# How the Spreken exam works

URL: https://www.inburgeringklaar.nl/learn/spreken/how-spreken-works
Course: Spreken: the speaking exam, step by step (https://www.inburgeringklaar.nl/learn/spreken)
Level: A2 and B1
Publisher: Inburgeringklaar

> You will know what happens in the A2 and B1 speaking exams, how answers are recorded and rated, and how to handle the timer.

## Goals
- Describe the parts of the A2 and B1 speaking exams
- Understand that answers are recorded and rated later
- Prepare a routine for the moment the recording starts

## No examiner in the room

Both speaking exams are taken **on a computer with a headset**. You see a video or pictures, you hear a question, and you **record your answer**. Nobody reacts to you while you speak. Trained assessors listen to the recordings afterwards and rate them.

That has two consequences:

1. **Nobody will help you.** If you stop talking, there is just silence on the recording.
2. **Only what is recorded counts.** Thinking of a great answer does not score; saying it does.

## A2: four parts, about 35 minutes

| Part | What you see | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A short video: someone in a daily situation asks you something | Answer the question as if you are in that situation |
| 2 | **One picture** | Answer a question about it: describe, explain, or say what you do or would do |
| 3 | **Two pictures** | **Choose one** and say why |
| 4 | **Three pictures** that tell a story | **Tell the story** |

The questions are short and everyday: work, shopping, the doctor, the weekend, school, transport, the neighbours.

## B1: two parts, about 25 minutes

The B1 speaking exam is part of Staatsexamen NT2 Programma I.

| Part | Tasks | Time per task |
|---|---|---|
| **Deel 1** | **8 short tasks**: react to a situation, ask something, give information | about **20 seconds** to speak |
| **Deel 2** | **8 longer tasks**: give your opinion, advice, compare, explain how something works | about **15 seconds to prepare**, then about **30 seconds** to speak |

Twenty seconds is two or three sentences. Thirty seconds is four to six. That is less than most people expect, so get to the point quickly.

## What the assessors listen for

- **Did you do the task?** If the question asks for a reason, give one. If it asks you to choose, choose.
- **Is it understandable?** Accent is fine. Unclear words that hide your meaning are not.
- **Vocabulary and grammar** that fit the level.
- **Connected speech**: sentences linked with *en, maar, omdat, want, daarna*, not single words.
- **The right tone**: *u* to the doctor or a stranger, *je* to a friend or colleague.

## The moment the recording starts

Most points are lost in the first three seconds: people hesitate, say *eh…* for a long time, or start with a sentence they cannot finish. Build a routine:

1. **Listen to the whole question.** Catch the question word: *wat, waarom, waar, wanneer, hoe, welke*.
2. **Start with the answer.** Reuse words from the question: *Wat doe je in het weekend?* → *In het weekend…*
3. **Add a reason or detail** (next lesson).
4. **Stop when you are done.** You do not have to fill every second with noise, but a one-word answer is too short.

## Using a little filler (well)

Natural Dutch speakers use short fillers too. These buy you a second without sounding stuck:

- *Nou, …*
- *Even denken…*
- *Dat is een goede vraag.*
- *Ik denk eigenlijk dat…*

Use one, not five. Then answer.

## No dictionary

Dictionaries are not allowed in the speaking exam. If you forget a word, describe it: *dat ding waarmee je het gras kort maakt* (a lawnmower), or use a simpler word: *de dokter* instead of *de huisarts* still works.

## How to practise

- **Out loud, always.** Silent practice does not train your mouth.
- **Use a timer**: 20 seconds and 30 seconds. Learn what those feel like.
- **Record yourself** on your phone and listen back. Did you answer the question in the first sentence?
- Use the official practice exams on inburgeren.nl (A2) and oefenexamensnt2.nl (B1) to get used to the screens.

## Useful Dutch
- **de koptelefoon**: headphones / headset
- **opnemen**: to record
- **de opname**: the recording
- **de vraag**: the question
- **het plaatje / de afbeelding**: the picture
- **Nou, …**: Well, … (natural filler)
- **Even denken…**: Let me think…
- **Ik weet het woord niet, maar …**: I don't know the word, but …
- **dat ding waarmee je …**: that thing you use to …

## Worked example: A2 part 1: a video question

Video: een collega staat bij het koffieapparaat en vraagt: 'Hé, wat heb jij gisteravond gedaan?'

Catch the question word (wat) and the time (gisteravond), so the answer is in the past. Start with the answer and reuse the question's words: 'Gisteravond heb ik met mijn zus gekookt. We hebben soep gemaakt. Daarna hebben we een film gekeken. Het was gezellig!' Four short sentences, all in the perfectum, informal tone because it is a colleague. That comfortably answers the question.

## Common mistakes
- Waiting several seconds before starting, as if an examiner will help.
- Answering with one word or one short sentence.
- Answering a past-tense question in the present tense.
- Using u to a friend in the video, or je to a doctor.

## Check yourself
1. How long do you have to speak for a Deel 2 task in the B1 exam?
   A) About 30 seconds, after about 15 seconds preparation
   B) About 20 seconds, no preparation
   C) About 2 minutes
   Answer: A. Deel 2 tasks give about 15 seconds to prepare and about 30 seconds to speak.
2. In A2 part 3 you see two pictures. What must you do?
   A) Describe both pictures in detail
   B) Tell a story
   C) Choose one and say why
   Answer: C. Part 3 is the choice task. Telling a story is part 4 with three pictures.
3. Who rates your speaking answers?
   A) An examiner who talks with you live
   B) Trained assessors who listen to the recording
   C) Only the computer
   Answer: B. Your answers are recorded, and trained assessors rate them afterwards.