Quick Answer
Dutch civic integration at A2 means four separate DUO language exams — Lezen (65 minutes), Luisteren (45 minutes), Schrijven (40 minutes) and Spreken (35 minutes) — plus other parts your route may require, including KNM (45 minutes, separate from language). DUO reports each language component on its own; there is no official single combined pass percentage to copy from a practice app. Prep2Go uses a 60% readiness line per component only as a study indicator, not a DUO mark. Confirm your law, level and required exams in Mijn Inburgering before you book. Official formats: DUO language-exam page.
Most wasted effort on Inburgering prep comes from treating it like one exam with one score. DUO runs four language tests at A2 level, each with its own appointment and result. You can pass Lezen and still need to retake Luisteren. KNM is another exam entirely. If you prepare against the wrong mental model, you under-train the component that actually fails.
This page maps the A2 language structure only: who still sits A2, official timings, what each part feels like, how that differs from Staatsexamen NT2, and how Prep2Go practice scores relate (and do not relate) to DUO. Prep2Go is an independent study tool — not DUO, not Inburgeren.nl, and not a substitute for checking your personal integration plan (PIP) in Mijn Inburgering.
Who still takes Inburgering at A2?
Not everyone on a Dutch integration obligation today sits A2 language exams. Since 1 January 2022, many new obligations follow Wet inburgering 2021, which normally aims at B1 through the B1 route — often satisfied with Staatsexamen NT2 Programme I, not the four A2 DUO language exams described here. A municipality can approve scale-down to A2 after the applicable conditions are met, but that is a formal decision on your route, not something you guess from a blog post.
People still on Wet inburgering 2013 generally take language exams at A2 or higher, depending on what their obligation requires. Others may hold an older obligation, a transitional situation, or a municipality-approved A2 track. The only reliable check is your account and letters in Mijn Inburgering, cross-read with the official overview on Inburgeren.nl.
If your route says B1, do not drill A2 mock papers out of habit. NT2 Programme I tests a higher level with a different format and provider. If your route says A2, do not assume KNM is optional just because it is not a language exam — many obligations still require it alongside the four language components.
Four DUO language exams at A2: timings and format
At A2, DUO assesses Reading (Lezen), Listening (Luisteren), Writing (Schrijven) and Speaking (Spreken) as four separate exams. You book and sit them according to your integration plan; they are not one continuous paper like some citizenship language certificates elsewhere in Europe. Official durations and short format notes are published on the DUO A2–B2 language-exam content page.
| DUO language exam | Official duration | Delivery (summary) |
|---|---|---|
| Lezen (Reading) | 65 minutes | Computer: read short texts; answer questions |
| Luisteren (Listening) | 45 minutes | Computer: listen and watch short items; answer questions |
| Schrijven (Writing) | 40 minutes | Pen and paper: four short writing tasks |
| Spreken (Speaking) | 35 minutes | Computer: watch short films; record spoken answers |
Total clock time for the four language exams is 185 minutes if you sit them back-to-back — but in practice DUO schedules them as separate sittings. Plan travel, ID checks and waiting time around each appointment. Registration steps and practical booking rules are on the official registration page.
Lezen (Reading) — 65 minutes
Lezen is computer-based. You read practical Netherlands Dutch: emails, notices, forms explained in prose, short articles about work, school, health or housing. Tasks reward careful reading of who, when, where and why, not literary inference.
Train with timed sets at 65 minutes so you do not lose points to slow dictionary habits. On exam day, read the question stem before you re-read the text. Wrong answers often reuse words from the passage with a different time or person. If Lezen is your strongest skill, still verify Luisteren and Spreken — those are where A2 candidates often stall.
Targeted Lezen practice on Prep2Go lives under /inburgering-a2/reading on the Inburgering A2 hub.
Luisteren (Listening) — 45 minutes
Luisteren mixes audio and short film clips. You hear everyday Netherlands Dutch: appointments, travel updates, workplace instructions, school messages, shop and service dialogues. You answer on screen while the material plays under exam conditions — no pausing to translate into English in your head.
The skill is extracting one stable fact: a corrected time, a room number, a price change, a reason for cancellation. Distractors repeat vocabulary from the clip but swap digits or speakers. Daily training with 10–15 minute clips beats occasional long podcasts that are far above A2.
Use Luisteren practice for exam-shaped items, then sanity-check overall readiness with the mock preview walkthrough when you want to see how feedback is presented — not as a substitute for DUO registration.
Schrijven (Writing) — 40 minutes
Schrijven is pen-and-paper. DUO assigns four short writing tasks in 40 minutes — typical A2 genres such as completing a form, writing a brief message, or responding to a simple letter prompt. Handwriting must be legible; examiners cannot guess blurred letters.
Accuracy beats ambition. An A2-length answer with correct names, dates, greetings and closings outscores a longer paragraph with agreement errors. Answer every bullet in the prompt before you add detail. If the task asks for a reason, write one clear omdat clause rather than three unsupported ideas.
Schrijven drills: /inburgering-a2/writing. Pair them with vocabulary for forms and municipal letters via the Inburgering A2 Anki deck when word retrieval is the bottleneck.
Spreken (Speaking) — 35 minutes
Spreken is computer-based. You watch short films or situational prompts and record spoken answers in Dutch. Examiners assess whether your response fits the situation and is understandable at A2 — not whether you deliver a memorised monologue.
Silence hurts more than a simple sentence. A useful pattern is: direct answer in the first sentence, one supporting detail in the second. Use connectors you control — en, maar, want, omdat — instead of reaching for B1 grammar you cannot produce under time pressure.
Record yourself on Spreken practice and compare length and clarity to the prompts, not to native small talk.
KNM and other route parts (not the four language exams)
Kennis van de Nederlandse Maatschappij (KNM) is a separate 45-minute knowledge exam about Dutch society and rules. It is not a fifth language skill and it is not included in the 65/45/40/35 language timings above. Many integration routes require KNM in addition to language; some routes also involve ONA, MAP or PVT depending on your situation.
Prep2Go language mocks and skill drills do not replace KNM study. Treat society knowledge as its own revision block with official orientation from Inburgeren.nl and your PIP checklist. Passing Lezen alone never completes an integration obligation.
Scoring: what DUO reports vs Prep2Go practice
DUO reports each language exam component separately. Public guidance describes pass/fail outcomes per component rather than one official combined percentage across Lezen, Luisteren, Schrijven and Spreken. Do not treat blog posts or app dashboards that show a single total as if they were DUO marks.
Prep2Go mirrors the four components and their official durations in timed practice. For Inburgering A2 mocks, the product uses a 60% readiness threshold per component — an internal study line to flag weak sections and prioritise repair. It is explicitly not an official DUO pass mark and not a guarantee of exam success. If your mock shows 59% on Luisteren while Lezen looks strong, that is useful targeting data, not a legal outcome.
Weighted 25% per section in Prep2Go practice is a reporting convenience so you see four comparable bars. DUO does not publish the same combined weighting for candidates to reverse-engineer. Keep your official results in Mijn Inburgering authoritative.
Inburgering A2 language exams vs Staatsexamen NT2
Staatsexamen NT2 is a different system. Programme I certifies B1 Dutch; Programme II certifies B2. These exams serve many study and work routes, and they appear on B1 integration paths under Wet inburgering 2021. They are not interchangeable labels with “Inburgering A2”.
The four DUO exams at A2 (Lezen, Luisteren, Schrijven, Spreken) belong to the civic integration exam package described on Inburgeren.nl. Booking the wrong exam family costs money and months. When in doubt, stop preparing and re-read your PIP before you pay fees on the registration portal.
A strong NT2 B1 score does not automatically clear every non-language integration requirement. Likewise, passing A2 language components does not prove B1 ability for employers or higher education. Match the certificate to the requirement on the letter, not to forum shortcuts.
Sensible prep order for the four language exams
- Confirm law, level (A2 vs B1) and required components in Mijn Inburgering using official exam guidance.
- Build A2 vocabulary for appointments, housing, work and gemeente letters — the Inburgering A2 deck supports daily retrieval if you use Anki.
- Rotate timed practice per component at official lengths (65 / 45 / 40 / 35 minutes) via the Inburgering A2 guide skill links.
- Use the readiness preview to see how Prep2Go reports four separate bars and feedback. Timed mocks with AI scoring require a mock pack or eligible access — there is no complimentary guest timed sitting.
- Schedule KNM and any ONA/MAP/PVT steps from your PIP in parallel once language weekly rhythm is stable.
Short FAQ
Is there one official combined pass percentage for the four A2 language exams?
No. DUO reports language components separately. Prep2Go may show percentages and a 60% readiness line for practice only.
Does everyone take A2 in 2026?
No. Wet inburgering 2021 normally targets B1 on the B1 route; Wet inburgering 2013 obligations often use A2 or higher language exams. Municipality scale-down to A2 is possible under conditions. Check Mijn Inburgering.
Is Prep2Go official?
No. Prep2Go is independent exam practice. Official rules, fees and appointments are on Inburgeren.nl (DUO).
Official sources cited on this page: DUO Inburgeren — integration exam overview · Language exams A2, B1 and B2 — formats and timings · Registering for the integration exam. Requirements change; verify your route before you book.
Last updated September 2026. Timings follow DUO’s published A2 language-exam durations. Prep2Go 60% thresholds are practice-readiness indicators only.