Four writing tasks in 40 minutes
The A2 Schrijven (writing) exam lasts 40 minutes and has four writing tasks. You write with pen and paper, for example a short letter or a form. DUO (External site, opens in a new tab) (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, the Dutch education service) confirms this format. Start with official A2 writing practice (External site, opens in a new tab), then use the original tasks below.
A2 writing tasks on paper
A2 writing tasks ask you to give information or make a request in everyday Dutch. Answer every part of the assignment in clear, complete sentences where the instructions ask for them.
For the other exam parts, see the inburgeringsexamen (civic integration exam) guide. For a comparison with B1 and B2 writing, see the writing exam guide.
Writing task types
DUO’s official practice exams (External site, opens in a new tab) include emails, forms, short texts and a note. Follow the length stated in each task. The lengths below are suggestions for our practice exercises.
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| Task type | What to practise | Suggested practice length |
|---|---|---|
| Formulier (form) | Personal details, choices, dates, addresses, phone numbers and short answers. | Short fields plus 1–2 simple sentences. |
| Email or short letter | A request, apology, new plan, complaint or practical question. | 4–6 short sentences. |
| Short text | Food, transport, study, work, family or neighbourhood life. | At least 3 complete sentences. |
| Briefje (note) or message | Instructions or information for a colleague, neighbour, housemate, school or service desk. | 3–5 short sentences. |
Writing scores and the pass mark
DUO publishes assessment models for forms (External site, opens in a new tab) and texts and correspondence (External site, opens in a new tab). The table shows the point ranges. Each official task also has its own assessment requirements.
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| Criterion | Form | Text or email |
|---|---|---|
| Adequaatheid/begrijpelijkheid (task completion and clarity) | 0–3 | 0–3 |
| Grammatica (grammar) | Not scored separately | 0–2 |
| Spelling | 0–2 | 0–2 |
| Woordgebruik (word choice) | 0–2 | 0–2 |
| Coherentie (links between sentences) | Not scored separately | 0–1 |
If the task completion and clarity criterion scores 0, every other criterion scores 0 too. DUO gives 0 for an unreadable answer, an answer that cannot be recognised as a response to the task, or no answer. Use short Dutch sentences with clear word order.
You need about 65% of the points to pass A2 Schrijven. For the practice sets below, score the form out of 7 points and each of the three other tasks out of 10. This gives 37 possible practice points.
The general models help you find what to improve. They do not give an exact official score for our original tasks, because official tasks have specific assessment requirements. The official format page confirms four tasks; it does not promise one form and three other texts in every exam.
Writing exam fee and booking
DUO lists the A2 writing fee (External site, opens in a new tab) as €50 in 2026. If you are an asylum-status holder covered by the 2021 integration rules, your first two attempts at each exam are free. The free attempts apply at or above the level in your PIP (personal integration and participation plan). DUO explains this rule under Wet inburgering 2021 (Civic Integration Act 2021). A2 attempts below the level in your PIP are paid attempts. See the exam costs and loans guide for payment options.
Book A2 writing through Mijn Inburgering (My Integration, DUO’s online portal). DUO’s registration page (External site, opens in a new tab) explains how to choose a date and place. If you cannot log in, use the registration form on that page. For help setting up your login, see Get and use DigiD (Dutch digital identity).
DUO says you may wait more than six weeks before you can take an exam. See the A2 exam registration guide for the booking steps.
DUO’s exam rules (External site, opens in a new tab) say you cannot take the exam without a valid, undamaged identity document. Take that document to your exam.
Your 40-minute practice plan
Use this timing plan for the sets below, which each contain one form and three other tasks. Spend most of the time on the three texts. Keep the final 7 minutes for checking. Adjust the split to the tasks you receive in the real exam.
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| Minute | Action |
|---|---|
| 0-4 | Read all tasks. Mark the bullets you must answer. |
| 4-12 | Do the form. Fill every field and check spelling in names and numbers. |
| 12-33 | Write the three other tasks. Keep each answer short and complete. |
| 33-40 | Check greetings, dates, verbs, word order, and whether every bullet is answered. |
Practice set instructions
Start with the three writing PDFs on DUO’s official practice page (External site, opens in a new tab). The three sets below are extra practice from Inburgering.org. They contain original tasks, not official exam questions.
Use this order for each practice set:
- Choose one set.
- Set a 40-minute timer.
- Write your answers on paper.
- Score your answers with the criteria above before you read another set.
Practice set 1
Task 1: email to a bike repair shop
Uw fiets is bij fietsenmaker De Brug. U zou de fiets vandaag ophalen, maar u moet langer werken. U schrijft een e-mail aan de fietsenmaker.
- Schrijf dat u de fiets vandaag niet kunt ophalen.
- Vraag of u de fiets morgenmiddag kunt ophalen.
- Vraag hoeveel de reparatie kost.
- Schrijf de e-mail in hele zinnen.
Task 2: your favourite meal
U krijgt elke week een wijkkrant. Iedereen uit de buurt mag iets voor deze krant schrijven. U schrijft over uw favoriete maaltijd. Schrijf minimaal drie hele zinnen.
- Wat eet u graag?
- Met wie eet u deze maaltijd?
- Wanneer maakt of koopt u deze maaltijd?
Task 3: language café registration form
U wilt Nederlands oefenen in het buurthuis. U vult een formulier in voor Taalcafe De Horizon. Sommige gegevens mag u zelf bedenken.
Vul alle velden met uw gegevens in (fill in every field with your details):
- Voor- en achternaam:
- Adres:
- Postcode en woonplaats:
- Telefoonnummer:
- E-mail:
Beantwoord alle vragen over deze situatie (answer every question about this situation):
- Welke dag wilt u komen? Kies: dinsdagavond, vrijdagochtend, of zaterdagmiddag.
- Hoe vaak wilt u komen? Kies: elke week, twee keer per maand, of soms.
- Waarom wilt u naar het taalcafe?
- Wat wilt u vooral oefenen?
Task 4: note to your neighbour Nadia
U bent twee dagen niet thuis. Uw buurvrouw Nadia helpt u. Schrijf een briefje voor Nadia.
- Vraag of zij de planten water wil geven.
- Vraag of zij de post uit de brievenbus wil halen.
- Schrijf wanneer u weer thuis bent.
- Bedank haar. Schrijf in hele zinnen.
Practice set 2
Task 1: email to your teacher
U volgt een cursus Nederlands. Morgen is er les, maar u kunt niet komen. U schrijft een e-mail aan uw docent, mevrouw Bakker.
- Schrijf waarom u de e-mail stuurt.
- Schrijf waarom u niet naar de les kunt komen. Bedenk zelf een reden.
- Vraag welk huiswerk u moet maken.
- Bied uw excuses aan. Schrijf in hele zinnen.
Task 2: form about a bag you found
U hebt in de bus een tas gevonden. U vult een formulier in van het vervoerbedrijf. Bedenk zelf de gegevens.
Vul alle velden met uw gegevens in (fill in every field with your details):
- Voor- en achternaam:
- Telefoonnummer:
- E-mail:
Beantwoord alle vragen over deze situatie (answer every question about this situation):
- Op welke datum hebt u de tas gevonden?
- In welke buslijn hebt u de tas gevonden?
- Waar hebt u de tas gevonden?
- Hoe ziet de tas eruit?
- Welke drie dingen zitten in de tas?
Task 3: the market in your neighbourhood
U schrijft voor de wijkkrant over de markt in uw buurt. Schrijf minimaal drie hele zinnen.
- Wanneer is de markt?
- Wat koopt u daar graag?
- Waarom gaat u graag of niet graag naar de markt?
Task 4: message to your housemate Samir
U moet vroeg naar uw werk. Uw huisgenoot Samir is nog thuis. Schrijf een kort bericht voor Samir.
- Vraag of hij het afval buiten wil zetten.
- Vraag of hij het raam in de keuken wil sluiten.
- Schrijf hoe laat u vanavond thuis bent.
- Bedank hem. Schrijf in hele zinnen.
Practice set 3
Task 1: email about your heating
De verwarming in uw woning werkt niet goed. U schrijft een e-mail aan de woningbouwvereniging.
- Schrijf wat het probleem is.
- Schrijf sinds wanneer u dit probleem hebt.
- Vraag of iemand langs kan komen voor reparatie.
- Schrijf wanneer u thuis bent. Schrijf in hele zinnen.
Task 2: your journey to work or school
U schrijft voor de wijkkrant over uw reis naar werk of school. Schrijf minimaal drie hele zinnen.
- Hoe reist u meestal?
- Hoe lang duurt de reis?
- Wat vindt u prettig of vervelend aan de reis?
Task 3: bicycle insurance claim form
Uw fiets is beschadigd bij het station. U vult een schadeformulier in voor uw verzekering. Sommige gegevens mag u zelf bedenken.
Vul alle velden met uw gegevens in (fill in every field with your details):
- Achternaam:
- Voorletters:
- Adres:
- Telefoonnummer:
- E-mail:
Beantwoord alle vragen over deze situatie (answer every question about this situation):
- Op welke datum is uw fiets beschadigd?
- Waar stond de fiets?
- Wat is kapot? Schrijf drie dingen op.
- Wanneer kan de verzekering u bellen?
Task 4: email to the library
U hebt een boek van de bibliotheek te laat teruggebracht. U schrijft een e-mail aan de bibliotheek.
- Schrijf welk boek te laat is.
- Schrijf waarom u het boek te laat hebt teruggebracht. Bedenk zelf een reden.
- Vraag hoeveel u moet betalen.
- Bied uw excuses aan. Schrijf in hele zinnen.
Your final writing check
Check all five points before you stop writing. The A2 writing common mistakes guide explains how to prioritise task completion, clear sentences and accurate personal details.
- Have you answered every part of the assignment?
- Have you used complete sentences for emails, notes and short-text tasks?
- Have you included a greeting and closing where the email task needs them?
- Have you checked names, dates, street names, phone numbers and email addresses?
- Do your sentences connect clearly? You can use en (and), maar (but), want (because) or omdat (because).
Your next writing practice
If you missed part of a task, practise that task again before you start a new set. If you completed all four tasks within 40 minutes, check the language criteria and try another set. If you want to practise away from a screen, choose a printable resource below. To compare answers, choose the sample-answer guide.
- Author
- By Inburgering.org team
- Reviewer
- Reviewed by Kirill Svavolia
Official Sources
- DUO / inburgeren.nl (DUO's civic integration website): contents of the A2, B1, and B2 language exams (External site, opens in a new tab) - Confirms 40 minutes, pen and paper, four assignments, and short letters and forms as examples.
- DUO / inburgeren.nl: official practice exams (External site, opens in a new tab) - Lists three official A2 writing practice PDFs.
- DUO / inburgeren.nl: registering for an exam (External site, opens in a new tab) - Explains booking through Mijn Inburgering, the paper-form alternative and a possible wait of more than six weeks.
- DUO / inburgeren.nl: exam rules (External site, opens in a new tab) - Lists valid identity documents and the rule that missing or damaged identification prevents you from taking the exam.
- DUO: A2 writing assessment model for forms (External site, opens in a new tab) - Gives the three scoring criteria, their ranges and the zero-score rule. Each task also has specific assessment requirements.
- DUO: A2 writing assessment model for texts and correspondence (External site, opens in a new tab) - Gives the five scoring criteria, their ranges, linking-word examples and the zero-score rule.
- DUO: exam fees and free attempts (External site, opens in a new tab) - Lists the €50 A2 writing fee and the conditions for two free attempts for asylum-status holders under the 2021 Act.
- DUO: A2 writing practice exam 1 (External site, opens in a new tab) - Shows two emails, a form and a short text. The short-text task asks for at least three complete sentences.
- DUO: A2 writing practice exam 2 (External site, opens in a new tab) - Shows emails, a form and a short text with task-specific instructions.
- DUO: A2 writing practice exam 3 (External site, opens in a new tab) - Shows an email, a form, a short text and a note with task-specific instructions.