How does the A2 inburgering reading exam work?

Lezen is taken on a computer at a DUO exam location. You read short everyday Dutch texts and answer multiple-choice questions about them. The A2 reading exam takes 65 minutes and costs €50 per attempt.

What kind of texts are in the lezen exam?

Everyday practical texts: letters from the gemeente or a school, notices, adverts, emails, schedules and short information texts. You are tested on finding and understanding information, not on literary reading.

Do I need to understand every word?

No. A2 reading questions usually ask about specific information — a date, a reason, what you need to do. Read the question first, find the part of the text it refers to, and don't get stuck on unknown words elsewhere.

Inburgeringsexamen lezen (A2): format and a strategy that works

Updated September 2026

Lezen is the part most people pass comfortably — if they manage their time and don't try to understand every word. It's a test of finding information in everyday texts, not of vocabulary depth.

The format at a glance

Exam part	Lezen, level A2 (Wet inburgering 2013 route)
How	On a computer at a DUO exam location, multiple choice
Time	65 minutes
Cost	€50 per attempt

DUO doesn't publish a fixed number of questions or a raw pass mark for the A2 reading exam, so treat any number you see online as approximate.

What kind of texts you'll read

Letters and emails — from the gemeente, a school, a landlord, an employer
Notices and signs — opening hours, rules in a building, a changed schedule
Adverts and announcements — a course, a job, something for sale
Short information texts — about a service, an event, a health tip

A strategy that saves points

Read the question first. Then you know what you're looking for — a date, a price, a reason, an action.
Scan for the spot. Look for the word from the question (or a synonym) in the text. Read that part carefully; skim the rest.
Watch the small words. niet, geen, alleen, pas, al, nog flip meanings — "je hoeft geen formulier mee te nemen" is the opposite of what a fast reader catches.
Eliminate. Usually one option is clearly wrong and one is a trap that repeats words from the text but says something else. Pick the one that matches the meaning.
Don't get stuck. 65 minutes is enough if you keep moving. Flag and come back.

Words that show up again and again

A2 texts reuse the same practical vocabulary. If these are automatic, you'll read much faster: aanmelden, afspraak, afzeggen, betalen, gratis, verplicht, meenemen, ophalen, openingstijden, gesloten, vanaf, uiterlijk, per maand, de huur, de gemeente, het formulier, de handtekening.

RateMyDutch's Lezen section has exam-style reading sets with everyday texts and instant scoring, so you can see which kinds of questions you miss.

Reading fine? Check the other four parts.

The free readiness scorecard covers all five exam parts in about 4 minutes and shows where your points are most at risk.

Take the free readiness scorecard

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.