Inburgering Schrijven in short
Schrijven is the only A2 part you do with pen and paper: a booklet with four tasks in 40 minutes:
- a form (formulier)
- a short article (kort artikel), for example for the neighbourhood newsletter
- two messages: two e-mails, or an e-mail and a short note (briefje)
Trained assessors mark your handwritten work. For the full format and scoring, read how the inburgering writing exam works.
Tip 1: read the task points before you write
Spend the first two minutes on the task, not on your Dutch. Underline every point you must cover, then write one Dutch keyword next to each one, such as tijd, reden or vraag.
Each task type asks for something slightly different:
- E-mail and note. The task gives the points you must cover, usually three. Check who the reader is, then choose u or je and keep it.
- Short article. The task gives three questions. Answer all three in one connected paragraph, not as a list.
- Form. Here the labels are the task. Read each box first. Look for a box such as Waarom? or Toelichting: it needs full sentences.
Tip 2: plan your 40 minutes
You have about 10 minutes per task, and handwriting is slower than typing, with no delete key. A simple plan:
| Task | Time |
|---|---|
| Form | 5 minutes |
| E-mail or note | 10 minutes each |
| Short article | 10 minutes |
| Final check | 5 minutes |
When the time for a task is up, move on. A complete answer with small mistakes scores better than an unfinished one with a perfect opening. If one word does not come, leave a small gap and keep writing. You can fill it in later.
Write clearly and large enough to read, because a text the assessor cannot read gets no points.
Tip 3: cover every point, even in simple Dutch
Treat each task point as a box you must tick with one clear sentence. A missing point lowers your score straight away, and a weak sentence on that point is still better than nothing.
On the form, fill in every field and never skip the free-text box.
Stay on the topic of the task. A text that is off-topic, unreadable or not in Dutch gets 0 points for that task, also for grammar and spelling.
Tip 4: use greetings and closings that match
In the e-mail, write a greeting and a closing that match the reader. If the booklet already prints them, as on DUO's practice note, keep the same register: Hallo Fariha means je.
| Reader | Greeting | Closing |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher, manager, GP, gemeente | Beste meneer Jansen, | Met vriendelijke groet, |
| Friend, neighbour you know well | Hoi Sanne, | Groetjes, |
Never mix u and je in one text. Beste meneer De Vries, kun je morgen komen? Groetjes. is a wrong mix: the greeting is polite, but je and Groetjes are informal.
Tip 5: when you cannot spell a word, change it
Do not stop for one word. Use a simpler Dutch word that you can spell, or build a shorter sentence with a verb you know. Reuse words from the task, because they are spelled for you.
Avoid English words, also in Dutch spelling: write uitnodigen, not inviteren, and bijlage, not attachment.
Keep your sentences short. In a main sentence the verb comes second: Morgen kom ik niet, not Morgen ik kom niet. Mistakes with this word order cost points, so avoid long sentences you are not sure of.
Tip 6: follow the instruction to the letter
The instructions are short. Read them twice:
- Schrijf in hele zinnen. (Write in full sentences.)
- Schrijf minimaal drie zinnen op. (Write at least three sentences; on the article task.)
Link your sentences with simple words like en, maar, want and omdat.
Tip 7: use the last five minutes to check
Do not rewrite whole texts at the end, because late rewrites add new mistakes; check in two rounds instead.
Round 1: is everything there? Does every task point, question and form field have an answer?
Round 2: the small things that cost points.
- A greeting and a closing on each e-mail
- U or je, not both
- A capital letter at the start of each sentence and for names (ik gets a capital only at the start of a sentence)
- A full stop at the end of each sentence
Practise Schrijven at home
To practise inburgeren schrijven at home, print one of DUO's three free A2 Schrijven practice booklets on inburgeren.nl and do it by hand in 40 minutes. For ready-made sentences, use our A2 writing sentence templates. Our writing practice gives feedback on each answer.