All you need to know about the writing or 'schrijven' part of the inburgeringsexamen

1. What does writing at B1 level mean?

To write at B1 level in Dutch you have to be able to write text usefull in daily interactions both publicly or to another Dutch speaker on various topics, some of which include; a complaint letter, an advert or detailed social media post, a report with arguments or comments on a presentation, a basic newsletter, a travel report etc. In these texts you need to convey experiences and opinions, feelings and reactions.

2. Practical information about the exam.

This exam is conducted with pen and paper and broken up into 4 individual exercises.
One is usually a form or questionaire to complete for instance a gym membership application etc. 

This exam is conducted with pen and paper and broken up into 4 individual exercises.One is usually a form or questionaire to complete for instance a gym membership application etc. 

The other 3 exercises are usually where you write short texts on basic topics. Some examples could include asking your neighbour to water your plants while on holiday for a given period of time, rescheduling a dentist appointment, send an invite to a birthday party, write a letter to your local 'gemeente' regarding parking (or other) issues etc. 

3. What do you need to know to pass this exam?

Most entrants find the writing exam to be the most challenging part of the Civic integration exam series, as you will need to be able to write grammatically correct and descriptive texts in a relatively short amount of time. Futher more, no resources to check your grammar or spelling is made available during this exam so its all up to your preparations. 

4. How can you prepare for this exam?

Try to write at least one Dutch email every day to a Dutch colleague, friend or family member. While writing these emails, try not to use translation software or spell checkers, they dont do you any favours when youre learning a language and actually stunt your progress significantly. After completion, check for errors and ask for feedback before sending. Usually you should easily find a native Dutch speaker to help you. As with the crawl, walk run parrable, you need to start small and build your abilities as you go.

We start you off with short sentences, and along with your abilities, grow them into more complex and descriptive texts. Your trainer is there to guide you every step of the way as well as provide you with instant feedback and instruction so that you learn the correct way from the start.