How the Luisteren exam works (A2 and B1)

Understand the format, the timing and the 'played once' rule, and use your reading time well.

A2 and B17 minLesson 1 of 6

After this lesson you can

Describe the A2 and B1 listening exam formats
Use the reading time before a fragment
Keep going when you miss something

Two different exams

Which listening exam you take depends on your route. Under the Wet inburgering 2013 most people take the A2 inburgeringsexamen. Under the Wet inburgering 2021 most people take B1, the Staatsexamen NT2 Programma I.

	A2 Luisteren	B1 Luisteren (Staatsexamen NT2 I)
Questions	25 multiple choice	about 39 multiple choice
Time	45 minutes	90 minutes
What you hear	short video and audio fragments	audio and video fragments, some longer
Replay	assume you hear each fragment once	each fragment is played once
Pass mark	about 18 of 25 correct	scale score 500
Dictionary	not allowed	not allowed

The exam runs on a computer with a headset. The program controls the pace, so you can't pause or rewind a fragment.

The rhythm of one item

Most items follow the same pattern:

You see the question (and often the options). This is your reading time.
The fragment plays. A conversation, a voicemail, an announcement or a short interview.
You choose your answer.

The reading time before the fragment is the most valuable moment in the exam. Lesson 2 shows exactly what to do with it.

What you will hear

A2: everyday situations. A doctor's assistant on the phone, a colleague asking a favour, a shop assistant, a teacher talking to a parent, an announcement at the station. The speakers talk at a normal but clear speed.

B1: longer and more varied. A short radio item, an interview, a conversation at work, an explanation at a course or information meeting. You also get questions about opinions and attitudes (Lesson 6).

In both exams the speech is real-sounding: people say eh, they correct themselves, they speak at the same time a little. That is on purpose.

You will miss words. That's fine.

Nobody understands every word, not even in their own language on a bad phone line. The exam is built so that you can answer without every word. What matters:

Don't stop listening when you miss a word. If your brain gets stuck on one word, you miss the next three sentences, which often contain the answer.
The answer is often said twice or explained in other words.
Follow the main line: who is talking, where are they, what do they want?

After each fragment

Answer right away. Your memory of the fragment fades fast. If you are not sure, choose the option that fits best, and let it go. The next question already needs your full attention. Thinking about the last question while the next fragment plays is the most expensive mistake in this exam.

How to train at home

Listen to short, real Dutch every day: NOS Jeugdjournaal, local radio, podcasts for learners, announcements on the train.
Practise one-time listening: play a fragment once, then write down what you understood. Only then replay.
Use the official practice exams on inburgeren.nl (A2) or oefenexamensnt2.nl (B1) so the format feels familiar.

Useful Dutch

het fragmentthe (audio/video) clip
luister naar het fragmentlisten to the clip
de koptelefoonthe headphones
het geluidthe sound
één keeronce
Kies het goede antwoord.Choose the right answer.
Waar gaat het gesprek over?What is the conversation about?
de sprekerthe speaker
het gesprekthe conversation
de mededelingthe announcement

Worked example

Using the reading time

Vraag: Waarom belt Fatima naar de school? A Haar zoon is ziek. B Ze wil een gesprek met de leraar. C Ze kan haar zoon niet op tijd ophalen. (Fragment) "Goedemorgen, u spreekt met Fatima Benali, de moeder van Yusuf uit groep vier. Ik bel even omdat ik vanmiddag later ben. Mijn bus heeft vertraging. Mag Yusuf misschien even bij de juf wachten? Ik ben er rond kwart over drie."

Before the fragment, the question word 'waarom' tells you to listen for a reason. The options show three different reasons: ill, a meeting, or pick-up. Now you only listen for which one. You hear 'omdat ik vanmiddag later ben' and 'Mag Yusuf even bij de juf wachten?', so she will be late picking him up: C. Notice that 'school' and 'leraar/juf' appear in her message, which might pull you toward B, but she does not ask for a meeting.

Common mistakes

Using the reading time to rest instead of studying the question and options.
Stopping to think about one missed word and losing the rest of the fragment.
Thinking about the previous question while the next fragment is already playing.
Expecting to be able to replay a fragment, as you can in practice mode.

Check yourself

Answer all three to mark this lesson as done.

1. How long is the A2 Luisteren exam?

2. May you use a dictionary during Luisteren?

3. You missed a word in the middle of a fragment. What should you do?