How to prepare for ‘Basisexamen Inburgering Buitenland’? part 2: speaking

It’s time to take the Basisexamen Inburgering Buitenland. But where to begin with your preparations? In this series of blogs I will give you the most important tips for how to prepare for the Basisexamen Inburgering Buitenland.

In part one I looked at the reading part of the exam. In part two of the series ‘How to prepare for Het Inburgeringsexamen?’ I will look at the speaking part of the exam.

The level of the speaking competences is A1. But what does this mean?

Speaking at A1 level

Speaking at A1 level means that you can use simple phrases and sentences to describe where you live and the people you know.

The exam: speaking part 1

In part one you have to watch a video in which someone speaks to you and asks a question. You have to answer this question into your headphone. Examples of questions you could get are:

Hoe gaat het met u?
Hoe gaat u naar uw werk?
Hoe laat begint u met werken?

The exam: speaking part 2

In part two of the exam you have to complete a sentence. You will hear the beginning of a sentence, and at the same time you can read it on the computer. Then you have to finish it in a correct way. Examples of questions you could get in this part of the exam are:

Anna’s huis is te klein. Ze wil snel…
Ik heb geen auto. Een auto is…
Mijn telefoon is kapot. Nu kan ik niet…

How to prepare?

Since you are taking the Basisexamen abroad, it means that you’re not living in the Netherlands. But of course, there are different ways to practice speaking for your exam.

What’s important in your preparation, is that you know what to expect. So it’s good to know that the Basisexamen tests you on the basics of the Dutch language.

Learn the 1000 most common words

One of the best ways to start you journey in this new language is to learn the 1000 most common words. In this video I will explain everything about these words. I also designed a course in which you can learn and practice this vocabulary. For example, you can do exercises to test your knowledge of these words.

Now you’ve got words. But what else do you need… Grammar!

Learn the basics of Dutch grammar

Learning a language is more than learning words. If you want to say something, you need to make phrases with those words. If you just put the words one after the other, it’s not going to result in something the Dutch will understand. In the online course #dutchgrammar-1 you get videos, excercises and tests to get you to A1-level.

More information

You can find more information on the Basisexamen Inburgering Buitenland on the official website of the IND and government.