Inburgeringsexamen luisteren (A2): what to expect and how to practise
Updated September 2026
For a lot of people, luisteren is the scariest part: people speak fast, words blur together, and there's
no scrolling back. The good news is that A2 listening questions are about practical information, and
catching that is a trainable skill.
The format at a glance
| Exam part | Luisteren, level A2 (Wet inburgering 2013 route) |
|---|
| How | On a computer with headphones; audio fragments and short films, then questions |
|---|
| Time | 45 minutes |
|---|
| Cost | €50 per attempt |
|---|
What trips people up
- Numbers and times. Half negen is 8:30, not 9:30. Kwart over drie, tien voor half vijf —
drill these until they're instant.
- Negations. "De bus rijdt vandaag niet" — one small word, opposite answer.
- Changed plans. Speakers often say one thing and then correct it: "Dinsdag… nee, woensdag kan ik beter."
The question is about the final version.
- Losing focus after one missed word. If you miss a word, let it go and keep listening — the answer often comes later.
How to practise luisteren
- Read the question before the audio. In practice and in the exam. You'll know whether to listen
for a time, a place or a reason.
- Daily short listening. 10–15 minutes of everyday Dutch beats an hour once a week. NOS Journaal in
Makkelijke Taal and slow Dutch podcasts are good starting points.
- Drill clock times and numbers separately — they're worth a surprising number of points.
- Practise with exam-style questions, not just passive listening. Answering under time pressure is the actual skill.
RateMyDutch's Luisteren section has exam-style listening
exercises with everyday Dutch audio and instant scoring.
Find out which part needs the most work
The free readiness scorecard covers all five exam parts in about 4 minutes and gives you a focused 7-day plan.
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.