Basisexamen Speaking A1 Question Types and Answer Patterns

The A1 Spreken part of the basisexamen inburgering buitenland has two question types: 10 short questions you answer yourself and 12 sentences you complete aloud with help from a picture. The whole speaking exam takes 30 minutes. Your best strategy is not to memorise long texts, but to recognise the task quickly and answer with simple Dutch that fits the situation.

• The public Naar Nederland page says the real speaking exam and the speaking practice exam both have 22 questions and take 30 minutes.
• Part 1 has 10 question-answer items. Listen first for the question word: wat, waar, wanneer, hoe, wie, waarom, hoeveel or hoe vaak.
• Part 2 has 12 sentence completions. The picture is important because it tells you the place, action, object or feeling.
• The official assessment model gives points for adequacy and pronunciation. Silence or an unrelated answer is the biggest risk.

In vraag en antwoord, you hear a short practical question. Usually the question asks about your life, your plan, your opinion, or a normal daily action. You do not need an impressive answer. You need a clear answer that matches the question.

• Wat? Give an action or thing: Ik koop brood. Ik drink water.
• Waar? Give a place: Ik woon in Ankara. Ik ga naar de winkel.
• Wanneer? Give a time or day: Morgen. Om acht uur.
• Hoe? Give a way or transport: Met de bus. Ik loop.
• Wie? Give a person: Mijn partner helpt mij.
• Waarom? Give a simple reason: Omdat ik in Nederland wil wonen.
• Hoeveel / hoe vaak? Give a number or frequency: Twee keer per week. Ik heb drie kinderen.

• Home and family: Ik woon met mijn partner. / Mijn familie woont in ...
• Work and school: Ik werk in een winkel. / Ik leer Nederlands op internet.
• Food and shopping: Ik koop rijst en groente. / Ik eet graag soep.
• Travel: Ik ga met de trein. / Ik loop naar school.
• Plans: Morgen ga ik studeren. / In Nederland wil ik werken.
• Opinion: Ik vind Nederlands moeilijk, maar leuk.

In zinnen afmaken, you hear a small situation and then the beginning of a second sentence. You also see a picture. Your job is to finish only that sentence. Often one short word group is enough. Do not create a long story if the missing part is simple.

• Place: Samir pakt zijn jas. Hij gaat... naar buiten.
• Object: Lina heeft dorst. Ze drinkt een glas... water.
• Action: Omar pakt een pan. Hij gaat... koken.
• Person: Sara koopt bloemen. De bloemen zijn voor... haar moeder.
• Feeling/adjective: De kamer is donker. De kamer is niet... licht.
• Transport: Rayan staat bij de halte. Hij wacht op... de bus.

• If you hear a question word at the beginning, answer directly. Do not repeat the whole question.
• If you hear a sentence start ending with a pause, complete the grammar of that sentence.
• Use the picture before speaking. Ask yourself: who, where, what object, what action, what feeling?
• If you are unsure, say the simplest logical answer. A short correct phrase is safer than a long confused sentence.
• Speak clearly in the first few seconds. You have up to 60 seconds to record, but most A1 answers should be much shorter.

• Make small groups of answers by topic: home, family, work, school, shopping, food, travel, health, weather and free time.
• Record 10 question-answer items and 12 sentence completions in one practice session so the real format feels normal.
• Score each item out of 2: 1 point for a logical answer and 1 point for pronunciation that a trained listener can understand.
• Use 34 out of 44 as a strong practice target, but remember that the official result is reported as a grade from 1 to 10.
• Keep a repair phrase ready: Sorry, ik bedoel... or Ik zeg het nog een keer...

For the full format, read the Basisexamen Speaking A1 guide. For worked examples, continue with A1 speaking sample answers. When you want timed recordings and feedback, use the Speaking A1 practice course.