The difference between A2 and B1
The exam level is not the same for everyone. The current updates show that A2 and B1 are treated as different routes in some rules.
One confirmed example is the speaking exam. From December 2025, some B1 candidates can request extra time for Spreken (speaking), but this does not apply to A2. If you take A2 inburgering, that extra-time option for Spreken is not available.
This means the level matters for exam logistics, not only for language difficulty. You need to check which route applies to your own inburgering situation before you plan your study schedule.
Which level applies to you
You must follow the level that applies to your own inburgering route. The exam updates provided here do not say that everyone must do A2, and they do not say that everyone must do B1.
What the updates do confirm is this: some rules are tied to A2, and some are tied to B1. For example, the shorter cancel or reschedule deadline of 7 days is stated for A2 exams. The extra-time option for Spreken is stated for certain B1 candidates, not for A2.
If you are under the Wet inburgering 2021, your deadline is usually 3 years to pass the inburgeringsexamen. If you are worried about that deadline, there are official extension reasons such as childcare shortage, being in COA housing when the PIP is set, working at least 32 hours per week for at least 6 months, or the birth of a child. For your exact level and route, check your letters and your account with DUO or ask your gemeente (municipality).
The B1 route
The current updates confirm one practical point about the B1 route: some B1 candidates can request extra time for Spreken. That option was announced in late 2025 and is explicitly not for A2.
If you are on a B1 route, pay attention to B1-specific logistics and do not assume that A2 rules are the same. If you are preparing for A2, do not count on B1 concessions applying to your exam.
Once you know your route, targeted practice saves time. InburgeringPrep helps you train the Dutch you need for the exam format, so you can focus on the level DUO expects from you.