Are you not following regular secondary education in the Netherlands, but still want to obtain a VMBO, HAVO or VWO qualification? If so, you can take the staatsexamen (state exam) in one or more subjects. A state examination is equivalent to an examination at an regular secondary school in the Netherlands.
Last updated on 23 May 2023
Register for a state examination
You can register for state examinations (in Dutch) on the Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs – DUO (education implementation service) website.
The state examinations are offered for:
- voorbereidend middelbaar beroepsonderwijs – VMBO (pre-vocational secondary education)
- hoger algemeen voortgezet onderwijs – HAVO (higher general secondary education)
- voorbereidend wetenschappelijk onderwijs – VWO (pre-academic education)
You can also read about how state examinations work (in Dutch) on the DUO website.