Exam part
The inburgering speaking exam: how it works.
In the speaking exam you look at a short film or a picture. Then you answer a question out loud. You talk to the computer, not to a person.
At A2 it takes 35 minutes. At B1 it is an exam of the Staatsexamen NT2. That takes about 30 minutes.
What it looks like
The screen shows a short film or one or more pictures. You hear a question. Then you record your answer.
The three DUO practice exams for A2 each had 4 parts of 4 tasks. The exam announces this itself on the first screen.
The four parts at A2
In the three DUO practice exams the part predicted which kind of task you got. This is how it looked:
Part 1: a short film
Someone asks you a question. You give your opinion or you respond. It is not a real conversation.
Part 2: one picture
You describe what you see. That was true for 12 of the 12 tasks.
Part 3: two pictures
You choose one picture and say what you think of it. Also 12 of the 12 tasks.
Part 4: three pictures
You tell what happens, using all the pictures. Usually it is a story: 9 of the 12.
At B1 the structure is different: 16 tasks in two parts, short and longer. Which level you take is explained under inburgering exam a2.
What the exams show
The Inburgeringscursus.nl team counted the speaking tasks. For A2 the three DUO practice exams, for B1 the Staatsexamen NT2 exams. We do not put the levels side by side.
46
out of 48
A2: the task asks for two things, such as: also say why
0
out of 48
A2: tasks where you have a conversation with someone
24
out of 48
B1: you first hear someone talk, then you respond
22
out of 48
B1: you have to give a reason
A2: three DUO practice exams, probably made together. B1: the exams of 2023, 2024 and 2025.
How this was counted is in the Dutch exam research by Inburgeringscursus.nl.
How to approach it
- 1
Do everything the task asks
At A2 almost every task asked for two things: 46 of the 48. Does it say “vertel ook waarom”? Then you also give a reason.
- 2
Find the number in the task
At B1 the longer tasks often say how many things to name. For example two reasons or all the pictures. In the B1 and B2 exams that was true for 44 of the 51 longer tasks.
- 3
Check whether there is a picture
In the B1 and B2 exams a task with a picture hardly ever asked for your opinion. Without a picture it often did. Then you also need to say why.
- 4
Clear beats fancy
Speak calmly and in short sentences. You do not need difficult words. If the assessor understands you, it counts.
Where it goes wrong
Talking beside the question
Is your answer not about the task? Then you get nothing for that task, however good your Dutch is. That is in the marking models for A2 and B1.
Forgetting half
You describe the picture, but you do not say why. Then you lose points. So read the task to the end.
Talking about both pictures
In part 3 of A2 you choose one picture. If you talk about both, you spend your time on something nobody asked for.
How it is marked
At A2 DUO uses a marking model with six parts. The first is whether your answer fits the question. Then DUO looks at your words, your grammar, how fluently you speak, coherence and pronunciation. Each task is worth 12 points. Does your answer not fit the question? Then the whole task scores 0.
DUO does not publish how many points you need at A2.
At B1 two assessors listen to your answers. With a score of 500 or higher you pass. In the 2024 and 2025 exams that was 73 and 75 out of 128 points.
Try a question
The task is: “Waar doet u boodschappen? Vertel ook waarom.” (Where do you shop? Also say why.) Which answer fits best?
Speaking · A2
Which answer does everything the task asks?
The second answer says where and why. The first forgets why: that costs points. The third is not about shopping. Then the whole task scores 0.
Questions about speaking
How long does the speaking exam take?
At A2 it takes 35 minutes. At B1 it takes about 30 minutes.
Do I talk to a real person?
No. You talk to the computer. Your answer is recorded and marked later.
Does my accent count?
No. The DUO marking model for A2 says you must be easy to understand, even with an accent. Speaking clearly matters more than sounding perfect.
How many points do you need in Speaking A2?
DUO does not publish this. You only hear whether you passed. A fixed number you see online is an estimate.
When do I get my Speaking A2 result?
Normally within 8 weeks. Since 31 July 2026 it takes up to 16 weeks, because there are many exams. Is your deadline close? Then you get 6 extra months automatically.