Doelvraag
A question asking why the text was written — what its writer wants the reader to do or know.
Second-biggest reading type at A2: 31 of our 243 items. Unlike a detail question, the answer is not written anywhere in the text — you infer it from the whole. The difficulty is that A2 texts are short and functional, so the purpose is carried by one or two verbs, and everything else in the text is subject matter that will appear in the wrong options.
How the exam tests this
Inside the 65-minute Lezen paper, on the same short everyday texts as the detail questions — a notice on a door, a letter from the housing association, an advertisement, a school e-mail. The question is phrased "Wat is het doel van deze tekst?" or "Waarom schrijft … deze brief?". The wrong options are topics the text genuinely covers: an option naming the subject matter rather than the purpose is in every set, and it is the one most often chosen.
What is wrong with this sentence?
Het doel is te vertellen dat er onderhoud is.
Most candidates write it exactly like this and lose the mark without knowing why.
The rest of this lesson
The rule, the worked examples, the exceptions and what to do in the exam room open with Mastery, together with every other lesson for this exam.
See plans