Speaking A1: real examples of questions and how to answer in the speaking exam

Of all the parts of the basisexamen inburgering buitenland, Spreken (speaking) is the one that scares people the most — because you can't "memorize and dump": you have to speak Dutch out loud, to a computer, with limited time. The good news: the questions follow predictable patterns, and at A1 level, short, correct answers are worth more than elaborate sentences.

How the Spreken exam works

• About 30 minutes, on the computer, with headphones and a microphone.
• 22 spoken answers: 10 free-response questions + 12 sentences to complete with image support.
• Score from 1 to 10; you pass with 6. Each recording has a maximum of 60 seconds — but you don't need all of them.

Example questions (and answers at the right level)

Question: "Hoe heet u?" (What is your name?)
Perfect A1 answer: "Ik heet Maria." — Subject, verb, name. That's enough.

Question: "Waar woont u?" (Where do you live?)
Answer: "Ik woon in Brazilië, in São Paulo."

Question: "Wat doet u in het weekend?" (What do you do on the weekend?)
Answer: "In het weekend kook ik en ik wandel met mijn familie." — Notice the verb in second position (the famous V2 rule): "In het weekend kook ik", not "In het weekend ik kook".

Complete the sentence: "Ik drink koffie…" + image of a morning ? "…in de ochtend."

The questions repeat by topic

The ten free-response questions almost always come from the same everyday topics. If you practice one answer for each topic below, you'll walk in already having almost everything answered.

About yourself

• "Waar komt u vandaan?" (Where do you come from?) ? "Ik kom uit Brazilië."
• "Hoe oud bent u?" (How old are you?) ? "Ik ben tweeëndertig jaar."
• "Hebt u kinderen?" (Do you have children?) ? "Ja, ik heb twee kinderen." or "Nee, ik heb geen kinderen."

Home and family

• "Woont u in een huis of in een flat?" ? "Ik woon in een huis."
• "Met wie woont u?" (Who do you live with?) ? "Ik woon met mijn man en mijn dochter."

Work and routine

• "Wat is uw werk?" ? "Ik werk in een winkel." (I work in a shop.)
• "Hoe laat staat u op?" (What time do you get up?) ? "Ik sta om zeven uur op."
• "Wat eet u 's ochtends?" ? "Ik eet brood."

Daily life

• "Wat voor weer is het vandaag?" ? "Het regent." or "Het is koud."
• "Waar koopt u brood?" ? "Ik koop brood in de supermarkt."
• "Wat doet u als u ziek bent?" ? "Ik ga naar de dokter."

Notice the length of the answers: four to seven words. None has a subordinate clause. At A1 level, that is exactly what is expected — and a short, correct answer is worth more than a long one with two mistakes.

The second part: completing sentences

The other twelve answers are started sentences that you have to finish, with an image giving you the clue. It's not creativity: it's recognizing the situation and closing the sentence in the simplest possible way.

• "Ik ga naar de winkel en ik koop…" + image of bread ? "…brood."
• "Het is koud, dus ik draag een…" + image of a coat ? "…jas."
• "Mijn zoon gaat elke dag naar…" + image of a school ? "…school."
• "Ik ben moe, ik ga naar…" + image of a bed ? "…bed."

One word is almost always enough. Those who try to complete with a full sentence add mistakes without adding points.

The sounds that give away a Portuguese speaker

The assessment counts pronunciation. These are the sounds that are hardest for Portuguese speakers — and none of them is difficult once you understand the trick.

• The "g" and the "ch" — goed, acht. It doesn't exist in Portuguese. It's not the "g" of "gato": it's rasped, at the back of the throat, closer to the "rr" of "carro" said forcefully. It's the most characteristic sound of the language; it's worth practicing it in isolation.
• The "h" must be heard — huis, heet. In Portuguese the "h" is silent, and the instinct is to swallow it. But heet (is called) without the "h" becomes eet (eats). Blow the air out.
• The "w" — water, wonen. It's not the "u" of "quatro". It's made with both lips, almost a soft "v".
• The "ui" — huis, uit. It's not read as "ui" like in "cuidado". It's a single sound, with rounded lips, between "ou" and "ei".
• The "eu" — neus, keuken. Lips pursed, like someone about to whistle.
• The "ij" and the "ei" — mijn, trein. These are easy: they sound like the "ei" of "lei".

If you have to choose one to practice, choose the "g". It's the one that appears most often and the one that stands out the most.

If you make a mistake in the middle, keep going and finish. The recording doesn't stop: a complete answer with a slip is worth more than two halves.

The 4 mistakes that cost the most points

1. Silence or answering in another language. A short answer in Dutch is always worth more than a perfect answer… in English.
2. Ignoring V2 — the conjugated verb comes in 2nd position in the main sentence.
3. Answering off-topic. If the question is about work, talk about work — appropriateness counts.
4. Memorized sentences that are too long — they hinder pronunciation and create mistakes. Short and clear.

Four rules for practicing alone

1. Always record yourself. Hearing yourself is uncomfortable in the first few days and is what corrects pronunciation fastest. In the exam you'll speak to a computer — get used to it beforehand.
2. Time 60 seconds, but answer in five. Time is the limit, not the goal. Those who fill the 60 seconds usually add mistakes.
3. Don't restart in the middle. The recording continues. If you make a mistake, keep going and finish the sentence — a complete answer with one mistake is worth more than two halves.
4. One answer per topic, memorized until it comes out without thinking. Eleven topics, eleven answers. It's less than it seems.

How to practice (the method that works)

Speaking is trained by speaking — every day, out loud, with immediate correction:

• On Naar Nederland you have the 78 questions and 452 sentences from the official format: you listen, respond, record yourself, and compare.
• The AI Examiner evaluates each answer at A1 level and gives you a model answer.
• And you can practice conversation with the Caleb tutor on WhatsApp — by audio, with grammar and pronunciation corrections explained in your language.

Frequently asked questions

Does the computer understand my accent?

The answers are assessed for intelligibility — you don't need a perfect accent, you need to be understandable. Practicing with recordings of your own voice is the fastest way to improve.

How many can I get wrong?

There's no fixed number of "allowed mistakes": the overall score goes from 1 to 10 and you pass with 6. Answering everything, even with small mistakes, is the best strategy.

How many answers do I have to give in total?

22: ten free-response questions and twelve sentences to complete. All recorded, all in about 30 minutes.

How much time do I have for each answer?

Up to 60 seconds. But time is the ceiling, not the goal: the vast majority of correct A1-level answers take less than ten seconds. Speaking more doesn't give more points — it gives more opportunities to make mistakes.

Can I answer with just one word?

In the twelve sentences to complete, yes — and that's what's recommended. In the ten free questions, give the complete short sentence: "Ik woon in Brazilië" instead of just "Brazilië".

What if I make a mistake in the middle?

Keep going and finish. The recording doesn't stop or restart, and a complete answer with a slip is worth more than two halves. Restarting is the mistake that ruins the most answers.

What is the hardest part of the exam?

This one. KNS can be memorized and reading can be practiced in silence; speaking out loud in a new language, with the clock running, is what stops most people. That's why this part deserves the most weeks — and it's the last one to be ready.

? Practice the real Spreken questions for free — with your own voice, today.

Next part ? Practice exam in the official format
What a practice exam needs to have to be useful, how to practice each of the three parts with a timer, and how many to do before exam day.