What afschaling means
In the Wet inburgering 2021 there is no separate A2 route. Most people are in the B1-route, where the language exams are at B1: the Staatsexamen NT2 Programma I. Not everyone can reach that level within three years. That is why the law allows afschaling: under certain conditions you may take one or more language exams at A2.
Afschaling does not change your route. You stay in the B1-route, and only the exams your gemeente lowers are taken at A2. The rest of the route stays the same.
Afschaling is also not the same as the Z-route. The Z-route is a separate route for people for whom the B1-route and the onderwijsroute are too hard. Afschaling exists only inside the B1-route. Under the Wet inburgering 2013 the language exams are already at A2 or higher, so it does not apply there.
The conditions: 600 hours and real effort
The rule is in article 5.5 of the Besluit inburgering 2021. You must have made a "significant effort" (aanzienlijke inspanning) to learn Dutch. In practice that means:
- At least 600 hours of Dutch lessons (NT2). They must be at a school with the Blik op Werk quality mark, or at an institution with diploma recognition that offers the onderwijsroute. Literacy lessons (alfabetisering) can count.
- Enough effort during those lessons. The facts must show that you tried, for example through attendance and progress.
- At least 20% in the classroom. The Blik op Werk handbook for 2026 says at least 20% of the 600 hours must be classroom lessons. The rest may be online.
Afschaling has no deadline: you can ask for it at any point in your term, as long as you meet these conditions.
How to ask your gemeente
You cannot arrange afschaling at DUO yourself. The gemeente decides. DUO's advice is short: have you had at least 600 hours of lessons, and are the B1 exams still not working out? Then talk to your gemeente about afschalen naar A2.
- Talk to your teacher first. Your language school can judge best whether B1 is realistic for you.
- Collect proof. Ask the school for an overview of your lesson hours and attendance. Keep your exam results if you already tried B1.
- Contact your gemeente. Ask your inburgering contact person or case manager for afschaling and explain which parts are too hard.
- Wait for the decision. The gemeente records in your PIP (the personal plan for inburgering and participation) which exams you take at A2. Once your level is changed in DUO's system, the A2 exams become available to you.
Start the conversation early. If you wait too long, there may not be enough time left to pass the A2 exams within your inburgering term.
Per exam part: B1 for some, A2 for others
Afschaling works per exam part. You might take Lezen and Luisteren at A2, while Schrijven and Spreken stay at B1. The goal of the law is the highest level you can reach. Divosa therefore advises gemeenten to keep B1 wherever that is possible.
The A2 exams are different exams, not an easier version of Programma I:
| A2 exam | Format | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Lezen | Computer, 25 multiple-choice questions, pass with 19 correct | 65 minutes |
| Luisteren | Computer, 25 multiple-choice questions, pass with 19 correct | 45 minutes |
| Schrijven | Pen and paper: a form, a short article and two messages | 40 minutes |
| Spreken | Computer with a headset, recorded answers | 35 minutes |
Each A2 exam costs €50 at DUO. For asylum status holders the gemeente pays the first two attempts per exam. Read how each part works in our guides to Lezen, Luisteren, Schrijven and Spreken.
What stays the same
Afschaling only changes the level of the language exams. Everything else in the B1-route stays:
- KNM: one exam for every level, with 40 questions in 45 minutes.
- The MAP and the PVT: you still have to finish both.
- Your term: you still have 3 years in total.
Afschaling is rare. Of the people who started the B1-route in 2022 to 2024, few had been moved to A2 by the end of 2024: about 5% of asylum status holders and 3% of family and other migrants. For a wider view of both levels, read inburgering at A2 or B1.