Dutch vs English Theory Exam – Is the English Test Harder?

1. Is the English theory exam harder?

Looking at a full year of CBR data for the theorie-examen auto:

• Dutch theory exam (BTH) – Nederlandse theorie-examen
  • Gemiddeld slagingspercentage: 38.30%
  • Meeste weken tussen 36–40%, met een top rond 44.7%.
• English theory exam (BTH-E) – Engels theorie-examen
  • Gemiddeld pass rate: 31.93%
  • Meeste weken tussen 29–34%, met uitschieters zo laag als 21.3%.

In the chart, the blue LOWESS line (Dutch) sits consistently above the orange line (English). The gap is typically 5–8 procentpunten, sometimes even more.

So if you just look at outcomes:

Yes – in practice, the English theory exam behaves as “harder”:
candidates pass less often than on the Dutch exam.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the questions are more complex. It likely reflects a mix of:

• Different candidate groups (meer internationale bestuurders, wisselend niveau voorbereiding),
• Language nuances if English isn’t someone’s strongest language,
• Smaller exam volume, which makes the percentages more volatile.

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2. Seasonal pattern – when do people do best?

Both the Nederlandse theorie-examen (BTH) and the Engels theorie-examen (BTH-E) follow a similar seasonal wave:

• Herfst / winter: pass rates begin lower and drift downwards.
• Voorjaar (spring): both curves rise; Dutch theory peaks net onder 40%, English climbs richting 35–38%.
• Zomer: a gentle decline again, with the Dutch line stabilising rond 40–42% and the English line around 32–34%.

The key point: even when both improve in spring, the English line stays clearly below the Dutch line. There is no season where English suddenly outperforms Dutch.

For candidates:

• If you can reasonably handle Dutch, the data suggests the Nederlandse theorie-examen gives you a higher chance of passing.
• If English is much stronger for you than Dutch, BTH-E can still be the better choice – but expectations should be realistic: the overall slagingspercentage is duidelijk lager.

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3. Volume differences – how big are these exam streams?

The bottom part of the figure shows weekly volumes:

• Dutch BTH volume
  • Totaal: 540,909 exams
  • Gemiddeld: ≈ 10,200 per week
• English BTH-E volume
  • Totaal: 35,133 exams
  • Gemiddeld: ≈ 660 per week

This huge difference explains why the blue columns dominate the chart: the Dutch theory exam is the “main highway”, while the English route is a much smaller, niche stream for internationals and expats.

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4. How much money does this represent?

Using the official CBR fee of €48,75 per theory exam:

• Dutch theory exams (BTH)
  • 540,909 × €48,75 ≈ €26.37 miljoen per jaar
• English theory exams (BTH-E)
  • 35,133 × €48,75 ≈ €1.71 miljoen per jaar

Together, this is a sizeable yearly market just for B-theory exams.
For context: the €1.7 million from English theory exams is a neat indicator of how many internationals are entering the Dutch mobility system – a small but visible contribution to services exports and the wider knowledge economy.

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5. What should candidates and driving schools do with this?

• For students (leerlingen):
  • Know that slagingspercentages voor theorie B are generally low, especially in English.
  • Take extra time for exam training, oefenexamens, and question formats – especially if you choose the English route.
• For rijscholen:
  • The data backs up what many instructors feel: international students need targeted theory support, not only language help.
  • Offering specialised English theory courses or blended Dutch–English materials could meaningfully improve outcomes.

In short: the Dutch theory exam is tough; the English version is even tougher on average. With the right preparation and understanding of these pass-rate differences, candidates can pick the language and timing that best fits their situation – and hopefully join the minority that passes on the first try.