Final exams underway as 186,000 Dutch pupils begin testing Friday
Central school-leaving exams began Friday for approximately 186,000 secondary school students across the Netherlands, launching two weeks of critical testing that mark the final stage of their secondary education, NOS reports.
The largest group of candidates — 93,200 students — is enrolled in vmbo, the pre-vocational track. Another 55,300 are in havo, the senior general secondary education stream, while 37,500 students are taking exams in vwo, the pre-university program.
The first written exams on Friday included English for vmbo gl/tl students, physics for havo students, and Dutch for vwo students. Tens of thousands of vmbo students in the basic and middle vocational tracks had already begun their digital exams as early as April 1, when schools were first allowed to offer them. Pupils taking state exams, including students from special education, also started their written exams earlier.
Exams will continue through May 26, and the results will be released on June 12. Students who need to retake one or two subjects will be able to do so in the week of June 17.
Amid the stress of exam season, support networks and study initiatives have been launched across the country. NOS Stories has opened Eindexamenspreekuren, or exam office hours, where teachers from across the Netherlands answer students’ last-minute questions in real time, providing additional help to those in need.
In Haarlem, the local government has set up a quiet study space in the basement of the former V&D department store in the city center. The goal is to offer a distraction-free environment for students who may not have one at home.
“Not everyone has the space or peace and quiet at home to concentrate properly,” Yagmur Demir, spokesperson for the Haarlem municipality, told NOS. “The library was often full, so that’s why we are offering this space now.”
Inside, students pore over textbooks and exam bundles. One havo student, revising for his Dutch exam, briefly removed his noise-canceling headphones to explain to NOS why he prefers the study space. “At home, I’d probably lie on the bed instead of sitting at my desk. Here, that’s not an option.”
His classmate at the next desk agreed. “People around me here motivate me to study,” she said. “There’s no distraction — the phone distracts, the environment distracts, everything distracts. But not here.”
Or almost not. Mila, a breathing-exercise coach, interrupted the silence to begin the second guided breathing session of the week, offered by the municipality to help students manage stress and maintain focus during the exam period.
Stefan van der Stigchel, professor of cognitive psychology at Utrecht University, emphasized the importance of minimizing distractions to stay focused. He advised students to work in low-stimulation environments like study halls — and to put their phones far out of reach.
“Your brain needs as few stimuli as possible. Every message or ping pulls you out of concentration, and it’s much harder to regain that focus,” Van der Stigchel told NOS. He compared the temptation of a phone on the desk to trying to stick to a diet with a pack of cookies sitting next to you. “That doesn’t work either,” he said. “So put your smartphone or laptop in another room.”
Last year, about 31,000 students received special accommodations, such as extra time or access to separate testing rooms, due to learning difficulties including dyslexia and ADHD. That figure reflects a 47 percent increase compared to two years earlier. Schools determine whether students qualify for such adjustments, but each case must be registered with the Dutch schools inspectorate.
