Dutch language exams abroad to be more difficult
The Dutch language exam that potential immigrants have to pass to be able to come and live in the Netherlands is to become more difficult. Currently, people pass who do not actually qualify, according to Integration Minister Ella Vogelaar.
Since the introduction of the law on 15 March 2006, people from most non-EU countries have had to pass the exam in their country of origin to be eligible for a residence permit. The exam consists of a language test, in which spoken Dutch must be understood, and a test of knowledge of Dutch society. The exams are taken at Dutch embassies via a phone line directly connected to a computer.
Vogelaar has had an evaluation of the law carried out by the TNO scientific institute. This reveals that 6 percent of the participants failed the language test. If the standard specified beforehand were however maintained, 25 percent would have failed. These people have now been admitted to the Netherlands anyway.
Vogelaar will not raise the level, but will increase the number of questions that must be answered correctly - via multiple choice. “In practise, this means that candidates must answer more questions correctly to meet the so-called A1-minus level.” This is the language level at which a person should be able to ask simple questions such as what time it is.
Between 15 March 2006 and 15 March 2007, over 4,400 people took the exam, of which 90 percent passed. The TNO monitoring report also shows that 39 percent of the candidates were men and 61 percent, women. The largest number of exam candidates had Turkish nationality (20 percent), followed by Moroccans (17 percent) and Chinese (8 percent).
The TNO study shows that candidates with a lower level of language ability than envisaged still passed. “This is obviously undesirable,” concludes Vogelaar.
Source: NIS News, 30 May 2007
