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Staatsexamen NT2 B2 oefenen
Practise for the Dutch Staatsexamen NT2, programma II: the national language exam at level B2, for study and work at hbo or university level.
4exam parts, all on a computer
€50per part, €200 in total
6exam locations in the Netherlands
500scale score needed per part
From staatsexamensnt2.nl and duo.nl, checked November 2026. Not affiliated with DUO or the CvTE.
What the exam is
Het staatsexamen Nederlands als tweede taal (Nt2) is the national language exam for adults who learn Dutch as a second language. Programma II tests whether your Dutch is good enough for hbo or university study, or for work at that level. The level is B2 on the CEFR scale. You do not need programma I first.
The exam has existed since 1992. All four parts are computer-based and are taken on separate days at six locations: Amsterdam, Zwolle, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Rijswijk and Eindhoven. Tasks are about education, work and daily life at that level; reflective and argumentative texts (beschouwende en betogende teksten) play an important role.
Registration, payment and results go through DUO (MijnDUO). The CvTE (College voor Toetsen en Examens) builds the exams and publishes the official practice material.
The four parts, format and timing
Lezen · Reading
100 minutesSix texts in a paper booklet, 35 or 36 multiple-choice questions on the computer. Questions ask for the main idea, the source or audience of a text, the exact meaning of a passage, the conclusion, or a detail you must find and combine.
- Dictionary allowed: Van Dale pocket NT2
- Texts about work, study and daily life
Luisteren · Listening
90 minutesAbout 40 multiple-choice questions over five or more audio fragments, plus one to three short videos. You hear each fragment only once. Real recordings: different voices, hesitations, sometimes an accent, never a dialect.
- 25 seconds to read each question first
- No dictionary
Schrijven · Writing
100 minutesYou type on the computer and choose your own order. Programma II has three task types: sentence tasks (7-8), short writing tasks (1-2) and medium tasks (1-2), such as describing a problem and proposing a solution, sometimes using a table or graph.
- Most tasks about work or education
- Dictionary allowed: Van Dale pocket NT2
Spreken · Speaking
about 25-30 minutesYou speak into a microphone with a headset on; a beep marks your time. Programma II: four short answers (20 seconds), eight medium answers (30 seconds) and one long answer: two minutes about a topic, with preparation time.
- 13 tasks, exam runs automatically
- No dictionary
Scoring: 500 per part
Reading and listening are scored by computer, writing and speaking by two trained assessors. Points become a scale score per part. You pass a part at 500 or higher.
Per-part certificatesPass one part and you can request its certificate; pass all four and DUO sends the diploma automatically. Certificates and the diploma are valid indefinitely.
Retake one partFailed one part? You register and pay again for that part only, €50.
Results in five weeksAbout five weeks after exam day, from 15.00, in Mijn DUO, and by email and post.
Who needs programma II
Study
Most Dutch-taught hbo and university programmes ask for programma II (B2) as the language proof. Institutions set their own rules; a few accept alternatives or run their own test. Always check your programme.
Work & inburgering
Employers at hbo level may ask for it. The diploma also meets the language requirement for inburgering and naturalisation.
Practise with us
Our B2 course mirrors the exam format: lezen practice with six-text sets, luisteren with fragments that play once, schrijven with the three task types, spreken with the real timings. All texts, questions and audio are written for this platform; nothing is copied from official exams.
All Access
€9.99 a month: every skill from A1 to B2, all ten timed mock exams, progress saved to your account. Cancel anytime.
Official practice
The CvTE also publishes complete public practice exams from 2021-2023, in the same software as the real exam.
Questions
What level is programma II? B2 on the CEFR scale, for hbo and university. Programma I is B1, for mbo 3 and 4.
What does it cost? €50 per part, €200 for all four. Registration and payment go through MijnDUO.
How long is the diploma valid? Indefinitely. Certificates for single parts are valid indefinitely too.
Must I do programma I first? No. You can register for programma II directly.
When do I get my result? About five weeks after the exam, online in Mijn DUO from 15.00, and by email and post.
Can I use a dictionary? Yes, at Reading and Writing: the Van Dale Pocketwoordenboek Nederlands als tweede taal (NT2), paper only, no notes inside. Not at Listening or Speaking.
Is this page official? No. Inburgering Mate is not affiliated with DUO or the CvTE. Facts here come from staatsexamensnt2.nl and duo.nl, checked November 2026. Book your exam with DUO.