What the Schrijven (Writing) section tests
The Schrijven section tests whether you can write short, clear Dutch for daily life. DUO uses everyday topics such as school, work, neighbours, the doctor, the gemeente (municipality), sport, the library, and online shopping.
At A2, the exam has four task types. You write by hand on paper, and DUO checks whether your text is understandable, complete, and appropriate for the situation.
These are the four task types:
- a form (formulier)
- a short note (briefje or kort bericht)
- a semi-formal email
- a short free text or article
For notes, emails, and short articles, whole sentences matter. For emails and notes, greeting and closing also matter.
Example questions with answers
Below are worked examples in the style of DUO. The Dutch prompt and answer come first. The English meaning is under each one.
Example 1: Formulier
Opdracht:
Vul het formulier in.
Aanmeldformulier sportclub
Persoonsgegevens
- Voornaam: Amir
- Achternaam: Rahimi
- Geboortedatum: 14-03-1991
- Telefoon: 06-12345678
- E-mailadres: amirrahimi@email.nl
- Adres: Laanstraat 12, 3512 AB Utrecht
Reden van aanmelding:
Antwoord:
Ik wil graag sporten en nieuwe mensen ontmoeten. Ik kies voor de sportclub omdat ik in de buurt woon. Ik kan op dinsdagavond trainen.
English meaning: I would like to exercise and meet new people. I choose the sports club because I live nearby. I can train on Tuesday evening.
Example 2: Briefje / kort bericht
Opdracht:
Schrijf het bericht. Schrijf in hele zinnen. Schrijf minimaal drie zinnen.
Je schrijft een briefje aan je buurvrouw.
- je hebt haar pakket aangenomen
- zij kan het vanavond ophalen
- je bent thuis na 19.00 uur
Antwoord:
Beste buurvrouw,
Ik heb vandaag uw pakket aangenomen. U kunt het vanavond ophalen. Ik ben thuis na 19.00 uur.
Groeten, Amira
English meaning: Dear neighbour,
I accepted your package today. You can pick it up this evening. I am home after 7 p.m.
Greetings, Amira
Example 3: E-mail
Opdracht:
Schrijf de e-mail. Schrijf in hele zinnen.
Je schrijft een e-mail aan je docent.
- je bent ziek
- je komt morgen niet naar de les
- je wilt weten welk huiswerk je moet maken
- je vraagt om een antwoord per e-mail
Antwoord:
Beste docent,
Ik ben ziek en ik kom morgen niet naar de les. Kunt u mij zeggen welk huiswerk ik moet maken? Wilt u mij per e-mail antwoorden?
Met vriendelijke groet, Samira Ali
English meaning: Dear teacher,
I am ill and I will not come to class tomorrow. Can you tell me which homework I need to do? Would you reply to me by email?
Kind regards, Samira Ali
Example 4: Kort artikel / vrije tekst
Opdracht:
Schrijf een kort artikel. Schrijf in hele zinnen. Schrijf minimaal drie zinnen.
Schrijf voor de wijkkrant.
- Wat was er in de buurt?
- Wanneer was het?
- Waarom vond je het leuk?
Antwoord:
Afgelopen zaterdag was er een buurtfeest in het park. Ik ben daar met mijn kinderen naartoe gegaan. We hebben muziek gehoord en lekker gegeten. Ik vond het leuk omdat ik veel buren heb ontmoet.
English meaning: Last Saturday there was a neighbourhood party in the park. I went there with my children. We listened to music and ate nice food. I liked it because I met many neighbours.
Why these answers are correct
These answers work because they do the job DUO asks for. They are short, clear, and on topic.
Example 1 gives the personal details and also answers the free-text part in whole sentences. That is what a formulier often needs.
Example 2 includes all three points from the prompt. It also has a greeting and a closing, which a short note needs.
Example 3 is semi-formal. It uses Beste docent and Met vriendelijke groet, and it uses u consistently. It also answers all four bullet points, so nothing is missing.
Example 4 answers the three guiding questions in one short paragraph. It is not a list of answers. It reads like one small text.
The language is simple. That is good at A2. You do not need long sentences or difficult words. You need understandable Dutch.
Common mistakes on this section
Many lost points come from small, repeated problems. You can avoid them if you check your text before you stop writing.
Common mistakes are:
- missing one bullet point from the prompt
- no greeting or no closing in a note or e-mail
- mixing u and je in one text
- using the wrong register, such as Hoi with a formal recipient
- writing too few sentences when the task says minimum three sentences
- main clauses with wrong word order
- no capital letter at the start of a sentence or writing ik instead of Ik
- no punctuation, so the text becomes one long sentence
- English-style spelling instead of Dutch words
One mistake can affect more than one score area. For example, one long sentence without punctuation can hurt spelling and coherence. A missing bullet point can lower your content score at once.
How to practise further
The exam is doable when you practise the format, not only vocabulary. Train yourself to see the task type fast: form, note, email, or short article. Then write the right kind of answer.
A good practice routine is simple. First read the prompt and underline every bullet. Then write short whole sentences that answer each point. Last, check greeting, closing, u/je, capitals, and punctuation.
On InburgeringPrep, you can practise more tasks in the same DUO style. That helps you get used to the usual topics, the sentence length, and the common instructions. You can also repeat tasks until the structure feels normal.
One extra step matters because the real A2 exam is on paper. After you practise in the app, copy one answer by hand with a pen. That helps you prepare for real exam conditions too.