30-Day Study Plan for the Dutch Integration Exam: A Day-by-Day Schedule

Your exam date is a month away, and you need a plan. This 30-day schedule gives you a concrete, day-by-day structure to prepare for the four language components of the inburgeringsexamen (civic integration exam) or Staatsexamen NT2. Whether you are preparing at A2 or B1 level, the plan works the same way: two focused hours per day, rotating between all four skills, building toward full mock exams in the final week. It is not easy, but if you follow it consistently, you will walk into your exam with real confidence.

Key Points at a Glance

Before You Start: Diagnose Your Weak Points

Do not start this plan blindly. The single most important thing you can do before Day 1 is take a diagnostic test for each of the four language skills: lezen (reading), luisteren (listening), schrijven (writing), and spreken (speaking). You can use free official practice tests from DUO or take a practice exam on our platform.

Score each skill on a simple scale: strong, okay, or weak. Write it down. This ranking determines where you spend extra time during the plan. If your listening is strong but your writing is weak, you will shift minutes from listening days toward writing. The weekly schedules below give default time splits, but your personal ranking should always override the defaults.

If you are unsure which exam level you need, read our guide on Dutch language levels (CEFR) to understand the difference between A1, A2, B1, and B2.

How This Plan Works

Each day asks for about two hours of study. That is enough time to make meaningful progress without burning out. The plan splits your month into four phases:

You will notice that the plan dedicates a full week each to active and passive skills. This is deliberate. Speaking and writing require you to produce language — that takes a different kind of mental effort than reading and listening, where you receive language. Separating them prevents the fatigue that comes from trying to do everything every day.

Week 1: Build Your Foundation (Days 1–7)

The goal this week is simple: get comfortable with the format of each exam component and establish a daily study habit. You are not trying to master anything yet. You are building a base.

Daily Schedule

Week 2: Speaking and Writing Intensive (Days 8–14)

This week targets the two skills that most people find hardest to improve on their own: spreken (speaking) and schrijven (writing). These are active skills — you have to produce language, not just recognize it. That makes them harder to practice, but also where the biggest gains come from focused effort.

Speaking (Days 8–10)

Spend three days focused on speaking. Each day, warm up with five minutes of reading Dutch text aloud to loosen your pronunciation. Then move to exam-style exercises: look at a picture or situation and describe it in Dutch, answer questions about daily life, or respond to a short video scenario. Record every answer and listen back critically.

The speaking exam is computer-based — you speak into a microphone, not to a person. Practice with this format. Get comfortable with silence after the beep. Many candidates lose points not because their Dutch is bad, but because they panic and say nothing. Even a short, simple sentence scores better than silence.

Writing (Days 11–13)

The next three days shift to writing. Start each session by reviewing common Dutch email phrases (Beste meneer/mevrouw, Met vriendelijke groet) and form vocabulary (naam, adres, geboortedatum). Then write at least two complete tasks per day — one short task (like filling in a form or writing a brief note) and one longer task (like an email or a short essay).

Focus on structure over perfection. An email with a clear opening, body, and closing will score well even with minor grammar mistakes. Our writing exam guide breaks down exactly how tasks are scored at each level, so you know where the points come from.

Day 14 — Combined Review

On the last day of Week 2, do a timed practice session combining both skills. Write two tasks under exam time pressure, then immediately switch to five speaking prompts. This simulates the mental switching you will experience on exam day when you sit multiple components in the same period.

Week 3: Reading and Listening Intensive (Days 15–21)

Now you shift to the receptive skills: lezen (reading) and luisteren (listening). These exams are entirely multiple-choice, which sounds easier — but they are heavily time-pressured. The key skill here is not understanding every word, but finding the right information quickly.

Reading (Days 15–17)

Each day, work through a full set of reading exercises under timed conditions. Before you start reading the text, always read the questions first. This gives you a target — you know what information to look for, so you can skim instead of reading every word. Practice this technique until it becomes automatic.

After each timed set, go back and review your mistakes without time pressure. Look up words you did not know and add them to a vocabulary list. The reading exam guide explains the specific text types and question formats you will encounter, which helps you know what to expect.

Listening (Days 18–20)

Listening is the skill where extra exposure outside of formal practice makes the biggest difference. In addition to your two-hour study block, try to listen to Dutch throughout the day — radio, podcasts, even Dutch TV with subtitles off. The more your ear adjusts to natural speech speed, the easier the exam fragments will feel.

During your study sessions, work through listening exercises at exam pace. Read the questions before each audio clip plays. If you miss an answer, replay the fragment and try to identify exactly where the answer appeared. Over three days, you should aim to complete at least two full-length listening practice tests. Check our listening exam guide for details on the audio types and timing at your level.

Day 21 — Combined Review

Complete a full timed reading test and a full timed listening test back-to-back. This is a stamina exercise. By the end, you should have a clear sense of whether time pressure is still a problem, and which text or audio types still trip you up.

Week 4: Mock Exams and Final Review (Days 22–30)

The final nine days are about pulling everything together. You have spent three weeks building skills in isolation — now you simulate the real exam experience and fix whatever is still weak.

Days 22–25: Full Mock Exams

Take one complete mock exam per day, one skill at a time: reading on Day 22, listening on Day 23, writing on Day 24, speaking on Day 25. Treat each session like the real thing — set a timer, sit at a desk, put your phone away, and do not pause. After each mock exam, score yourself and write down every question you got wrong or were unsure about.

Days 26–28: Targeted Error Review

These three days are the most important of the entire plan. Go through your mock exam mistakes one by one. For each error, ask yourself: did I not know the vocabulary? Did I misunderstand the question? Did I run out of time? Group your mistakes by cause, then spend each day working on the most common cause. If vocabulary is the issue, drill your word list. If time management is the problem, do speed exercises. If certain question types confuse you, review the theory for those formats.

Day 29: Light Review

Do a final pass through your vocabulary list and any grammar notes you have collected. Review the exam logistics: what to bring, how the computer interface works, how much time each section gives you. Our exam day rules guide covers exactly what to expect at the test center. Keep this session short — one hour maximum.

Day 30: Rest

Do not study. Your brain needs time to consolidate what you have learned. Go for a walk, watch a movie (in Dutch if you want, but do not stress about it), and get a good night's sleep. You have done the work. Trust the process.

Adjusting the Plan for Your Level

This plan works across all CEFR levels, but the content and difficulty of your practice materials should match the exam you are actually taking. Here is what to keep in mind at each level:

If you are not sure whether to aim for A2 or B1, our A2 vs B1 comparison explains the differences and helps you decide.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

After helping thousands of students prepare, we see the same mistakes come up again and again during the final month of study:

Next Steps

Before Day 1, make sure you have everything in place:

Official Sources

Source: DUO, Staatsexamensnt2.nl, Rijksoverheid (2025 figures)