Short answers that fit the prompt
For A1 Spreken, a short answer can earn points if it fits the prompt and you say it clearly. For a question, try one simple sentence such as Ik ga met de bus (I go by bus). For sentence completion, say the missing words. Add a detail when the question asks for one or your answer is too vague. Your result across the full speaking exam decides whether you pass.
Tasks and scoring
Spreken tests whether you can answer everyday questions and complete sentences in Dutch. Naar Nederland (to the Netherlands) (External site, opens in a new tab) confirms that the speaking exam has 22 tasks and takes 30 minutes. You answer 10 questions and complete 12 sentences. You have up to 60 seconds to record each answer in the exam, as in the official A1 speaking practice exam (External site, opens in a new tab). For the full format, see the Basisexamen A1 speaking guide.
You record your answers on a computer. People assess your speaking, as Naar Nederland’s exam page (External site, opens in a new tab) explains. The Beoordelingsmodel Spreken A1 (A1 speaking assessment model), PDF, 254 KB (External site, opens in a new tab) gives each answer up to 2 points:
- Task fit: 1 point if your answer fits the question or completes the sentence logically.
- Pronunciation: 1 point if a trained listener can understand your answer with some effort.
If your answer scores 0 for task fit, pronunciation also scores 0. A longer answer earns no extra points for length. Use words you can say clearly. Grammar has no separate score in the public model; your answer still needs to fit the task and be understandable.
You need about 34 of 44 points to pass A1 Spreken. Your official result (External site, opens in a new tab) is a grade from 1 to 10; 6 or higher passes. For the 16 sample prompts below, the same pass benchmark is about 25 of 32 points.
Using the sample answers
These are our own practice examples. Each row shows a Dutch prompt, an answer and why it fits. The English translations explain the meaning. Change the answer to fit the prompt you hear in the exam.
For a question, practise a short subject, a simple verb and the detail asked for. For example, Ik woon met mijn partner (I live with my partner) says who you live with. For sentence completion, practise the words that follow the sentence beginning. De soep is warm (The soup is warm) is a full sentence; after De soep is… (The soup is…), you only need warm (warm).
Use the A1 speaking question-types guide if you need help recognising the two tasks. These examples help you practise; one sample answer cannot guarantee a pass.
Question and answer samples
Each answer gives the person, action, reason or detail asked for in the prompt. The final column shows how the answer fits.
You can scroll wide tables sideways.
| Prompt and meaning | Sample answer and meaning | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| U bent bij een vriend. Wat drinkt u? (You are at a friend’s house. What do you drink?) | Ik drink thee. (I drink tea.) | Wat (what) asks for a drink. The answer names tea. |
| U wilt Nederlands oefenen. Wat doet u? (You want to practise Dutch. What do you do?) | Ik praat elke dag met mijn buurvrouw. (I talk to my neighbour every day.) | The answer names an action and says how often you do it. |
| Uw telefoon is leeg. Wat doet u? (Your phone battery is empty. What do you do?) | Ik laad mijn telefoon op. (I charge my phone.) | Charging the phone answers the problem. |
| U gaat naar school. Hoe reist u? (You go to school. How do you travel?) | Ik ga met de tram. (I go by tram.) | Hoe (how) asks for a way to travel. The answer names transport. |
| U bent ziek. Wie belt u? (You are ill. Who do you call?) | Ik bel de huisarts. (I call the family doctor.) | Wie (who) asks for a person. Huisarts (family doctor) names that person. |
| U hebt zaterdag vrij. Wat gaat u doen? (You have Saturday off. What will you do?) | Ik ga koken en daarna rusten. (I will cook and then rest.) | The answer gives a plan for Saturday. |
| U leert Nederlands. Waarom? (You are learning Dutch. Why?) | Omdat ik in Nederland wil wonen. (Because I want to live in the Netherlands.) | Waarom (why) asks for a reason. The answer gives one. |
| U koopt een cadeau. Voor wie is het? (You buy a present. Who is it for?) | Het cadeau is voor mijn zus. (The present is for my sister.) | The answer says who receives the present. |
The doctor example uses the word huisarts. For help using that word in daily life, read Finding and using a huisarts in the Netherlands.
Sentence completion samples
Say the missing words to complete each Dutch sentence. Read the prompt and answer together to check that both the grammar and the situation make sense.
You can scroll wide tables sideways.
| Prompt and meaning | Completion and meaning | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Noura pakt haar tas. Ze gaat... (Noura picks up her bag. She is going...) | naar school. (to school.) | A place fits after “she is going”. |
| De koffie is heel heet. Ik wacht, want de koffie is... (The coffee is very hot. I wait because the coffee is...) | te warm. (too hot.) | The completion explains why you wait. |
| Milan staat bij de kassa. Hij gaat... (Milan is at the checkout. He is going to...) | betalen. (pay.) | Paying fits the situation at the checkout. |
| Hana snijdt groente. Ze maakt... (Hana cuts vegetables. She is making...) | soep. (soup.) | Soup is something you can make with vegetables. |
| Yusuf doet zijn jas aan. Buiten is het... (Yusuf puts on his coat. Outside it is...) | koud. (cold.) | Cold weather explains why he puts on a coat. |
| Maria zoekt haar bril. Ze kan niet goed... (Maria looks for her glasses. She cannot ... well.) | zien. (see.) | “See” completes the sentence about glasses. |
| Amir hoort de deurbel. Hij loopt naar... (Amir hears the doorbell. He walks to...) | de deur. (the door.) | The door is the place linked to the doorbell. |
| Leyla koopt brood. Ze koopt ook... (Leyla buys bread. She also buys...) | kaas. (cheese.) | Cheese is another food she can buy. |
Repairs for unclear answers
The first three repairs show how to answer the question more directly. The last repair applies when you find words hard to pronounce.
You can scroll wide tables sideways.
| Issue or prompt | Answer to repair | Revised answer |
|---|---|---|
| Too vague: Hoe gaat u naar school? (How do you go to school?) | Ja. (Yes.) | Ik ga met de bus. (I go by bus.) The answer now names transport. |
| Wrong task: U bent ziek. Wie belt u? (You are ill. Who do you call?) | Ik ben goed. (I am good.) | Ik bel de huisarts. (I call the family doctor.) The answer now names the person you call. |
| Unfinished answer: Wat gaat u morgen doen? (What will you do tomorrow?) | Ik ga morgen misschien met mijn vriend en dan misschien... (Tomorrow I might go with my friend and then maybe...) | Morgen ga ik naar school. (Tomorrow I go to school.) Finish the answer once your plan is clear. |
| Words you find hard to pronounce | A long sentence with many new words. | A short sentence with words you can say clearly. |
Recording practice
Prepare short answers about where you live, who you live with, why you learn Dutch, how you travel and what you do on a free day. Then practise one prompt at a time:
- Read a sample prompt.
- Record your answer with a 60-second timer.
- Listen to your recording for the words that answer the question.
- Shorten the sentence if those words are unclear.
- Change the person, place, food, transport or time.
- Record your new answer.
In the first part of the exam, a person on screen asks the question. Practise with written prompts first, then answer spoken prompts without reading. If you make a grammar mistake, finish your answer. Check afterwards whether it still fits the prompt and is understandable.
Start with DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, the Dutch education service) official A1 speaking practice (External site, opens in a new tab). Then use Inburgering.org’s free A1 speaking mock exam for extra practice. Our mock exam contains our own practice tasks.
Your next practice
If your answers miss what the question asks, practise recognising the task before you record again. If your answers fit but are hard to understand, shorten them and practise the unclear words. Once you can do both, use the official practice exam to try the two task types together. Copy the answer pattern, then choose words that fit each new prompt.
Official Sources
- Naar Nederland: official practice exams (External site, opens in a new tab) - Confirms 22 speaking tasks, 10 questions and 12 sentence completions, a 30-minute exam and microphone recording; links to official practice and the public scoring model.
- Spreken A1 Maart 2024 (A1 speaking, March 2024) (External site, opens in a new tab) - Public speaking questions and sentence beginnings (PDF, 300 KB); used to check task style. The samples in this article are our own practice examples.
- Beoordelingsmodel Spreken A1 (A1 speaking assessment model) (External site, opens in a new tab) - Earlier public model (PDF, 254 KB): 0 or 1 point for task fit and pronunciation. If task fit scores 0, pronunciation also scores 0.
- Examenprogramma basisexamen inburgering (External site, opens in a new tab) - legal exam programme describing the A1 speaking task types, computer delivery and human assessment.
- Examenreglement basisexamen inburgering (External site, opens in a new tab) - regulation describing result scale, pass mark and resits for basisexamen parts.
- Naar Nederland: taking the exam (External site, opens in a new tab) - Confirms computer delivery, human assessment of speaking and grades from 1 to 10, with 6 or higher needed to pass.
- Staatscourant (government gazette): 2014 exam changes (External site, opens in a new tab) - Official publication of the exam programme and rules: speaking task types, computer delivery, 30 minutes, human assessment and a passing grade of 6 or higher.
- Beoordelingsmodel Spreken A1: version 10 August 2026 (External site, opens in a new tab) - Current official model (PDF, 254 KB): video questions and sentence completions, task fit, pronunciation and the zero-score dependency. Answers may contain one word or grammar mistakes.
- DUO official A1 speaking practice exam (External site, opens in a new tab) - Official practice instructions show a person asking each video question. The practice application limits recordings to 60 seconds for both task types; Naar Nederland says the actual and practice formats differ only in question content.