B1Intermediate
Dutch B1 exam (Staatsexamen NT2 Programma I): the reading part, practice and books
The Dutch B1 exam is the Staatsexamen NT2 Programma I: four separate exams (reading, listening, writing, speaking) on a computer at DUO, 50 euro each. Reading is the part most people fail. In 2025 only 44 percent passed it. Here is how the reading exam works, why it is hard, and how to prepare for it with texts at your level.
What the B1 exam is
The Staatsexamen Nederlands als tweede taal (NT2) has two levels. Programma I tests B1, the level for most jobs and for mbo; Programma II tests B2, the level for hbo and university. When people say "the Dutch B1 exam", they mean Programma I. The College voor Toetsen en Examens writes it, and DUO runs it.
You take it if a school or employer asks for B1, or as the language part of your integration: under the Wet inburgering 2021 a passed Programma I counts for the four language exams. Nobody has to take it, and you can take the parts one at a time, in any order. A part you pass stays passed.
| Part | How you take it | Time | What it asks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lezen (reading) | Computer, multiple choice; the texts are in a paper booklet | 110 minutes | Six texts from work, study and daily life, with about 35 questions |
| Luisteren (listening) | Computer, multiple choice; you hear each fragment once | See your invitation | Conversations, announcements and short talks |
| Schrijven (writing) | Computer | 100 minutes | Short sentence tasks and longer practical texts such as emails and a short report |
| Spreken (speaking) | Computer, you record your answers | 25 minutes | Short answers and longer answers to situations on the screen |
Each part costs 50 euro, so 200 euro for all four, paid when you register in Mijn DUO. A part is passed with a converted score of 500 or more. There is no fixed number of right answers, because the raw score is converted to that scale and the conversion can differ per exam.
Why the reading part is the hard one
In 2024, 53 percent of the candidates passed Lezen at Programma I. In 2025 it was 44 percent, and every part of Programma I had a lower pass rate than the year before (College voor Toetsen en Examens, annual reports 2024 and 2025). Many more people took the exam in 2025, and many of them were retaking a part.
The reading texts are longer than anything at A2: a letter from a housing association, a page of rules, a newspaper article, an opinion piece. You have 110 minutes for six texts, about 18 minutes a text, and the questions ask for more than a single fact: what the writer wants, what the main point is, which statement fits the text. People who fail usually do not lack grammar. They lack reading stamina and the 2,500 words of B1, and both come only from reading a lot.
How the questions work
- Detail. When, how much, who, what must you do. The answer is one sentence in the text, and the wrong options use words from nearby sentences.
- Purpose. Why did the writer write this: to inform, to ask, to warn, to convince. Look at the first and the last paragraph.
- Opinion. What does the writer, or a person quoted in the text, think. Separate the facts in the text from the opinions.
- Main point. Which sentence sums up the text or a paragraph. The right answer is general; a wrong answer is often one true detail.
- Reference. What does "dit" or "die" refer to. Read the sentence before it.
How to prepare
- Read a B1 text every day for at least three months before the exam. The free B1 texts are the right length and level, with a glossary and questions.
- Do texts in the exam format, timed: the four B1 practice texts have six questions each and a PDF to print.
- Do the official practice exams of the Staatsexamen NT2 on the computer. They are free and show you the real screens.
- Read one whole book at B1. A book of 40,000 words trains the stamina that six exam texts in a row ask for.
- In the last two weeks, read only easy texts and sleep well. New words in the last week do not help; a rested head does.
Books at B1
The jump from A2 to B1 is mostly a jump in how much you read. Dutch books for B1 and B2 lists the readers and the easy originals that work at this level, and the Dutch Readers series has four B1 volumes in preparation: Max Havelaar, Wij slaven van Suriname, Camera Obscura and Eline Vere. If you are not sure you are at B1 yet, read from A2 to B1 first.
Is the Dutch B1 exam the same as Staatsexamen NT2 Programma I?
Yes. Programma I is the B1 level of the Staatsexamen NT2; Programma II is B2. Some people also call the inburgering exams at B1 "the B1 exam"; under the 2021 integration law a passed Programma I counts as the language part of those.
How many questions do I need right to pass Lezen?
There is no fixed number. Your raw score is converted to a scale on which 500 is a pass, and the conversion differs per exam. Aim for clearly more than two thirds right in practice exams.
Can I take only the reading part?
Yes. You register and pay per part, and a part you pass stays passed. Many people take the parts in different exam periods.
How long does it take to get from A2 to B1?
About 250 hours of real contact with Dutch, so about a year at five hours a week. Reading every day is what shortens it.