What the A2 listening exam looks like
Luisteren is the inburgering listening exam at A2. You do it on a computer with headphones, at a DUO exam location. It has 25 multiple-choice questions and takes 45 minutes.
Each question belongs to a short fragment of everyday Dutch. You hear a conversation, a voicemail, an announcement or instructions. Some fragments are short videos (filmpjes). Most questions have three answer options. Some have four.
Four example questions with answers
Below are four worked examples in the DUO style. The text, question and options are in Dutch, like on the exam. The English meaning is under each text.
Example 1: a voicemail
Tekst:
"Hallo, u spreekt met de assistente van dokter Van Dijk. U had morgen om tien uur een afspraak. Die afspraak gaat helaas niet door, want de dokter is ziek. Morgenmiddag om half drie is er nog plaats. Wilt u ons terugbellen?"
English meaning: "Hello, this is doctor Van Dijk's assistant. You had an appointment tomorrow at ten. Unfortunately that appointment cannot go ahead, because the doctor is ill. There is still a place tomorrow afternoon at half past two. Could you call us back?"
Vraag: Waarom belt de assistente?
A. De afspraak gaat niet door.
B. De dokter wil u meteen zien.
C. U moet naar het ziekenhuis.
Goed antwoord: A
Why: The assistant says the appointment cannot go ahead. Options B and C sound medical, but nobody says them.
Example 2: a station announcement
Tekst:
"Beste reizigers, de trein naar Rotterdam van 14.12 uur vertrekt vandaag niet van spoor 5, maar van spoor 7. De vertrektijd blijft hetzelfde."
English meaning: "Dear passengers, the 14:12 train to Rotterdam does not leave from platform 5 today, but from platform 7. The departure time stays the same."
Vraag: Van welk spoor vertrekt de trein naar Rotterdam?
A. Van spoor 5.
B. Van spoor 7.
C. Van spoor 14.
Goed antwoord: B
Why: You hear both 5 and 7. The word maar tells you that 7 is the new information. Option C takes a number from the time.
Example 3: instructions
Tekst:
"Wilt u zich inschrijven voor de cursus? Vul dan eerst het formulier online in. Daarna krijgt u een e-mail. Betaal pas als u die e-mail heeft gekregen. Neem ten slotte uw identiteitsbewijs mee naar de eerste les."
English meaning: "Do you want to sign up for the course? First fill in the form online. After that you get an e-mail. Only pay once you have received that e-mail. Finally, bring your ID to the first lesson."
Vraag: Wat moet u eerst doen?
A. Betalen.
B. Een e-mail sturen.
C. Het formulier online invullen.
D. Uw identiteitsbewijs laten zien.
Goed antwoord: C
Why: The speaker uses eerst for the first step. This question has four options, as some exam questions do. Option B is a trap: you get an e-mail, you do not send one.
Example 4: a dialogue
Tekst:
Man: "Ga je vanavond mee sporten?"
Vrouw: "Ik wilde eerst wel, maar ik ben moe van mijn werk. Ik blijf thuis."
Man: "Jammer. Misschien morgen dan."
English meaning:
Man: "Are you coming to do sport tonight?"
Woman: "I wanted to at first, but I'm tired from work. I'm staying home."
Man: "Too bad. Maybe tomorrow then."
Vraag: Wat doet de vrouw vanavond?
A. Ze gaat sporten.
B. Ze blijft thuis.
C. Ze gaat werken.
Goed antwoord: B
Why: She first wanted to go, then changes her plan. The final plan is the answer.
Common mistakes in Luisteren
Choosing the first thing you hear. Speakers often correct themselves. Wait for the end of the sentence before you choose.
Choosing an option because one word matches. A wrong option often uses a real word from the fragment. Check that the whole option matches what was said.
Leaving a question open. A wrong answer costs nothing. So always pick an option, even when you are not sure.
How Luisteren is scored
Every question counts the same. You pass with 19 of the 25 questions correct. DUO states that mark on your result letter and in Mijn Inburgering. With 18 correct you do not pass. Read how the inburgering listening exam works for the full format.
How to practise
Use this order for your inburgering listening exam practice:
- Read the question and options first. Then you know which detail to catch.
- Listen once with full attention. On the exam you can replay a fragment, but every replay takes time from your 45 minutes.
- Check your mistakes. Did you miss the final answer, or did you only match a word?
- Mark the signal words. Write down maar, toch, helaas, eerst and ten slotte when you hear them.
DUO has three free practice exams for A2 Luisteren on inburgeren.nl. For more inburgering A2 listening practice, try our listening exercises. They use the same question style and explain every answer.
This guide is about A2. At B1 the listening exam is part of the Staatsexamen NT2 and takes 90 minutes.
