B1 level for all four language skills — pick B1 when you start and you'll get B1-level lezen, luisteren, schrijven and spreken practice, with writing and speaking graded against B1 criteria. Try a B1 writing task — your first grade is free.

Written by Youssef Hounat, who passed his own A2 inburgering exams in July 2026 and built RateMyDutch to practise for them. Exam facts checked against inburgeren.nl and staatsexamensnt2.nl — updated September 2026.

RateMyDutch is an independent practice tool. It is not affiliated with DUO or the Dutch government, and no practice result predicts your official exam outcome. Official exam information: inburgeren.nl, staatsexamensnt2.nl.