A2 reading study guide: a complete worked example

Prepare your reading job

Read the question first to decide what you need to find. Notice whether it asks for an action, a time or a reason. Read the relevant part of the message and compare every choice. You do not need to translate every word to explain your choice.

Original example: a message about a repair visit

This message and both questions were written for this guide. The people, visit and deadline are fictional. Cover the answer sections while you work; you can write your choice and underline evidence on a printout.

Rayan krijgt een bericht van de beheerder van zijn woning.

Beste Rayan,

Donderdag komt een monteur tussen 13.00 en 15.00 uur uw verwarming controleren. Zorg dat er iemand thuis is om de deur open te doen.

Kunt u donderdag niet thuis zijn? Bel ons dan vóór maandag 17.00 uur voor een andere afspraak. U kunt hiervoor geen e-mail sturen.

Vriendelijke groet, de beheerder

Question 1: try it first

Before looking below, choose A, B or C and underline the words that support your choice.

Vraag 1: Rayan is donderdag niet thuis en niemand anders kan de deur open doen. Wat moet hij doen?

A. Een e-mail sturen vóór maandag 17.00 uur.

B. Bellen vóór maandag 17.00 uur.

C. Bellen op donderdag na 15.00 uur.

Worked answer and evidence

Answer: B. He must call before Monday at 17.00. The evidence gives both the contact method and deadline:

Bel ons dan vóór maandag 17.00 uur voor een andere afspraak. U kunt hiervoor geen e-mail sturen.

A uses the right deadline but the wrong contact method: the message does not allow email for changing this appointment. C uses the right contact method but is after the stated deadline. Match the whole action and condition, not just a repeated time or verb.

The appointment time tells you when the technician visits. The earlier deadline tells you when to request a different appointment. Keeping these two purposes separate avoids confusing the dates.

Try a second question without the answer

Cover the next answer, choose A, B or C and write one sentence explaining your evidence.

Vraag 2: Waarom moet er donderdag iemand thuis zijn?

A. Om de monteur binnen te laten.

B. Om een nieuwe afspraak te maken.

C. Om het bericht op te halen.

Answer to question 2

Answer: A. Someone needs to let the technician in. The message says:

Zorg dat er iemand thuis is om de deur open te doen.

B confuses being home for the visit with arranging a different appointment by phone. C mentions collecting a message, which the text does not ask anyone to do. You can explain the answer with the meaning of the sentence even though the choice uses different words.

Practise the method again

• For each question, write your first choice and the evidence you used.
• Check the worked explanation only after trying. If you chose differently, note the exact word or condition you missed.
• Cover the key and try again, explaining why each other choice fails.
• Repeat with another short Dutch notice or message: identify the reader, action, time and condition.
• In a later session, return to a question you found difficult and explain it without the key. Record a question to ask your teacher if the source or explanation is still unclear.

Use official practice and print this guide

Use the official DUO links below for current A2 reading information and official practice. This small example does not predict a score, prove CEFR level or cover the whole exam. Use your browser's print/save option for this on-site guide; no separate downloadable file or saved account progress is promised.