What A1 Reading Texts Look Like A1 reading uses very short practical Dutch. The task is usually to find one simple fact, action, place, time, or object.
Technical reading: choose the exact written word or the matching picture.
Signs and notices: open, gesloten, ingang, uitgang, wachten, melden.
Short messages: a friend, teacher, employer, doctor, or family member writes one small request.
Simple tables: opening hours, rooms, activities, prices, or days of the week.
Short stories: one everyday situation with a clear order of actions.
What the Questions Usually Ask Most A1 questions ask for one clear detail. You do not need to understand every word if you can find the useful detail.
Which word did you hear or see?
Where is something?
When can someone come, call, or start?
What must someone bring or do?
Who visits, works, calls, or helps?
Which picture matches the word or object?
Time Phase Action 0-3 min Start with word recognition Read or listen carefully. Compare every letter before choosing the word. 3-24 min Answer the short texts Read the question first. Then scan for a day, time, place, name, price, or object. 24-31 min Do the longer story calmly Follow the order of the story. Who is there? What happens first? What is found or forgotten? 31-35 min Check marked questions Only change an answer when you find clear Dutch evidence in the text.
Mark these words when you see them. They often tell you the time, place, rule, or order of actions.
op
om
tot
van
naar
bij
open
gesloten
vandaag
morgen
vrij
moet
mag
niet
eerst
daarna
extra
meenemen
Tables are easy when you use the row and column names before reading all cells.
Find the person, day, room, activity, or object from the question.
Point to the row first, then read the matching column.
Watch small differences: maandag is not dinsdag; 12.00 is not 20.00.
If a question asks waar, look for the place. If it asks wanneer, look for the day or time.
The wrong option often copies a word from the text but answers a different question.
vrij can mean someone is free, not that an event is in the weekend.
tot means until. If the text says tot 12.00, 14.00 is too late.
eerst and daarna show order. Do not skip the first action.
A similar-looking word can be wrong: brief, bril, broek; fiets, vis, vies.
If someone loses something, the first step may be different from the final step.
Example 1: Technical Reading Words Context: In the real exam, you may hear or see short words. In this PDF, the prompt is printed so you can practise exact recognition.
Luister of kijk goed naar het woord. Kies het woord of plaatje dat precies past.
Let op: korte woorden kunnen veel op elkaar lijken. Lees alle letters.
Vraag 1
Je hoort: fiets. Welk woord is goed?
Correct answer: A
“The printed prompt is fiets.” Why A is correct
Read the question: it asks which printed word matches the spoken word fiets , so compare every letter carefully. The prompt says “Je hoort: fiets ” — look for a word with the letters f, i, e, t, s in that order. Options B, C, and D differ in at least one letter, so the match is — A . Vraag 2
Je ziet het woord: bril. Welk plaatje past?
A een bril B een broek C een brief D een brug Correct answer: A
“The word is bril.” Why A is correct
Read the question: it asks which picture matches the written word bril , so look for an exact spelling match. The word in the text is “Je ziet het woord: bril ” — bril, broek, brief, and brug all start with br, so the middle letters decide. Only option A names a bril directly — A .
Example 2: Sign At A Community Centre Context: Aisha reads a sign at a community centre.
Vandaag: 09.00-10.00 koffie voor ouders.
10.30-11.30 Nederlandse les in lokaal 2.
12.00 gesloten voor lunch.
13.00-15.00 spreekuur gemeente bij de balie.
Vraag 3
Waar is de Nederlandse les?
A in lokaal 1 B in lokaal 2 C bij de balie D in de kantine Correct answer: B
“Nederlandse les in lokaal 2.” Why B is correct
Read the question: it asks waar (where) the Dutch lesson is, so scan for the place after Nederlandse les. The sign says “10.30-11.30 Nederlandse les in lokaal 2 ” — the place is named right after the activity. The answer is lokaal 2 — B . Vraag 4
Hoe laat is het buurtcentrum gesloten voor lunch?
A om 10.30 uur B om 12.00 uur C om 15.00 uur D om 09.00 uur Correct answer: B
“12.00 gesloten voor lunch.” Why B is correct
Read the question: it asks hoe laat the centre is closed for lunch, so scan for the signal words gesloten and lunch . The sign says “12.00 gesloten voor lunch ” — both signal words appear together next to the time 12.00. The answer is om 12.00 uur — B .
Example 3: Message From A Friend Context: Samir gets a short message from Noor.
Hoi Samir, ik ben morgen vrij. Kom je om drie uur?
Neem je boek mee. Ik heb thee en koekjes.
Vraag 5
Wanneer kan Samir komen?
A vandaag om drie uur B morgen om drie uur C morgen om vijf uur D vrijdag om drie uur Correct answer: B
“Ik ben morgen vrij. Kom je om drie uur?” Why B is correct
Read the question: it asks wanneer Samir can come, so you need both the day and the time. The message says “Ik ben morgen vrij. Kom je om drie uur ?” — two details that must both appear in the answer. Option A uses vandaag, not morgen, so the correct match is morgen om drie uur — B . Vraag 6
Wat moet Samir meenemen?
A thee B koekjes C zijn boek D koffie Correct answer: C
“Neem je boek mee.” Why C is correct
Read the question: it asks what Samir must meenemen , so scan for the instruction word neem mee . The message says “Neem je boek mee .” — that is the only bring-instruction in the text. Thee and koekjes are things Noor already has, not things Samir brings, so the answer is zijn boek — C .
I can read A1 days: maandag, dinsdag, woensdag, donderdag, vrijdag, zaterdag, zondag.
I can read simple times like 8.00, 12.30, and 15.00.
I can recognize common words for places: school, winkel, dokter, balie, lokaal, bus.
I compare similar words before choosing an answer.
I read the question before I read the whole text.
I find evidence in the Dutch text for every answer.
I know that the practice target is 14 correct answers out of 19.
