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CvTE releases 2026 exam conversion tables for Dutch pupils

The College voor Toetsen en Examens said on 11 June 2026 that it had fixed the n-termen for flexible digital vmbo bb and kb exams and for the first sitting of the central exams in vmbo, havo and vwo. That technical decision turns raw exam scores into final grades, allowing Dutch secondary schools to tell pupils whether they have passed, need a resit or must wait for further assessment. The CvTE's Examenblad portal says provisional n-termen for the second sitting are also available, with final second-sitting terms due on 30 June 2026. For Belgium Pulse readers, the event is mainly a neighbouring-country education story: it shows how the Netherlands centralises diploma assessment at a moment when Belgian education systems continue to rely more heavily on school-based evaluation and, in Flanders, newer standardised tests outside the diploma decision itself.

Belgium Impulse Editorial·11 June 2026·3 min read·5 sources
Key signal

This matters most to Dutch pupils, parents and teachers, including Belgian-linked families living, working or studying across the border. For Belgian education readers, the Dutch results day is also a useful comparison point: the CvTE's model ties national diploma decisions to centrally normalised exams, while Belgium's communities organise secondary assessment through their own systems. Schools, universities and employers in Belgium that encounter Dutch diplomas also rely on the clarity of vmbo, havo and vwo outcomes.

College voor Toetsen en Examens, or CvTE (Dutch public examination authority created under Dutch law in 2009), oversees central exams and standardised tests in the Netherlands. Examenblad.nl (CvTE's official exam information portal for schools and pupils) publishes timetables, conversion tables and norm-setting documents. Vmbo (Dutch preparatory secondary vocational education, usually a four-year track) leads mainly toward mbo vocational education. Havo (Dutch senior general secondary track, usually five years) leads mainly toward universities of applied sciences. Vwo (Dutch pre-university track, usually six years) leads toward research universities. N-termen (Dutch exam normalisation factors) adjust raw scores for exam difficulty. LAKS (Dutch national pupils' action committee) collects exam complaints from students. Cito (Dutch testing institute based in Arnhem) supports assessment and standard-setting work. Flanders (Belgium's Dutch-speaking region) is the closest Belgian comparator for Dutch-language education policy.

Background

The Dutch central exam system has treated national comparability as a core feature for decades, but recent years tested that model. During the COVID-19 disruption, the 2020 central exams were cancelled and diploma decisions relied on school exams instead, a break from normal practice noted in education research on pandemic cohorts. CvTE later adjusted performance requirements during the coronavirus years and said its later norming work aimed to stabilise the expected standard again. A 2025 population-level study of Dutch exam cohorts from 2017 to 2023 found that some achievement gaps persisted or intensified after pandemic disruption, especially in vocational tracks.

Why now

The trigger is CvTE's 11 June 2026 publication of the n-termen and conversion tables for the first sitting of Dutch central exams. That publication turns exam scores into actionable diploma decisions for schools and pupils.

OIS Intelligence

What to watch

The next concrete date is 30 June 2026, when CvTE says it will publish definitive n-termen for the second sitting. Watch also for school-level resit decisions and any LAKS or teacher feedback if particular exams are disputed.

Sources & evidence