Staatsexamen NT2 Exam Day Rules: ID, Dictionary, Lockers, and What to Bring

On exam day for the Staatsexamen NT2 (Dutch state exam), you must bring a valid ID and the oproepbrief (call letter) from DUO. If you arrive late, you cannot take the exam. Phones, watches and other electronics go in a locker before you enter the room. The examenleider (exam supervisor) checks your ID, your signature, your dictionary, and even your ears for hidden earbuds. Only the paper Van Dale Pocketwoordenboek Nederlands als tweede taal (NT2) is allowed for Lezen and Schrijven. No dictionary is allowed for Luisteren or Spreken. Pen and kladpapier (scratch paper) are provided in the room.

This guide is for B1 (Programma I) and B2 (Programma II) NT2 candidates. The rules are the same for both programmes. The same rules apply at every NT2 exam location. If you are taking the A2 inburgeringsexamen instead, see the inburgering exam-day rules.

• ID and call letter: bring a valid passport, ID card or residence permit and the oproepbrief from DUO. No ID means no exam.
• Arrive on time: the time is on the call letter. Late candidates are refused.
• Dictionary: only the paper Van Dale Pocketwoordenboek NT2 for Lezen and Schrijven. None for Luisteren or Spreken. No notes inside it.
• Phones, watches, bags: switch off and put in a locker. Coats go on a hook in the room or in the locker.
• Writing materials: no own pens or paper. The supervisor gives you a pen and kladpapier and takes them back at the end.
• Eating and drinking: only what you bring. A drink must be in a capped bottle on the floor; nothing on the desk near the computer.
• If you are sick: you can request a replacement exam within 10 days, with proof, by emailing nt2@duo.nl.

The official site at staatsexamensnt2.nl is short on this point. The list below mirrors that page and the legal Examenreglement NT2.

Plan to be at the location well before the time on the oproepbrief. The Dutch rule is firm: if you arrive after the start time, you cannot enter the room and you lose that exam attempt. Public transport delays are not an excuse the supervisor can fix on the spot.

When you enter the building, you usually wait in a separate area with the other candidates. Free coffee and tea are available there if you bring a cup. You will be asked for your ID. The candidate number on your call letter tells you which desk to sit at.

The exam room has tables labelled with candidate numbers. Find your number, then the examenleider goes through a short routine before the exam starts:

• Show your ID with photo and put a signature on the attendance sheet.
• Open your dictionary so the supervisor can check it for notes or loose papers.
• Show your ears, so the supervisor can confirm you are not wearing earbuds. This is normal at every NT2 exam.
• Check your name on the screen after you log in with your candidate number and the access code the supervisor gives you.

These checks are not personal. The supervisor must do them for everyone before the exam can start.

Since 1 January 2021, only one dictionary is allowed during Staatsexamen NT2: the paper Van Dale Pocketwoordenboek Nederlands als tweede taal (NT2). Other Van Dale editions, Prisma editions and digital dictionaries are not accepted. The rule is in Article 8 of the Examenreglement Staatsexamen NT2.

• You may use the dictionary only during Lezen and Schrijven.
• No dictionary is allowed during Luisteren or Spreken.
• You bring your own copy. The exam centre does not lend dictionaries.
• You cannot borrow another candidate's dictionary during the exam.
• No notes, sticky tabs or extra papers may be inside the dictionary.
• Google Translate, phones and digital dictionaries are not allowed.

If your dictionary fails the check, you keep doing the exam without it. Bring a clean copy or buy a new one before the exam.

Article 7 of the Examenreglement bans electronic devices and communication tools in the exam room. The Staatsexamens NT2 site explains how this works in practice.

• Switch off your phone and any other digital device, including a smartwatch.
• Put phones, watches, headphones and other personal items in a kluis (locker).
• Hang your coat on a hook in the exam room or put it in the locker.
• Bags do not go to the desk. Keep only your ID, oproepbrief, dictionary and snack with you.

If a phone or watch is found at your desk during the exam, this is treated as fraud. Do not keep your watch on the table to read the time. The screen shows the time and a countdown clock.

You cannot bring your own pen or paper. The supervisor gives every candidate a pen and kladpapier with the candidate number on it. You may take notes on the kladpapier only after the exam starts. At the end of the exam, you give back the kladpapier and any other exam material such as the Lezen text booklet. Nothing leaves the room.

You may eat and drink during the exam, but you have to bring it yourself. The exam centre does not sell food or drinks. There is a strict rule for drinks to protect the computer:

• A drink must be in a bottle with a cap. Cans, open glasses and paper cups are not allowed at the desk.
• Put the bottle on the floor next to your chair, not on the desk.
• Coffee or tea cups stay in the waiting area; they cannot enter the exam room.
• Quiet snacks are fine. Avoid loud wrappers that disturb other candidates.

DUO will only allow a vervangend examen (replacement exam) if you were sick or if a direct family member died, and only if you send proof. The deadline is short.

• Email nt2@duo.nl with your candidate number and the reason.
• Send proof: a doctor's note or an akte (death certificate).
• You have up to 10 days after the exam date to ask. After that, DUO will not consider the request.
• Approval is not automatic. If DUO refuses, the missed exam counts as a failed attempt and you re-register and pay again.

If you have a disability, dyslexia, a visual impairment or another personal circumstance that affects how you take the exam, ask for an aangepast examen (adapted exam) when you register. Common adaptations are 50 percent extra time on Lezen and Schrijven, longer answer time on Luisteren and Spreken, and larger letters on screen. You will need a letter from a medical specialist confirming the need.

All NT2 exam locations are wheelchair-accessible without a special request. Adapted-format exams are not offered at every location, so you may be placed in another city or on another date. For full details, see the adapted-exam guide.

When the exam time ends, click Inleveren on the screen to submit. Hand back the pen, the kladpapier and the Lezen text booklet. You cannot take any exam material out of the room. Talking about exam questions afterwards is also not allowed. Results are sent by DUO; see the results timeline guide for how long it takes.

No. Smartwatches and any other watch must go in the locker. Article 7 of the Examenreglement names watches together with phones as not allowed in the exam room.

No. The supervisor checks your ears to make sure no earpieces or earbuds are inside. For Spreken and Luisteren, you wear the official headphones provided in the room. If noise is a real problem for you because of a medical condition, ask DUO about an adapted exam before the day.

No. The exam computer only runs the exam software. You cannot open Google Translate, a digital dictionary, or any other website during the exam.

Call DUO immediately on 050 599 89 33 (option 1) or email nt2@duo.nl. The call letter usually arrives about 12 days before the exam. Do not wait until exam day to fix this.

An expired ID is not accepted. The supervisor must see a valid legitimatiebewijs as defined in the Wet op de identificatieplicht. Check your passport, ID card or residence permit at least a week before exam day.

• Pack the night before: ID, oproepbrief, the Van Dale NT2 pocket dictionary if you want one, a capped water bottle, a small snack, and a cup if you drink coffee or tea.
• Check the address and time: the location is on your call letter. Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes early so a delay does not cost you the exam.
• Watch the official video: the staatsexamensnt2.nl page "De dag van de examens" shows the room, the supervisor and how the screen looks.
• If you are still preparing the exam itself, see the NT2 reading guide, the NT2 listening guide and the NT2 writing guide.
• If you have not booked yet, register through DUO. The registration guide explains the steps.