The inburgering listening exam at a glance
| Item | A2 Luisteren |
|---|---|
| Format | On a computer with headphones, at a supervised DUO exam location |
| Questions | 25, all multiple choice |
| Answer options | 3 or 4 per question (most have 3) |
| Fragments | About 10 to 15 audio clips and short videos |
| Time | 45 minutes for the whole exam |
| Replays | You can play a fragment again |
| Pass mark | 19 of 25 correct |
DUO's own page says only this: "Het examen Luisteren op niveau A2 doet u op de computer. U krijgt vragen over filmpjes en u luistert naar teksten. Het examen duurt 45 minuten." The rest of this guide comes from DUO's practice exams (oefenexamens), candidates who sat the exam and other prep sources.
What to expect on exam day
You take Luisteren on a computer with headphones at a supervised exam location. Bring a valid ID, such as a passport or a residence permit. Without one, you cannot take the exam. The exam is confidential, so you may not take photos or copy the questions.
Before a fragment plays, you get a short moment to read the question and the answer options. Then you listen and click one answer. You answer everything on screen.
You can play a fragment again, and there is no play counter. The real limit is the clock. The 45 minutes must cover all 25 questions, so every replay takes time from a question further on.
Fragments in the A2 listening exam
The exam mixes audio fragments and short videos (filmpjes). You hear everyday Dutch situations:
- a conversation between two people
- a voicemail or phone message
- a public announcement, for example at a station
- step-by-step instructions
- a short news, weather or traffic report
- a short video clip
Some fragments have one question. Longer fragments can have two or three. In DUO's practice exams, most fragments last between 30 and 80 seconds.
The topics come from daily life: health and the huisarts (GP), work, public transport, school, shopping, housing, free time and the gemeente (municipality).
What the questions ask
Most questions ask for one clear detail: a time, a place, a number, a reason, who does what, how someone feels or what someone must do. Typical Dutch questions:
- Wat wil de vrouw doen? (What does the woman want to do?)
- Hoe laat vertrekt de trein? (What time does the train leave?)
- Waarom belt de dokter? (Why is the doctor calling?)
- Wat moet de man eerst doen? (What must the man do first?)
Speakers often change their plan halfway. Words like maar, toch, helaas and eigenlijk mark that moment. For example: Ik kom om drie uur. O nee, ik kom toch om vier uur. (I am coming at three. Oh no, I am coming at four after all.) The correct answer is then four o'clock, not the first time you heard.
How Luisteren is scored
Every question counts the same, and a wrong answer costs nothing. So a blank answer only throws away a chance at a point.
You pass with 19 of the 25 questions correct. DUO states that mark on your result letter and in Mijn Inburgering, not on its website. Many prep sites quote 18, which is one short. DUO sends the result by letter within 8 weeks. Read more in our guide to the exam result.
DUO's practice exam gives a chance band instead of pass or fail. With 16 to 18 correct you have weinig kans (little chance). With 19 to 21 you have kans (a chance), and with 22 to 25 veel kans (a good chance).
Time: 45 minutes for 25 questions
That is under two minutes per question, listening included. The fragments themselves are short, so the time is enough for one careful listen per question. It is not enough to replay every fragment two or three times.
Tips to pass the A2 listening exam
- Read before you listen. Read the question and the options first, so you know which detail to catch.
- Listen to the end. In A2 listening, the first detail you hear is often not the answer.
- Watch for change words. Maar, toch, helaas and eigenlijk often mark where the answer changes.
- Do not chase every word. Focus on what the question asks: time, place, person, reason, feeling or final action.
- Spend replays carefully. Replay only when you really missed the key detail.
- Answer every question. A guess costs nothing and may earn a point.
- Practise in exam conditions. Try our Luisteren example questions, then train on one listen per fragment in our listening practice.
