In short
- The Dutch government offers free practice exams for almost every exam; you need no account and no DigiD.
- All practice exams for the civic integration exam A2 and KNM are on inburgeren.nl, under Oefenen; Writing is a PDF there, because the real Writing exam is on paper.
- For the State Exam NT2, the Board of Tests and Examinations has its own free practice environment, oefenexamensnt2.nl, with complete exams of Program I (B1) and II (B2).
- For the civic integration exam abroad (A1), practice exams are on naarnederland.nl, where the workbook and photo book can be downloaded for free, including in Dari and Farsi.
The best preparation for an exam is practising in exactly the same format. The government offers free practice exams for almost every exam. You need no account and no DigiD. Here they are, all in one place.
Civic integration exam A2 and KNM
All practice exams are on inburgeren.nl → Oefenen (in Dutch).
| Part | Practice exams | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 4 | Online, 25 questions in 65 minutes |
| Listening | 3 | Online, 25 questions in 45 minutes |
| Speaking | 3 | Online, 16 questions in 35 minutes. Does not work in the Safari browser |
| Writing | 3 | As a PDF, because the real Writing exam is on paper |
| KNM | 2 | Online, 40 questions in 45 minutes. The real KNM exam also has 40 questions |
Preferably do the practice exams on a computer. On a phone or tablet, turn the screen sideways.
State Exam NT2 (Program I and II)
The Board of Tests and Examinations has its own practice environment: oefenexamensnt2.nl. Free and without logging in.
- Complete exams of Program I (B1) and II (B2), all four parts, in the same computer program as the real exam. You can also download them to print, with the audio files.
- Separate tasks for Speaking and Writing. These tasks can also appear in the real exams.
- Checking: for Reading, Listening and Writing you download your answers and check them with the marking guide, on your own or with a teacher. Speaking gives no score: record your answers with your phone and have someone listen.
- Use a computer or laptop with Chrome or Edge.
- Note: when practising you can pause, go back and listen to your answer again. In the real Speaking exam you cannot. So also practise once without pausing.
When you can take the exam is on Exam dates.
Civic integration exam abroad (A1)
For the exam at the embassy you will find everything on naarnederland.nl.
- Self-study pack: the workbook, photo book, audio files and a manual can be downloaded for free, also in Dari and Farsi. You can also buy the complete pack. For the free e-learning you create an account.
- Practice exams: Reading (19 questions in 35 minutes), Speaking (22 questions in 30 minutes) and a short practice for Knowledge of Dutch Society (KNS). You need a computer with a microphone or headset.
- All KNS questions and answers are in the photo book. All Speaking questions are in a PDF, with the marking guide.
Read more about this exam in the guide Exam abroad (MVV).
More free practice
- Net in Nederland (netinnederland.nl): videos for and by newcomers from the Dutch public broadcaster.
- Oefenen.nl: free lessons from a foundation; you create a free account.
- TaalPro: our free level test shows where you stand within 10 minutes, and with the KNM practice quiz and word list you practise all 8 KNM themes. These are TaalPro practice questions, not official exam questions.
How to get the most out of a practice exam
- Practise under real conditions: keep track of time and only use what is allowed in the real exam. For the State Exam NT2 that is only the Van Dale Pocketwoordenboek NT2, for Reading and Writing.
- Check your mistakes and find out why an answer was wrong. That is where you learn the most.
- Record your Speaking and listen back, or have a teacher listen.
- Repeat a practice exam after a few weeks. That way you see your progress.
In the State Exam NT2 I (B1) course you take practice exams under real exam conditions. Also see the other courses.