Staatsexamen Nt2 or inburgeringsexamen: which do you need?
Short answer
If you have a Dutch integration obligation, you need the inburgeringsexamen: language exams plus knowledge exams such as KNM, set by your integration act and, under the 2021 act, your PIP. For study or work at mbo, hbo or university level, the exam is the Staatsexamen Nt2: Programme I (B1) or Programme II (B2). The two overlap at B1: on the 2021 act's B1 and education routes the language exams are the Staatsexamen Nt2, but it never replaces the knowledge exams. PolyYapp is a vocabulary app and has no exam mode.
Key points
- With an integration obligation you take the inburgeringsexamen; for study or work the relevant exam is the Staatsexamen Nt2.
- Under the 2013 integration act the language exams are DUO's A2 exams, booked in Mijn Inburgering.
- On the 2021 act's B1 and education routes the language exams are at level B1 by law (the PIP can name Programme II, B2), which is the Staatsexamen Nt2.
- A Staatsexamen Nt2 diploma covers only the language exams; KNM and the other knowledge exams remain.
- For naturalisation, either exam can meet the language condition, and the IND decides the application.
Every exam fact on this page was read on 2026-10-31 on the official sites: inburgeren.nl and duo.nl (both run by DUO) and staatsexamensnt2.nl (run by the College voor Toetsen en Examens, CvTE). Fees are left out on purpose; DUO publishes them on its own cost pages.
What is the difference between the Staatsexamen Nt2 and the inburgeringsexamen?
The inburgeringsexamen is not one exam but the set of exams that ends a Dutch integration obligation: language exams plus knowledge exams such as Knowledge of Dutch Society (KNM). The Staatsexamen Nt2 (Nederlands als tweede taal) is a language exam only, in four parts (Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking), at level B1 (Programme I) or B2 (Programme II). DUO describes it as a national exam for adults who learn Dutch as a second language, and staatsexamensnt2.nl says it is open to anyone 17 or older whose first language is not Dutch, whatever their schooling.
So the question “Staatsexamen Nt2 or inburgeringsexamen” is really two questions. Do you have an integration obligation, and if so, which act and route apply to you? And do you need a language diploma for something else, such as a course, a job or naturalisation?
The two meet in one place. On inburgeren.nl, DUO writes that “the language exams at levels B1 and B2 are also known as the Dutch as a 2nd language state exam (Nt2)”. If your integration route asks for B1, the language half of your inburgering is the Staatsexamen Nt2.
Only the 2021 act’s B1 and education routes, and the case with no obligation, lead to the Staatsexamen Nt2; the 2013 act uses DUO’s A2 exams, and on the Z route even those are optional.
| Situation | Language exams | Other exams and activities | Book through |
|---|---|---|---|
| Integration under the 2013 act (obligation began before 1 January 2022) | Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking at level A2 or higher | KNM; ONA if the obligation began from 1 January 2015; the participation statement (PVT) if it began from 1 October 2017 | Mijn Inburgering, for A2, KNM and ONA |
| Integration under the 2021 act, B1 route or education route | Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking at level B1 by law (the PIP can name Programme II, B2), which is the Staatsexamen Nt2 | Knowledge exams named in your PIP (on the education route, the PVT and KNM), plus the MAP module on the B1 route | DUO’s Staatsexamen Nt2 pages for the language exams; the municipality for PVT and MAP |
| Integration under the 2021 act, self-reliance route (Z route) | Taught at A1; A2 language exams can be taken but are not compulsory, and there is no Staatsexamen Nt2 | PVT and MAP, then a closing interview with the municipality | The municipality |
| No obligation: study, work or naturalisation | Staatsexamen Nt2 Programme I (B1) or Programme II (B2), all four parts | None for the diploma itself | DUO’s Staatsexamen Nt2 pages |
Which exam do I need for my integration obligation?
With an integration obligation you take the inburgeringsexamen, and the act that applies to you sets its contents. Under the 2013 act (Wet inburgering 2013), which covers people whose obligation began before 1 January 2022, you pass the language exams at level A2 or higher plus KNM, and ONA or the PVT depending on your start date. Under the 2021 act (Wet inburgering 2021), you take the exams named in the personal integration and participation plan (PIP) the municipality writes with you, which on the B1 route and the education route include the Staatsexamen Nt2. Mijn Inburgering, DUO’s online service, shows which act and which exams apply.
The 2021 act has three routes, and only two of them lead to the Staatsexamen Nt2:
- B1 route. Aimed at paid or voluntary work. You take the language exams at level B1 within 3 years, plus knowledge exams, and the Labour Market and Participation module (MAP) with the municipality.
- Education route (O route). Designed for young people heading to mbo, hbo or university. The language exams are at level B1 or higher (the official pages differ on whether B2 is an option, see below), plus the participation statement (PVT) and KNM.
- Self-reliance route (Z route). For people for whom the other two routes are too demanding. Dutch is taught at A1; A2 language exams are optional, and staatsexamensnt2.nl states plainly that people on this route do not take the Staatsexamen Nt2.
Whether a B1 requirement can be lowered to A2 for one or more skills, and on what conditions, is a question in its own right, covered in inburgering: A2 or B1?.
Is the B1 inburgering exam the same as the Staatsexamen Nt2?
Yes, for the language part. inburgeren.nl describes the B1 route and the education route as taking “the language exams at language proficiency level B1. This is also known as the Dutch as a 2nd language state exam (Nt2).” Staatsexamensnt2.nl says the same from its side: on those routes “u maakt dan een staatsexamen Nt2”, and the PIP states whether that is Programme I (B1) or Programme II (B2). The official pages do not agree on the education route’s level (the English inburgeren.nl page says B1), and inburgering: A2 or B1? lists where the sources differ.
Two consequences follow. The B1 language exams are booked through DUO’s Staatsexamen Nt2 pages, not through the Mijn Inburgering booking that A2, KNM and ONA use. And the content, format and practice material are the Staatsexamen Nt2’s, published on staatsexamensnt2.nl. What stays separate are the knowledge exams and activities in your PIP, which a language diploma does not cover.
Does a Staatsexamen Nt2 diploma replace the inburgeringsexamen?
A Staatsexamen Nt2 diploma replaces the language exams of the inburgeringsexamen, not the whole of it. inburgeren.nl states that if you passed one or more Nt2 state exams, “you do not have to take these exams again as part of your integration.” The knowledge side remains: KNM, and depending on your act and route, the PVT, the MAP or ONA. Staatsexamensnt2.nl’s English page puts it the same way: you can use the diploma for the language requirement, but you must still meet the other, non-language criteria.
How the exemption works depends on the act:
- 2021 act: Nt2 state exams passed at the level in your PIP or higher count automatically. You do not apply for anything.
- 2013 act: you apply to DUO for an exemption for the Nt2 exams you passed, with the form “Aanvraag vrijstelling van de inburgeringsplicht”. DUO answers within 8 weeks. If your obligation began before 1 January 2015 and you hold an Nt2 diploma, you may not have to take any integration exams at all, and you apply for that exemption the same way.
The diplomas differ too. A 2021-act integration diploma states whether you took the language exams at A2, B1 or B2. A 2013-act integration diploma does not state the level, and inburgeren.nl says it is always an A2 diploma. The Staatsexamen Nt2 diploma is issued when all four parts are passed.
Which exam do I need for study or work?
For study or work, the Staatsexamen Nt2 is the exam to take; the inburgeringsexamen is not a study or work qualification. Staatsexamensnt2.nl describes Programme I (B1) as meant for study or work at mbo 3 or mbo 4 level, and Programme II (B2) for study or work at hbo or university level. You do not have to pass Programme I first; you can go straight to the programme you need.
The diploma is not an automatic ticket. Staatsexamensnt2.nl notes that schools and universities set their own entry requirements, so the diploma alone does not admit you to a programme; ask the school which programme it requires. For jobs, the same site says employers look mainly at work experience and professional qualifications, and an Nt2 diploma is usually not required, though an employer may ask for it. The exam is not meant for people who already hold a Dutch school diploma such as vmbo or havo, because that diploma already shows enough Dutch.
Which exam do I need for naturalisation?
For naturalisation, either exam can meet the language condition. inburgeren.nl states that to become a Dutch citizen you must first pass the integration exam at A2 or the Staatsexamen Nt2 at B1 or B2 (read 2026-10-31). Staatsexamensnt2.nl confirms that the Nt2 diploma can be used for naturalisation. The IND decides the application and checks the other conditions, so its naturalisation pages are the place to confirm your own case.
Two details on inburgeren.nl matter here. If you no longer have to integrate, for example because you receive AOW (state pension), the municipality or the IND may still ask for an integration diploma when you naturalise; you can then integrate voluntarily. And an exemption from integration is not always enough for naturalisation: a 2021-act dispensation for exceptional individual circumstances (BIO) is named as not enough.
How do the exam parts compare?
The A2 exams are shorter and mostly computer-based, with Writing on paper; the Staatsexamen Nt2 parts are longer and all taken on a computer. The durations below are from inburgeren.nl’s language exams page, except that staatsexamensnt2.nl gives a shorter Speaking time; the computer format for every Nt2 part is from staatsexamensnt2.nl.
| Exam | Reading | Listening | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inburgering language exams at A2 | 65 minutes on a computer: read texts and answer questions | 45 minutes on a computer: short films and spoken texts with questions | 40 minutes with pen and paper: 4 assignments, such as a short letter or a form | 35 minutes on a computer: watch short films and answer questions aloud |
| Staatsexamen Nt2 Programme I (B1) | 110 minutes on a computer | 90 minutes on a computer | 100 minutes on a computer | About 30 minutes on a computer per inburgeren.nl; staatsexamensnt2.nl says about 25 |
| Staatsexamen Nt2 Programme II (B2) | 100 minutes on a computer | 90 minutes on a computer | 100 minutes on a computer | About 30 minutes on a computer per inburgeren.nl; staatsexamensnt2.nl says about 25 |
Where do you practise for each exam?
Both exams have official practice material, and it is the closest thing to the real format that exists. DUO publishes practice exams at A2 for Writing, Speaking, Listening, Reading and KNM on inburgeren.nl. For the Staatsexamen Nt2, inburgeren.nl points to practice exams for B1 and B2 and to practice assignments for Writing and Speaking at B1, and DUO links to oefenexamensnt2.nl, an online practice environment for Nt2 tasks and exams.
No commercial course or app replaces the official material for learning the format.
What vocabulary does each exam expect?
The Staatsexamen Nt2 has a published word basis: staatsexamensnt2.nl says most words in the exam tasks come from A Frequency Dictionary of Dutch (Tiberius and Schoonheim, 2013) or the CvTE’s own supplementary list. The A2 inburgering exams name no word list. The details, and the one dictionary allowed in the Nt2 Reading and Writing exams, are in the inburgering word list guide.
Where does PolyYapp fit?
PolyYapp helps with one thing both exams need: a larger Dutch vocabulary, which pays off most in Reading and Listening. PolyYapp is an iPhone and iPad app (it also runs on Apple-silicon Macs as an iPad app) that teaches Dutch words with spaced repetition and 5 exercise types, from about 3,900 curated Dutch words as of October 2026. Every word has text-to-speech audio in a Netherlands Dutch voice, and one exercise asks you to type the word you hear.
What PolyYapp does not do matters more on this page:
- PolyYapp has no exam mode and no mock tests, for the inburgeringsexamen or the Staatsexamen Nt2.
- PolyYapp does not cover KNM, the PVT, the MAP or ONA.
- PolyYapp has no grammar lessons and no speaking or writing practice, which the Writing and Speaking exams test.
- PolyYapp has no levels and no word lists matched to either exam: new words arrive at random from one shared pool, and it does not follow the CvTE’s word lists.
- PolyYapp needs an internet connection and is not available on Android.
PolyYapp is free to download and use, with no in-app purchases and no ads today, and needs no account to start. Words you meet in letters from the gemeente or in the official practice material can be looked up and added to your review list; a word that is not in the dictionary yet can be added as a custom word after you sign in with Apple, up to 10 a day. How the review schedule works is on the spaced repetition page, and the inburgering topic page covers where vocabulary helps across the integration exams.
Sources
All read on 2026-10-31.
- inburgeren.nl: Which exams (2013 and 2021 acts, PIP, exam lists by start date)
- inburgeren.nl: Language exams A2, B1 and B2 (B1 and B2 are the Nt2 state exam; formats and durations)
- inburgeren.nl: Knowledge exams (KNM, MAP, ONA, PVT)
- inburgeren.nl: Integration in the Netherlands (the three routes of the 2021 act)
- inburgeren.nl: Registering for an exam
- inburgeren.nl: Passed state exam at level B1 or B2 (exemptions under each act)
- inburgeren.nl: Diploma
- inburgeren.nl: Naturalisation
- inburgeren.nl: Taking fewer or no exams, overview (AOW age; voluntary integration for naturalisation)
- inburgeren.nl: Practicing for the exam
- duo.nl: Wat is het staatsexamen Nt2? (Programme I and II, four parts, CvTE)
- staatsexamensnt2.nl: Wat is het staatsexamen Nt2? (levels, vocabulary sources, computer format)
- staatsexamensnt2.nl: Hoe ziet het examen eruit? (Speaking about 25 minutes)
- staatsexamensnt2.nl: Hoe gebruik je het diploma Nt2? (who it is for, study and work)
- staatsexamensnt2.nl: Inburgeren met het staatsexamen Nt2
- staatsexamensnt2.nl: English (diploma for the language requirement only)
Questions
Is the Staatsexamen Nt2 the same as the inburgeringsexamen?
No. The inburgeringsexamen is a set of language and knowledge exams tied to the integration obligation. The Staatsexamen Nt2 is a four-part language exam (Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking) at B1 or B2, open to anyone 17 or older. They overlap in one place: under the 2021 integration act, the language exams of the B1 route and the education route are the Staatsexamen Nt2, according to inburgeren.nl.
Can I use the Staatsexamen Nt2 for my inburgering?
For the language part, yes. inburgeren.nl states that Nt2 state exams you have passed do not have to be taken again for integration: automatically under the 2021 act if the level is the one in your PIP or higher, and after you apply to DUO under the 2013 act. The knowledge exams, such as KNM, still have to be passed.
Is the Staatsexamen Nt2 harder than the A2 inburgering exam?
It is set at a higher level. The A2 language exams of the 2013 act test level A2, while the Staatsexamen Nt2 tests B1 (Programme I) or B2 (Programme II). The Nt2 exams are also longer: inburgeren.nl lists 90 minutes for Nt2 Listening against 45 minutes at A2, and 110 minutes for Nt2 Reading at B1 against 65 minutes at A2.
Does PolyYapp prepare you for the Staatsexamen Nt2 or the inburgeringsexamen?
No. PolyYapp is a Dutch vocabulary trainer with spaced repetition and 5 exercise types. It has no exam mode, no mock tests, no grammar lessons and no speaking or writing practice, and it does not cover KNM. A larger vocabulary helps with Reading and Listening in both exams, which is the only part PolyYapp can help with.