How a Luisteren B1 question works
In Staatsexamen NT2 Programma I, every listening question follows the same loop. You read the question and options A, B and C for 25 seconds. Then the next piece of the conversation plays by itself, once. You answer and click Volgende. The exam runs on a computer in the Facet player, and Luisteren lasts 90 minutes.
The exam is built from five or more conversations. Each one starts with a short screen that names the speakers and the situation. The last fragment in the published exams was a video. The topics are mostly about work and study: a speaker explains a job, a course, a workplace situation or an instruction.
The questions ask about meaning more than single words. You may need the main point, a reason, an opinion, a condition, an instruction or a final decision. Because there is no replay, you need to know what you are listening for before the audio starts.
Six example questions with the answer explained
These examples were written by us in the style of the luisteren examen B1. Each has a short question, three options and one best answer. The Dutch stays in Dutch, with the English meaning underneath. In the real exam the audio pieces are longer, often close to a minute, but each question still turns on one clear idea.
Example 1
Context: U luistert naar een telefoongesprek tussen een studiekeuzebegeleider en een student.
Vraag: Waarom belt de student?
A. Hij wil zijn rooster veranderen.
B. Hij twijfelt over zijn opleiding.
C. Hij is te laat voor een gesprek.
Audio (Dutch): "Ik zit nu in het eerste jaar van marketing, maar ik merk dat ik de praktische vakken veel leuker vind dan de theorie. Daarom wilde ik met u bespreken of een andere opleiding misschien beter bij mij past."
English: "I'm in the first year of marketing, but I notice I like the practical subjects much more than the theory. That's why I wanted to discuss with you whether another course might suit me better."
Correct answer: B. He wants to discuss whether another opleiding suits him better, so he is doubting his current course.
Example 2
Context: U luistert naar een gesprek op het werk tussen een leidinggevende en een medewerker.
Vraag: Wat vindt de leidinggevende van het voorstel?
A. Ze is meteen enthousiast.
B. Ze wil eerst meer duidelijkheid.
C. Ze vindt het voorstel te duur.
Audio (Dutch): "Het idee om nieuwe openingstijden te proberen, vind ik op zich goed. Maar voordat we daarover beslissen, wil ik eerst weten wat de andere collega's ervan denken en wat het voor de planning betekent."
English: "I think the idea of trying new opening hours is good in itself. But before we decide, I first want to know what the other colleagues think and what it means for the schedule."
Correct answer: B. She does not reject the idea and says nothing about cost. She wants more information before a decision. Op zich goed is the trap: it sounds positive, but maar follows.
Example 3
Context: U luistert naar een gesprek tussen een trainer en een cursist.
Vraag: Wat moet de cursist volgens de trainer doen?
A. Minder vaak oefenen.
B. Eerder contact opnemen.
C. Eerst de basis onder de knie krijgen.
Audio (Dutch): "Je wilt nu al met de moeilijkste oefeningen beginnen, maar dat raad ik je nog niet aan. Het is slimmer om eerst de basistechniek goed te oefenen. Daarna kun je die andere onderdelen sneller oppakken."
English: "You already want to start with the hardest exercises, but I don't advise that yet. It's smarter to practise the basic technique properly first. After that you can pick up the other parts faster."
Correct answer: C. The trainer says to practise the basic technique first, which is what de basis onder de knie krijgen means.
Example 4
Context: U luistert naar een gesprek tussen twee collega's over een cursus.
Vraag: Waarom gaat de vrouw toch niet meedoen aan de cursus?
A. Ze heeft geen interesse meer.
B. De cursus is al vol.
C. Het past niet in haar werkweek.
Audio (Dutch): "Eerst leek die cursus me handig, vooral omdat ik beter wil worden in klantgesprekken. Maar hij is op donderdagmiddag, en juist dan draai ik sinds kort een vaste dienst. Dus het lukt nu toch niet."
English: "At first that course seemed useful, especially because I want to get better at customer conversations. But it's on Thursday afternoon, and that's exactly when I've recently started working a fixed shift. So it won't work after all."
Correct answer: C. She is still interested, and nobody says the course is full. The problem is her fixed shift on Thursday.
Example 5
Context: U luistert naar een gesprek tussen een docent en een student.
Vraag: Wat is de belangrijkste boodschap van de docent?
A. De student moet de opdracht opnieuw plannen.
B. De student mag het verslag korter maken.
C. De student hoeft geen bronnen te gebruiken.
Audio (Dutch): "Je onderwerp is goed gekozen, maar je loopt achter op schema. Als je vandaag nog een planning maakt voor de komende week, kun je het verslag gewoon op tijd afkrijgen. Laat me die planning morgen even zien."
English: "Your topic is well chosen, but you're behind schedule. If you make a plan today for the coming week, you can still finish the report on time. Show me that plan tomorrow."
Correct answer: A. The main point is that the student needs a new plan. Nothing is said about a shorter report or sources.
Example 6
Context: U luistert naar een gesprek tussen een medewerker van een sportschool en een klant.
Vraag: Hoe laat begint de les deze week?
A. Om half acht. B. Om acht uur. C. Om negen uur.
Audio (Dutch): "Normaal begint de les om half acht, maar deze week is er een andere trainer. Daarom start de les pas om acht uur. Om negen uur is het alweer afgelopen."
English: "Normally the class starts at half past seven, but this week there is a different trainer. So the class only starts at eight o'clock. By nine o'clock it is over again."
Correct answer: B. Three times are mentioned, but only one answers the question. Half past seven is the usual time, nine o'clock is the end, and eight o'clock is the start this week. This is the two-numbers trap from the list below.
Where candidates lose marks
In luisteren B1, the wrong options are often built from something that was said, just not chosen. These traps come back again and again:
- Mentioned but rejected: someone names an option and then says it will not work.
- Wrong speaker: the man says one thing, the woman another.
- Wrong time: it was true before, but not now.
- Negation: words like niet, geen, nog niet, toch niet and nauwelijks.
- Two numbers: two times or amounts are mentioned, and only one answers the question.
Timing is the other risk. If you start reading the options late, you miss the signal words. Use the full 25 seconds, and do not try to remember every word you hear.
Which trap is in which example
Each of the six examples is built around one of the traps above. Go back to them after you have answered and check what you missed.
- Example 1 tests meaning, not words. The student never says that he doubts his course, but he says another course might suit him better.
- Example 2 starts positive (op zich goed) and then turns with maar. The real answer comes after the turn.
- Example 3 mentions the hardest exercises and then rejects them with nog niet.
- Example 4 shows a change of mind: the course seemed useful at first, but toch niet. The reason is her fixed shift, so only one option fits.
- Example 5 hides the main message behind a compliment. The topic is well chosen, but the real point is the new plan.
- Example 6 gives three times, and only one answers the question.
If you can name the trap after each question, you will notice it faster in the next one. That habit matters more than the number of questions you do.
Luisteren oefenen B1: how to practise properly
The best way to practise (staatsexamen nt2 luisteren oefenen) is to copy the real conditions: read first, listen once, answer, move on. Avoid pausing and replaying before you answer, because the real exam does not allow it.
Start with official material. The Facet practice environment runs the real exam player and has the published exams from 2023, 2024 and 2025 with their audio and answers.
When you review a question, do not only ask what the answer was. Ask why the other two options were wrong. That trains you to spot rejected options, speaker mix-ups and time traps.
Use the examples like a mini exam. First cover the audio text and read only the question and the three options for 25 seconds. Then read the audio text once, choose an answer and only then read the explanation. If you were wrong, name the trap before you move on.
A simple practice routine:
- do short sets of questions under time pressure
- read the question and options before you listen
- decide what kind of answer you need
- check where the correct answer is in the audio
- note the trap that fooled you
For more B1 luisteren oefenen with instant feedback, try our B1 listening practice. For exam-day habits, read our Staatsexamen NT2 Luisteren tips.
