Preparing for your Dutch exams in The Hague

by THOLEditor | Oct 22, 2026 | Features

Sponsored content: This article is provided by Inburgering.org as a paid contribution to The Hague Online.

If you live in The Hague and are preparing for a Dutch exam, start by checking your own requirements. Then try an official practice task and use it to plan your study week. You can combine focused exam practice at home with language support in the city.

Check which exam and level apply to you

Your required exams depend on your situation. If you must complete inburgering (civic integration), begin with DUO’s guidance. DUO is the Dutch education service that organises the exams. Its online portal, Mijn Inburgering, shows which integration law applies to you. Under the 2021 law, your municipality’s personal integration and participation plan also states your route and required exams. Language tests form part of that plan alongside other requirements.

If you apply for Dutch citizenship by naturalisation, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) currently requires you to have passed the civic integration exam at A2 level or higher. Exemptions apply in some cases. Passing the exam meets one requirement in the application process.

For work or study, you may need the Staatsexamen Nt2, the Dutch as a second language state exam. Programme I is at B1; Programme II is at B2. Both test reading, listening, writing and speaking. Ask your employer or educational institution which qualification it requires before choosing your preparation materials.

Choose a course for the level and components you need. Inburgering.org’s preparation for the Dutch A2 exam covers language tasks and knowledge of Dutch society. Its preparation for the Dutch B1 examcombines Nt2 exam practice with knowledge of Dutch society for the B1 integration route. Use your own requirements to decide which parts to study.

Try an official practice exam first

An official practice exam shows you the instructions and tasks you need to handle. DUO provides A2 practice exams for reading, listening, writing, speaking and knowledge of Dutch society. For B1 and B2, use the official Nt2 practice environment. Use a computer or laptop for these exercises, especially the Nt2 environment. DUO’s A2 speaking practice does not work in Safari; use another browser for that component.

Choose one skill to begin with. Follow the instructions and timing, then note what caused difficulty. Did you miss a word, misunderstand the question, or struggle to finish your answer? Each problem suggests a different next task.

For example, if you understand a speaking prompt but struggle to answer within the time, record a response and listen back. Check whether you answered every part of the question. Repeat the task after making one change. For writing, check your response against each point in the instructions.

Build a weekly routine around your results

Plan sessions that fit around your work, family or course timetable. If you are already learning Dutch, this example gives each language skill a place in your week.

Adjust the sessions to your starting level and deadline. A beginner may need a language course alongside exam practice. If your route includes knowledge of Dutch society or other components, make time for those too. As your exam approaches, reserve a longer session to practise a complete paper under its official time limit.

Keep a short record of recurring mistakes. A note such as “I missed the reason for changing the appointment” tells you what to check next time. Use your review session to turn that note into a complete answer.

Practise the grammar behind your mistakes

Work on grammar errors that recur in your speaking or writing. Inburgering.org’s Dutch grammar pages explain one rule with examples and a short quiz. You can browse by level or topic, such as word order, verb forms or articles.

If word order causes difficulty, practise changing Ik werk morgen (I work tomorrow) to Morgen werk ik (Tomorrow I work). In both sentences, werk stays in second position. Then write your own sentence about an appointment or a work shift. Use the rule in a new exam task to check whether you can apply it.

Find language support in The Hague

Taalhuis Den Haag offers advice about courses, materials and language activities. You can visit it on the second floor of the Central Library at Spui 68. Tell the adviser your current level, your exam goal and when you can study. The Taalhuis also has a weekday practice table where volunteers help with homework, civic integration or state exam preparation. Check its current opening hours before visiting.

Bring everyday Dutch into your routine too. Read an appointment letter, practise asking a question at the library, or explain your weekend plans to someone. Then use an exam task to practise responding to a specific instruction within a set time.

Use feedback to choose your next exercise

The inburgering courses on Inburgering.org include speaking and writing exercises with feedback generated by artificial intelligence (AI). You can record speaking answers, type writing responses and review the feedback. The independent platform offers paid exam preparation at A1, A2, B1 and B2, including reading and listening practice.

For example, practise a short message asking to change an appointment. Read the task, write your response, then use the feedback to review what you wrote. Check the reason, the request and any details the task asks for. Rewrite the message and apply the same checks to a new exercise. AI feedback guides your practice; official examiners assess your exam answers.

To prepare for inburgering online, start with the course for your required exam. Choose one skill for your next session. Review your answer, note one thing to work on and schedule a task that lets you practise it again.

Exam information and local services checked on 5 October 2026.