You know the feeling: you can order a koffie, but the moment a Dutch person replies at normal speed, your brain goes blank.
That is the A1 gap. It is not about knowing more words. It is about turning slow, careful Dutch into real-time understanding. At Dutch Flow, we have spent the past weeks fixing the exact places where learners get stuck: speech tools that accepted silence, exam trainers that hid behind paywalls, and games that did not feel like the Netherlands. This article walks through what changed, why it matters for your A1 to A2 climb, and how to use the new tools without wasting time.
If you are preparing for the inburgering exam, start with the official pages at Inburgering A2. Then come back here. The fixes below are built to support that path, not replace it. Always check DUO and Mijn Inburgering for exam rules, dates, and costs. We do not invent those numbers, and neither should anyone else.
Speech tools no longer accept silence
The biggest complaint we heard was simple: learners could press record, say nothing, and still get a score. That is gone. We dropped the Scribe sound tags, so silence is no longer an answer. If you do not speak, the tool tells you. That sounds small. It is not. Speaking practice only works when the feedback is honest.
For spreken, this matters because the exam expects you to produce Dutch out loud, often under time pressure. You can practice with our Spreken A2 tool. The new speech handling means you get a real signal: did you actually say a sentence, or did you freeze? Freezing is normal at A1. The tool now catches it so you can fix it.
We also cleared every learner-keyed table and removed dotted Gmail accounts that were causing duplicate signups. If you signed up with a Google account, you now get a free preview, an own-level picker, and a day-3 test nudge. The nudge is not spam. It is a reminder that A1 to A2 takes repetition, not one heroic weekend.
"I kept clicking record and saying nothing because I was scared of sounding stupid. The new feedback finally made me say the sentence out loud. It was bad Dutch, but it was Dutch."
Exam trainer: everyone sees the exams
Before, the exam trainer felt like a locked room. Now everyone sees the exams. You get one free exam per week, and twenty per month on a plan. Packs are available on top if you want more. That structure is deliberate: we want you to practice regularly, not binge once and forget everything.
When you submit, the message now says AI-examencommissie. That is the AI exam committee. It reports and produces a PDF, so you can see your strengths and weaknesses in writing. Use the mock exam to simulate the real thing. For knowledge of Dutch society, the KNM section covers the topics you need: work, health, education, and how the gemeente works.
We also switched image generation to gpt-image-2.5-flare instead of gpt-image-2. That means the visuals in the exam trainer and lessons are sharper and more consistent. You will notice it most in the photo description tasks, where a clear image makes a real difference.
Dutch Town RPG: real shops, real Dutch
The Dutch Town RPG is our game world for practicing everyday Dutch. We checked the Kenney kits and moved to the next step: real shops and polish. The goal is simple. You should walk into a virtual Albert Heijn, ask where the melk is, and get a reply that sounds like a real Dutch person, not a textbook robot.
We tidied the HUD on the classic room pages and fixed a bootcamp render loop that was making the town feel sluggish. Small technical fixes, big difference in how long you stay in the game. And staying in the game is the point. A borrel conversation, a huisarts appointment, a chat with a neighbour: these are the scenes where A1 learners either freeze or grow.
The RPG is not a replacement for exam practice. It is the place where the words become normal. If you only drill exam questions, you will pass and still feel lost in a real Albert Heijn. The town gives you the repetition that turns knowledge into instinct.
Verb conjugation and RushWords: faster, cleaner, current
We moved model ids to the current generation across the Verb Conjugation Game, RushWords Speed Game, and Photo Description Tool. We also moved Claude models to Sonnet 5 and Opus 5.5, stopped sending rejected sampling params, and handled default thinking on 5-series Claude models. In plain terms: the games respond faster and break less often.
For the Verb Conjugation Game, lesson images now go through the host image bridge instead of the paid xAI API. That keeps costs down and images stable. For RushWords, the speed game now handles model defaults properly, so you get consistent word recognition practice without random slowdowns.
The Photo Description Tool dropped Qwen from the default chain and moved to the current generation. If you are preparing for the spreken or schrijven sections, describing a photo is a core skill. You look at an image, and you say what you see: een man fiets op straat, twee kinderen spelen in de tuin. The tool now gives you cleaner feedback on those sentences.
Website and Pro: claims in one place, more languages
We put all our claims in one place: lib/claims.ts. That means the numbers you see are consistent everywhere. We now say 21,000+ learners (not expats), 5,800+ episodes, 150+ countries, and 35+ shows. We fixed stale numbers like 4,900, 17,500, and 5,500 in every language. If you saw a different number last month, that was the old data.
The Pro page and Pro FAQ are now in German, Spanish, and Arabic, including right-to-left layout for Arabic. The home page has live stats, a Windmill hero, and a Pro welcome email with an article card. The FAQ episode count now pulls from lib/claims, so it updates automatically. This is not glamorous work, but it means you can trust what you read.
If you are deciding whether Pro is worth it, look at the exam trainer limits. One free exam a week is enough to start. Twenty a month on a plan is for people who are close to their exam date and need volume. Packs on top are for the final sprint. Use the free tier to build the habit, then upgrade when the habit is real.
How to use all of this without burning out
Start with a routine that fits your life. Twenty minutes a day beats three hours on Sunday. Here is a practical checklist for the A1 to A2 gap:
- Speak out loud every day. Use the Spreken tool and do not skip the silence check. If you freeze, say the sentence again.
- Do one mock exam per week. Use the mock exam and read the PDF report. Fix one weakness at a time.
- Play the Dutch Town RPG for ten minutes. Go to a shop, ask a question, and stay in Dutch even when it feels slow.
- Drill verbs and words in short bursts. The Verb Conjugation Game and RushWords are built for five-minute sessions, not marathons.
- Check DUO and Mijn Inburgering for official exam details. We do not publish exam duration, question counts, prices, or pass scores. Those come from the official sources.
- Use DigiD for official Dutch services. If you do not have one yet, your gemeente can help you apply.
- Visit the huisarts in Dutch when you can. It is scary, but it is one of the best real-life speaking tests you will ever get.
- Go to a borrel and say three sentences. Three is enough. Next time, four.
For a broader view of the A2 path, see Inburgering A2 and the Dutch Fluency home page. The tools are there. The routine is yours.
FAQ
What does A1 to A2 actually mean?
A1 is survival Dutch: greetings, simple questions, slow speech. A2 is where you can handle predictable conversations, write short messages, and understand the main point of a simple text. The gap is not a wall. It is a set of habits: speaking daily, listening to normal speed, and getting honest feedback.
Do I need to pass the inburgering exam to stay in the Netherlands?
That depends on your situation. Some people need to pass the inburgering exam, others have different requirements. Check DUO and Mijn Inburgering for your personal case. Do not rely on forum posts from 2019.
How many exams can I take with the exam trainer?
Everyone sees the exams. You get one free exam per week, and twenty per month on a plan. Packs are available on top. The exact limits can change, so check the app for the current numbers.
Is the Dutch Town RPG useful for exam preparation?
Yes, but not as a replacement. The RPG builds fluency and confidence in everyday scenes: shops, neighbours, the huisarts. The exam trainer builds exam-specific skills. Use both. The RPG makes the exam feel less like a test and more like a conversation.
Why did you remove silence as an answer in speech tools?
Because silence was hiding the problem. If you can press record and say nothing, you never learn to speak. The new feedback forces you to produce Dutch out loud. It is uncomfortable at first. That discomfort is the learning.
Where do I find official exam details like duration and cost?
Always check DUO, Mijn Inburgering, and CvTE. We do not publish exact exam duration, question counts, prices, or pass scores because those details change and must come from the official source. Use our tools to practice, then verify the rules with the authorities.
What if I signed up with a Google account and got a duplicate?
We cleaned up dotted Gmail accounts and duplicate signups. If you still see a look-alike account, contact support. Google signups now get a free preview, an own-level picker, and a day-3 test nudge. That nudge is there to get you practicing early, not to sell you something.
Are the Pro pages available in my language?
The Pro page and Pro FAQ are now in German, Spanish, and Arabic, with right-to-left support for Arabic. More languages are coming. The core app remains in English and Dutch, with Dutch as the target language throughout.
The A1 gap is real, but it is not permanent. It closes when you speak out loud, get honest feedback, and keep showing up. The tools above are built for exactly that. Start with one exam, one speaking session, and one trip to the virtual Albert Heijn. Then do it again tomorrow.
