A2 Writing Exam Summary PDF

Schrijven A2 is practical and short: 40 minutes, 4 tasks, usually one form plus three short pieces (email, free writing, note) scored out of 37 points. The exam rewards clear answers that hit every bullet, not long sentences or fancy vocabulary.

• The writing exam lasts 40 minutes and normally has 4 tasks.
• One task is a form. The other tasks are usually emails, free writing, short messages, or a note.
• Correspondence, free-writing, and note tasks can receive up to 10 points each.
• A form task can receive up to 7 points.
• A full practice set is scored out of 37 points.
• Clear Dutch that answers the assignment is more important than long or difficult sentences.

Fill in a practical form with personal details, tick boxes, and one or two short open questions. Max points: 7. The usual mistake is either leaving fields blank or burning ten minutes perfecting the open answers — the form is worth fewer points than the writing tasks. Fill every required field with short clear answers and move on.

• sportschool inschrijven
• schadeformulier
• melding bij de gemeente

• Fill in every required field.
• Invent realistic details when the task says you may.
• Use short clear answers for open questions.
• Check spelling in names, places, phone numbers, and email addresses.

Write a short practical email to a person you know — a colleague, teacher, boss, or fellow student — usually to arrange or change something. Max points: 10. The classic slip is answering one bullet well and quietly skipping another, or finishing without a closing line. Treat each bullet as a separate sentence and always end with a sign-off and your name.

• afspraak verzetten
• boek lenen
• vrije dag vragen

• Start with a simple greeting.
• Explain why you write.
• Answer every bullet in the task.
• End with a short closing and your name.

Write at least three full sentences about a familiar topic, often for a local newspaper, course, or community board. Max points: 10. Learners often turn this into a list of keywords or a single long run-on sentence — both lose marks on grammar and structure. Use the prompt questions as a plan and keep each sentence personal, simple, and complete.

• een feest
• kleren
• weekend

• Write at least three full sentences.
• Use the prompt questions as a plan.
• Keep the topic personal and concrete.
• Use simple connectors such as en, maar, want, and omdat.

Leave a short note or message with practical instructions for someone else, often a colleague or family member. Max points: 10. The common mistake is writing only commands as keywords (deur dicht, kleren ophangen) instead of full sentences. Write each action as one complete polite sentence and include the greeting and ending whenever the task provides them.

• bericht voor collega
• korte mededeling
• taken doorgeven

• Write who the message is for.
• Give each action in a complete sentence.
• Use polite, direct language.
• Do not forget the greeting or ending if the task provides one.

Different rubrics per task type: longer tasks (email, free writing, note) score 10 points across five criteria; the form scores 7 across three. Adequaatheid is the gatekeeper on both — a zero there drags every other criterion to zero too, so answering the actual task always comes before polishing the language.

If adequaatheid/begrijpelijkheid scores 0, all other criteria automatically score 0.

If adequaatheid/begrijpelijkheid scores 0, spelling and woordgebruik automatically score 0.

Start an email: Hallo Amber, / Beste meneer Jansen, / Ik schrijf u, omdat ik een vraag heb. / Ik stuur deze e-mail, omdat ik niet kan komen.

Give a reason: Ik kan niet komen, want ik ben ziek. / Ik wil graag ruilen, omdat mijn dochter jarig is. / Ik heb het boek snel nodig voor mijn toets. / Ik moet naar de dokter.

Ask or propose: Kunnen wij vrijdag om 10.00 uur afspreken? / Kunt u mij alstublieft een nieuwe datum geven? / Mag ik het boek tot maandag lenen? / Kan ik op dinsdag werken?

Write a note: Hallo Fariha, wil je straks de winkel stofzuigen? / Hang de kleren alstublieft aan het rek. / Doe de deur op slot als je klaar bent. / Alvast bedankt!

• Writing only keywords instead of complete sentences.
• Forgetting one bullet point from the assignment.
• Spending too much time on the 7-point form.
• Using a greeting but no closing in an email.
• Writing a reason that is not clear to the reader.
• Making the answer too long and creating extra grammar mistakes.

• I answered every bullet in the task.
• I used complete sentences for emails, notes, and free writing.
• My form has no empty required fields.
• My email has a greeting and ending.
• My reason is clear.
• My dates, names, and times are easy to read.
• I used simple connectors where useful.
• I checked spelling and word order before finishing.