Dutch language tests quickly assess a candidate's level of proficiency in reading and writing in Dutch.
A Dutch language test objectively evaluates a person's level of proficiency in reading and writing in Dutch. The test assesses grammar and vocabulary, comprehension, sentence structure, and their understanding of nuances in everyday speech to determine their level of fluency.
The test presents language in a variety of contexts, including business scenarios, casual and formal communication, and precise translation. This allows for an accurate representation of someone’s ability.
An individual who performs highly on the test has demonstrated they have the potential to clearly and effectively discuss ideas with colleagues and clients at an intermediate level. They have also shown the ability to understand non-complex written material such as reports, presentations, and emails.
Dutch Language test
Dutch is the official language of six countries including the Netherlands, Belgium, Suriname and several Caribbean islands, and is spoken by around 23 million people worldwide. Dutch is considered a valuable business language, being consistently ranked as one of the top five most requested languages by employers. As such, a Dutch proficiency test could be useful in the hiring process to assess candidates' fluency.
Recruiters and hiring managers want to hire the most qualified candidates but can often have a hard time determining the precise level of fluency a candidate has in a language, particularly if they do not speak the language to a high level themselves. Some companies may receive hundreds of applicants with a seemingly similar level of proficiency in Dutch, so how can you determine the strongest candidates?
A Dutch language test helps solve this problem with a fair and accurate way to assess a candidate's linguistic proficiency. The test can be administered to a large pool of candidates, providing comparative data which can then be used in the shortlisting process.
The test assesses candidates on basic grammar, reading comprehension, and formal idioms, which allows recruiters and hiring managers to see who has the strongest understanding of the language overall.
The highest-performing candidates can then be advanced to the next stage, while those who did not meet the required level of proficiency are eliminated. This makes for a much more efficient hiring process, where only the most qualified candidates are shortlisted.
Job roles for which Dutch proficiency might be a prerequisite include:
Proficiency in Dutch could also be helpful for any business with operations in the Dutch market, or with clients from Dutch-speaking countries.
Op vrijdagavond wordt de nieuwe club aan het strand groots geopend, maar de ____ ondernemers maken zich zorgen of er geen ____ ervaren zal worden door hun gasten.
omwonende; boosheid
naburige; hinder
naastgelegen; opluchting
kwade; enthousiasme
Results for the Dutch Language test along with other assessments the candidate takes will be compiled to produce a candidate report. The report is automatically generated and available both online and as a downloadable pdf so they can be shared with other team members and employees alike.
In Picked’s Dutch language test, candidates will need to answer a range of questions covering grammar, spelling, vocabulary, common phrases, and reading comprehension. With a varying degree of difficulty around the Common European Framework B2 (upper-intermediate) level, the questions on the test are intended to determine how well an applicant understands Dutch.
The test does not require any other knowledge except language proficiency, making it general enough to be used for any position that requires Dutch. The questions are presented in a multiple-choice format, which most candidates are familiar with, and allows for quick, objective grading.
The multiple-choice questions consist of one correct answer, and two to four other possible responses, which are called distractors. Distractors are common mistakes or misconceptions, and enhance the question’s ability to accurately measure a candidate’s proficiency.
This test was written, examined and revised by Dutch language and psychometric experts, and field tested with a representative sample of job applicants, who have varying degrees of fluency, just like you might find in a talent pool. We rigorously reviewed and analysed the test during the development process to maximise its reliability and validity in line with industry best practices.
In other words, this test empirically demonstrates consistency and measures the language knowledge as intended. Raw scores are provided, which are compared across candidates to see where they stand relative to one another.
This test has been reviewed by a panel of individuals representing diverse backgrounds to check for any sensitivity, fairness, face validity and accessibility issues to maximise the candidate’s experience. This ensures each candidate has a fair chance of demonstrating their true level of Dutch proficiency and feels the test is reasonable.
We also continually monitor and analyse this test to check for fairness issues and to optimise performance.
Validated
Start
Instant access to our full testing suite.
All our Dutch Language test tests are written by accredited psychologists and fully validated.
We offer Dutch Language test tests for all levels so you can assess all roles within your organisation.
Automate
Streamline hiring with our out-of-the-box tools.
Automated actions such as alerts and reminders ensure a smooth candidate experience.
Receive candidate results in real-time so you can make decisions in hours, not days.
Hire
Improve hiring with bias-free, data-driven decisions.
Our full array of candidate performance metrics will provide actionable data on each of your candidates.
Simple, easy-to-use candidate comparison reports mean you don’t need to be a psychologist to interpret them.
“We used Picked as part of our Finance Graduate Scheme recruitment and it was just what we needed – really simple to send candidates the link to complete and clear to see how they all compared. And great value for money!”
Monique de Jong is a native Dutch speaker experienced in applying and checking Dutch texts. This ranges from creating Dutch lessons to writing, editing, proofreading and translating Dutch for companies across the globe.
“Personality profiling allowed us to perform lookalike modelling of our most successful employees and use this as a blueprint for new hires.”
The Common European Framework (CEF) measures proficiency using six levels. Beginners are classed as A1, and basic Dutch knowledge as A2. Intermediate and upper intermediate proficiency are classed as B1 and B2 respectively, with advanced as C1. Proficiency (C2) is approaching fluency.
By taking a language test, candidates can demonstrate to a potential employer or educational institution at what level their current competency in Dutch lies. This will often be broken down into categories such as reading, writing, listening and speaking.
Picked operates on a monthly or annual subscription basis. We have several plans to suit your hiring needs, which you can check out here. Alternatively, you can get in touch with us to discuss a custom plan.
Yes. Simply sign up (no credit card required), and we'll give you a free 7 day trial. You will have unlimited access to create as many jobs and test as many candidates as you want; you won't be charged a penny.
“Focusing on data reduced the subjective decision making from our hiring process and allowed us to reduce bias and make better hiring decisions.”
