Central final exam 2026.

Students of the vmbo, havo and vwo take the central final exam in their last year. How are these exams taken? What rules apply? What is the exam schedule? What may your child bring? And when will your child get the results? On this page you will find all the answers.

Written, digital and practical exams

The central exam is taken in different ways, depending on the level.

Students in vmbo-gl, vmbo-tl, havo and vwo take the central exams on paper.
For vmbo-b and vmbo-k, the school chooses whether the central exams are on paper or digital. Usually, it is a digital exam.
Most vmbo students also take a practical exam.

Central exam schedule 2026

The government and schools set at the start of the school year when the central final exams 2026 will take place. The exact schedule depends on the study your child follows. The central exams will take place at least during these periods:

Digital and practical exams: April 1 to July 17, 2026. The school decides the exact dates and records them in the PTA.
First period for written exams: May 8 to May 27, 2026. Your child usually takes all written exams then.
Second period for written exams: June 16 to June 23, 2026. This period is for written retakes and postponed written exams due to circumstances.

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When does your child get the result of the central exam 2026?

After taking the exams, you and your child will probably wait with tension for the result. It is clear in advance on which day the results will be announced.

The school receives the standards in the morning and then immediately starts calculating the grades. Most schools call their students in the afternoon. Your child will get the results on these dates:

Result first period for vmbo vocational profile subjects: June 3, 2026
Result first period for flexible and digital central exams on vmbo-bb and vmbo-kb: June 11, 2026
Central exams vmbo-t, havo and vwo: June 11, 2026
Result second period exams: June 30, 2026

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Other rules for the central final exam

The central final exam has many rules. Most rules about the exam are in the law for secondary education 2020. Here we briefly name the main rules for the central final exam 2026:

In the ‘rules for allowed aids for the central exams’ it says exactly what your child can and cannot bring to the central exam. Think of dictionaries and calculator rules. Read here the rules for aids during the 2026 exam.
If your child needs extra help, the school can sometimes change the standard test process. In that case your child can use aids or extra time for central exams.
The law and rules also tell how to check and keep the central exams. You can read all about exam review and correction in this article.
Problems can happen during the exam. There are rules about this too. It also explains what to do about the most common exam problems.

Sick during the central final exam?

If your child is absent for a valid reason, the school can ask the Education Inspectorate for a retake chance. Talk to the school about options when your child is sick. The next chance is during the retakes in June. Your child can take two exams per day then.

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