Spreken B1 at a glance
| Item | Staatsexamen NT2 Programma I Spreken |
|---|---|
| Tasks | 16: Deel 1 (tasks 1-8) and Deel 2 (tasks 9-16) |
| Speaking time | 20 seconds per task in Deel 1, 30 seconds in Deel 2 |
| Extra time | 5 seconds to look at a picture or text in Deel 1, 15 seconds to prepare in Deel 2 |
| Duration | About 25 minutes (the Facet practice exam shows 35) |
| Equipment | Headset with a microphone, at a computer |
| Dictionary | Not allowed |
| Scoring | Two trained assessors, 128 points in 2024 and 2025 |
| Pass | Scaled score of 500: 73 points in 2024, 75 in 2025 |
What the B1 speaking exam asks you to do
In Spreken you hear a short situation and answer out loud in Dutch. The task is on the screen and plays through your headset. Often a friend, colleague or boss speaks first, and then you react.
Every task asks for one clear speaking action. You may have to give advice, ask for help, choose and explain, persuade someone, describe a place or object, give instructions or tell what happened. Nobody answers you or asks a follow-up question. You speak to the computer and it records your answer.
Pictures are a normal part of nt2 spreken. In the 2023 to 2025 papers, 8 to 10 of the 16 tasks had a picture. Deel 1 tasks usually show one picture or a short text. Deel 2 often shows three pictures in a row, with the instruction Gebruik hierbij alle plaatjes (use all the pictures).
Deel 1: short answers in 20 seconds
The official instruction says that sometimes a few words are enough, and sometimes you need one or two sentences. A typical task:
Uw buurvrouw gaat op vakantie. Ze vraagt of u haar planten water kunt geven. U kunt dat niet. Zeg dat tegen haar en geef een reden.
Your neighbour is going on holiday. She asks if you can water her plants. You can't. Tell her and give a reason.
A good answer: Sorry, dat lukt me niet. Ik ben volgende week zelf ook weg.
Deel 2: longer answers in 30 seconds
Here you build a short explanation, opinion, instruction or story. You always get 15 seconds to prepare. Two or three tasks per paper ask for a minimum number of reasons:
Uw buurman zegt dat het zwembad in de wijk dichtgaat. U vindt dat geen goed idee. Zeg waarom niet. Geef twee redenen.
Your neighbour says the swimming pool in your area will close. You think that is a bad idea. Say why. Give two reasons.
A good answer: Dat vind ik echt jammer. Ten eerste leren veel kinderen daar zwemmen, en dat is belangrijk in Nederland. Ten tweede is het andere zwembad ver weg. Dan moeten mensen met de auto of de bus gaan.
More worked tasks are in Staatsexamen NT2 Spreken example questions.
How a task runs on the screen
The flow is fixed, and you cannot go back to an earlier task:
- You hear the situation and see the task on the screen.
- In Deel 1, if the task has a picture or text, you get 5 seconds to look at it. In Deel 2 you get 15 seconds to prepare.
- A beep tells you to start speaking.
- A second beep tells you the time is up, and the recording stops.
- The next task starts by itself.
You cannot use a dictionary. Before the exam you test your headset and microphone.
How the spreken examen B1 is scored
Two trained assessors score your recordings, each on their own. If their totals differ by 3 points or more, a third assessor scores you too.
Each answer first passes a simple check, the preconditie: is it understandable Dutch that fits the situation, even loosely? If not, that task gets no points. This check is generous, so a short relevant answer is always better than silence.
After that, assessors score content and language:
- Deel 1, up to 3 points per task: content, word and sentence forms, and word choice.
- Deel 2, up to 13 points per task: content (0-3), word and sentence forms (0-3), vocabulary (0-3), pronunciation (0-3) and pace (0-1).
That gives 128 points in the 2024 and 2025 papers. The maximum can change, because an aspect only counts where it fits the task. The 2023 paper had 115.
What you need to pass
Your points are converted to a scaled score, and 500 is a pass. The raw cut changes per paper: 58 of 115 in 2023, 73 of 128 in 2024 and 75 of 128 in 2025. Our guide to Staatsexamen NT2 pass marks explains the conversion.
Rules that cost points
- Wrong speaking action: if the task asks for an instruction and you describe, content gets at most 1 point.
- Reading the task aloud: content and grammar get at most 1 point each.
- Stopping early: one clear reason that fills the time scores better than one reason and then silence.
- Pictures: assessors judge picture use reasonably, so you do not need one sentence per picture.
- Odd reasons still count: assessors do not judge whether your opinion convinces them.
Small grammar slips, such as de or het, plurals and diminutives, count as small errors. Wrong verb forms and word order weigh more.
How Spreken B1 differs from the A2 inburgeringsexamen
This exam belongs to Staatsexamen NT2 Programma I, the B1 state exam. It is not the A2 inburgering speaking exam, although both have 16 recorded tasks and use pictures.
The A2 exam gives you about a minute per answer and adds a Vertel ook follow-up to most questions. DUO scores it on 192 points and publishes no pass mark for it. At B1 you get 20 or 30 seconds and must do a precise speaking action. Every open exam comes with a published cut.
Passed Staatsexamen NT2 parts can count for the matching inburgering exams. Check your own situation with DUO.
Where to practise nt2 spreken
The real exam runs in the Facet exam player. The official Facet practice portal uses the same screens and timing. Exam dates and published papers are on Staatsexamens NT2, and you register through DUO.
To practise more tasks with a timer and feedback, try our B1 speaking practice. Copy the exam conditions: listen once, plan fast and keep talking until the beep.