Alerts and Updates for Dutch State Exam NT2 Programme II

NT2 Programme II at a glance

Programme II is the B2 route, described by Staatsexamens Nt2 as being for people who want to study or work at hbo or university level; Programme I is the B1 route aimed at mbo 3 and mbo 4. The four parts are never sat on one day, so a full diploma attempt spans several weeks of the roster.

Dates and windows

Every date above is taken from the published Programme II roster, which lists the sitting date, the date booking opens and the uiterlijke aanmelddatum in separate columns. Staatsexamens Nt2 states the roster can change, so confirm in Mijn DUO before making travel plans.

What this means for your preparation

The mistake that costs Indian candidates the most is treating Programme II as a single exam with a single date. It is four separately booked sittings, each with its own opening date and its own closing date, spread across different weeks. Candidates who wait until they feel ready for all four typically find that the parts they wanted have already closed, because the closing date sits roughly three weeks before the sitting. The second mistake follows from the first: assuming a seat exists because the closing date has not passed. Staatsexamens Nt2 says some sittings fill before it.

Book backwards from the closing date

Work from the uiterlijke aanmelddatum, not the exam date. For the November block, Schrijven II on 10 November closes on 20 October, while Lezen II on 24 November and Spreken II on 25 November close on 3 and 4 November. That is a three-week gap in each case. Booking opens about eight weeks ahead, and DUO allows several parts to be booked in one session, so the practical approach is to reserve everything you intend to sit in a term the week booking opens. Staatsexamens Nt2 warns that popular sittings fill before their closing date, so an early booking is the only reliable one. The roster itself shows how wide the spread can be: the November Schrijven II slot opened on 7 September, more than two weeks before the November reading and speaking slots opened on 21 September, so a single visit to Mijn DUO in mid-September would not have caught all three.

The 500 score is the only threshold

Each part is marked out of a scaled score and you need at least 500 to pass that part. Reading and listening are machine-marked, one point per correct answer. Writing and speaking are marked by trained assessors, and each of those two parts is scored by two raters, with one or more points available per question depending on the criteria. There is no compensation between parts: a strong reading score does not lift a writing score of 480. That structure rewards steady competence across all four skills rather than a spike in the one you find easiest.

Sequence the parts by turnaround, not difficulty

Passed parts are banked. If you clear all four you are sent the diploma at home by DUO with no further action; if you clear only some, you can request a certificate for each passed part through Mijn diploma's and re-book the rest. That makes it rational to attempt the parts you are closest to first, bank them, and keep re-booking the weak one. The roster helps here, because reading, writing, listening and speaking each recur across the term rather than being locked to a single annual date. Results are not instant either: Staatsexamens Nt2 tells candidates to look in the roster for the date their result is due, and says it becomes visible from 15.00 on that day in Mijn DUO, with the outcome also sent by email and post. Build that gap into any admission deadline you are working towards.

Budget for the full four, and for payment lag

Each part costs EUR 50 and the complete exam EUR 200, the same for Programme I and Programme II. A re-sit is a fresh EUR 50, so a candidate who needs two attempts at writing and speaking is looking at EUR 300. Payment is by iDEAL during booking, by invoice, or from an existing DUO loan. DUO warns explicitly that paying from abroad often costs more and can take a few weeks to clear, so a candidate booking from India should choose iDEAL through a Dutch account where possible, or start the invoice route well before the closing date.

Match the programme to the actual requirement

Programme II is B2 and is described as being for people who want to study or work at hbo or university level; Programme I is B1 and is pitched at mbo 3 and mbo 4. Dutch universities that require NT2 normally name Programme II, so a candidate aiming at a Dutch-taught bachelor's or master's should not sit Programme I to bank an easier pass. Conversely, if the requirement in front of you is civic integration rather than admission, the B1 and B2 exams are the same staatsexamen Nt2 and the level you need is set in your own Mijn Inburgering file. The workload difference is real but not dramatic in clock terms: at B2 the reading paper runs 100 minutes against 110 at B1, listening 90 minutes, writing 100 minutes and speaking about 30 minutes, so the gap is in the standard applied rather than the time allowed.

Common questions

Is NT2 Programme II the same as B2 Dutch?

Yes. Staatsexamens Nt2 sets Programme II at CEFR B2 and Programme I at B1. Programme II is described as being for people who want to study or work at hbo or university level, and Programme I for mbo 3 and mbo 4. The four skills tested are the same in both programmes, but the texts, tasks and marking standard are pitched at the higher level in Programme II. Both lead to a state diploma issued by DUO.

How much does the full NT2 Programme II exam cost?

DUO charges EUR 50 for each of the four parts and EUR 200 for a complete exam, and states that this applies to Programme I and Programme II alike. There is no discount for booking all four together, because the total is simply four times the per-part fee. A re-sit of a single part is another EUR 50. Payment is made by iDEAL at the time of booking, by invoice sent by email or post, or from an existing DUO loan.

When is the next Programme II exam I can still register for?

As of 22 September 2026 the November block is open. Schrijven II on 10 November closes on 20 October, Lezen II on 24 November closes on 3 November, and Spreken II on 25 November closes on 4 November. The October sittings have closed except Schrijven II on 13 October, whose closing date is today. A December 2026 roster was published on 18 August 2026 and is on the Staatsexamens Nt2 site.

What score do I need to pass NT2?

You need a minimum score of 500 in a part to pass it. Reading and listening are marked by computer at one point per correct answer. Writing and speaking are marked by trained assessors, with each of those parts assessed by two raters and one or more points available per question depending on the criteria. Parts are passed individually, so there is no averaging across the four; each one has to reach 500 on its own.

Can I take the four parts on different dates?

Yes, and in practice you must. The roster puts reading, listening, writing and speaking on separate days, so a complete Programme II attempt always spans several weeks. Passed parts are kept, and you can request a certificate for any individual part you pass through Mijn diploma's. Once all four are passed, DUO sends the full NT2 diploma to your home address without you having to apply for it.

How far in advance can I book from outside the Netherlands?

DUO says registration opens roughly eight weeks before the exam date, and the roster confirms this: the 24 and 25 November sittings opened on 21 September. Booking is done in Mijn DUO with your own DigiD, with a separate route for people who do not have DigiD. Several parts can be booked in one session. If you are paying from abroad, DUO warns the transfer often costs more and can take a few weeks, so allow for that before the closing date.