1. Do the task in your first sentence
Start with the speaking action the task asks for. If you do a different action, your content score can drop to 1 point. So show the action in your first sentence: advise, choose, persuade, ask for help, describe or instruct.
The time is short and the recording stops by itself. Do not spend the first seconds on "eh" or on repeating the situation.
If the task asks you to choose, start with your choice: "Ik kies voor de vroege dienst." If it asks for advice, start with advice: "Je kunt het beste eerst de huisarts bellen." Then add one reason, detail or example.
Three-picture tasks are the one exception. There you start the story or the instruction itself: "Eerst gingen we naar de markt" or "Pak eerst de doos en maak hem open."
Never read the task aloud from the screen. That caps both your content score and your grammar score at 1 point.
2. Treat 20 seconds and 30 seconds as different jobs
In Deel 1 you speak for 20 seconds. Go for one complete message: make the choice, ask for help or describe the thing, then add one support point.
"Kunt u mij even helpen? Ik heb te veel tassen en ik krijg de deur niet open." That is enough.
In Deel 2 you speak for 30 seconds and you always get 15 seconds to prepare. Use that time to pick two points only:
- For a reasons task: reason one and reason two.
- For a three-picture task: the order of the pictures, first, then, finally.
- For feedback: two things that should change.
Then speak in that order. If the task says Geef ten minste twee redenen, give at least two. If it says Gebruik hierbij alle plaatjes, use all the pictures.
3. Fill the time when your idea runs out
On a Deel 2 reason task, using the full speaking time can be worth a point. On a two-reason task, one clear reason that lasts until the beep earns the same 3 content points as two clear reasons. One reason followed by silence earns 2.
So when your main point ends early, add a reason, a result or a concrete detail:
- "Ik werk liever thuis, omdat ik dan niet hoef te reizen. Ik kan me beter concentreren en ik heb meer tijd."
- "Dat is geen goed idee, want dan wordt de rij bij de kassa te lang. Klanten worden boos en we krijgen klachten."
Your reason does not have to be clever. Assessors do not judge whether it convinces them, only whether it fits the task.
Pictures help here too. Mention a detail you have not used yet, or move to the next picture in the row. You do not need equal time on each picture. If you already gave two clear reasons, do not fill the gap with empty repetition.
4. Never stay silent
Every answer first gets a simple check, the preconditie: is it understandable Dutch that fits the situation, even loosely? If it fails, the task gets no points at all. The check is generous, so silence is always the worst choice.
If your planned sentence disappears, say a smaller one: "Ik kies voor de vroege dienst, want dan heb ik 's middags tijd." "De paraplu staat naast de deur." "Kunt u mij even helpen?"
Each one stays inside the task. Then add one more line if you can.
Use the screen. In Deel 1 you get 5 seconds to look at a picture or text, so name what you see and connect it to the question. In Deel 2, decide your first sentence before the beep. That sentence often carries the rest of the answer.
5. Keep your Dutch clear, not perfect
Small slips cost little. Wrong de or het, plurals and diminutives count as small errors. Wrong verb forms and word order cost more, so check those when you practise.
Word choice is about precision. A vague word where a precise one exists can cost the word-choice point, even if the listener understands you. In Deel 2, assessors also score pronunciation and pace, so speak calmly and clearly rather than fast.
6. End each answer cleanly
A second beep ends the recording, and you do not control it. When the last seconds come, do not start a long new sentence. Close what you are saying: "Daarom vind ik dat een beter idee." "Dus ik werk liever thuis."
The last tasks come when you are tired, and answers drift. Use the 15 seconds to choose your opening and your two points, then count them as you speak. One exception: if time is almost up and you have not said your second reason or the last picture, say that first. The missing point matters more than a neat ending.
Do these tips work for Spreken B2?
Yes. Spreken in Programma II (B2) uses the same kinds of short and medium tasks. It has 4 short tasks of 20 seconds and 8 of 30 seconds. It adds one long task where you talk for two minutes, after preparation time. Plan that one like a short talk: an opening, two or three points and a conclusion.
NT2 spreken oefenen at home
NT2 stands for Nederlands als tweede taal, Dutch as a second language. Practise like the real exam. Listen to a task once, look at the picture, prepare in 15 seconds and speak until a timer stops you. Record yourself and check one thing first: did you do the right speaking action?
The official Facet practice portal uses the same exam player. To see how the tasks and scoring work, read how Staatsexamen NT2 Spreken works. For timed tasks with feedback, use our B1 speaking practice.