B-VCA practice exam in English
Online practice exams in English for the B-VCA exam (Basic Safety VCA): 40 questions in 60 minutes, spread over the test criteria as in SSVV's 2026 test matrix. After handing in, you see your result with the result of that exam or with full access.
Practice exam 1
- Questions
- 40
- Time
- 60 min
- Pass mark
- 64.5%
B-VCA at a glance
- The exam
- According to SSVV, B-VCA (Basic Safety VCA) is meant for everyone who does risky work or works in a risky environment. If you start working at a VCA-certified company, B-VCA is required: for permanent and temporary employees, self-employed workers (zzp'ers) and interns.
- Source: SSVV – B-VCA: who it is for (in Dutch) (opens in a new window)
- Format
- 40 questions in 60 minutes; pass mark 64.5%.
- Source: SSVV – VCA-ETT test matrices 2026, in Dutch (pass mark 64.5%; questions per test criterion) (opens in a new window)
- At Examenzaal
- 6 full timed practice exams in the exam's format: the same number of questions, the same time and the same pass mark. An explanation with its source for every question.
- Languages
- Practice exams in English, Dutch and Polish.
- SSVV lists English among the languages of the renewed exams, with Dutch, German and French (updated on 29 April 2026). Ask your exam centre which languages it offers.
- Source: SSVV – What changes in the VCA exams in 2026 (languages) (opens in a new window)
- Price
- Result of this exam: €9.95; full access: €17.95
- Taking practice exam 1 is free; its result is not. You see your result after handing in, with the result of that exam or with full access. One payment; full access lasts 12 months; no subscription.
Updated:
Practice exams
Each practice exam has 40 questions and 60 minutes, as in SSVV's 2026 test matrix for B-VCA.
Practice exam 1
Open40 questions60 minpass from 64.5%
Start practice exam 1Practice exam 2
with full access40 questions60 minpass from 64.5%
Start practice exam 2Practice exam 3
with full access40 questions60 minpass from 64.5%
Start practice exam 3Practice exam 4
with full access40 questions60 minpass from 64.5%
Start practice exam 4Practice exam 5
with full access40 questions60 minpass from 64.5%
Start practice exam 5Practice exam 6
with full access40 questions60 minpass from 64.5%
Start practice exam 6
Also needed?
According to SSVV (opens in a new window), VOL-VCA is meant for operational supervisors and for self-employed people who work as a subcontractor for a VCA-certified company.
VOL-VCA practice examThe B-VCA exam
- Questions
- 40 closed questions
- Source: SSVV – VCA-ETT test matrices 2026, in Dutch (pass mark 64.5%; questions per test criterion) (opens in a new window)
- Time
- 60 minutes
- Source: SSVV – VCA-ETT test matrices 2026, in Dutch (pass mark 64.5%; questions per test criterion) (opens in a new window)
- Pass mark
- 64.5% (2580 points), according to the 2026 test matrix
- Source: SSVV – VCA-ETT test matrices 2026, in Dutch (pass mark 64.5%; questions per test criterion) (opens in a new window)
- Question types
- multiple choice, multiple response, matrix and matching (our practice exams: multiple choice, multiple response and matrix questions; no matching yet)
- Source: SSVV – VCA-ETT 3.0 Test matrices 2026 (English) (opens in a new window)
- In English
- SSVV lists English among the languages of the renewed exams; ask your exam centre
- Source: SSVV – What changes in the VCA exams in 2026 (languages) (opens in a new window)
- Content
- the VCA-ETT final attainment levels and test criteria, in four sections (A to D)
- Source: SSVV – VCA-ETT 3.0 final attainment levels and test criteria 2026 (English) (opens in a new window)
- Valid
- a VCA diploma is valid for ten years
- Source: SSVV – Exams (format, language level, read-aloud exam, costs), in Dutch (opens in a new window)
Questions per section
| Section | Questions |
|---|---|
| A. Preparing, discussing and inspecting the work | 8 |
| B. Carrying out work | 19 |
| C. Control of specific hazards | 10 |
| D. Controlling incidents and emergency situations | 3 |
Questions per section: SSVV – VCA-ETT test matrices 2026, in Dutch (pass mark 64.5%; questions per test criterion) (opens in a new window). The test matrix also gives the number of questions per test criterion; our practice exams follow that spread.
Last checked:
What to know about VCA
Which diploma you need, the exam, the languages and how long your diploma is valid.
You take the VCA exam on a computer, laptop or tablet: 40 questions (B-VCA) or 60 (VOL-VCA) in 60 minutes. Reading aloud, question forms and results.
B-VCA is required at a VCA-certified company, also for the self-employed. VOL-VCA is for supervisors and subcontractors, VIL-VCU for agencies.
Check a VCA diploma at cdr.ssvv.nl, the Centraal Diploma Register (CDR): search by surname and date of birth, or by diploma number. It shows validity too.
How the VCA exam works: B-VCA has 40 questions in 60 minutes, VOL-VCA and VIL-VCU 60. Pass mark 64.5%. Plus languages, costs and retakes.
Can you take the VCA exam in English, German or French? What SSVV says about languages, the read-aloud exam, the extra cost and the glossary.
A VCA diploma (B-VCA, VOL-VCA or VIL-VCU) is valid for 10 years; then you take the exam again. Check until when yours is valid at cdr.ssvv.nl.
Book the VCA exam through your training course, which usually includes it, or yourself at an exam centre recognised by SSVV. With the list of centres.
Preparing for B-VCA or VOL-VCA: the 64.5% pass mark, the four question forms, the sections the questions come from and practising against the clock.
According to SSVV, a single VCA exam costs about 100 euros, and 20 to 50 euros more in another language. With a training course it is usually included.
What our practice exam simulates
- 40 questions, spread per test criterion as in SSVV's 2026 test matrix.
- A 60-minute timer. When the time is up, your exam is handed in.
- Previous and next: you can go back to earlier questions and change your answers while the time runs. We could not confirm whether the real VCA exam allows this too.
- Extra with us: flag questions and an overview of answered and open questions. Every question counts the same with us; the test matrix does not say how many points one question is worth in the real exam.
Result and full access
Without paying
You take Practice exam 1 in full:
- All questions, with the same time and the same 64.5% pass mark as in SSVV's test matrix
- Back to earlier questions, flag questions and change answers (in our practice exam)
Full access
€17.95 incl. VAT
One payment, 12 months of access. No subscription, it does not renew.
Or just the result of one practice exam (your score, pass or fail and the explanation per question): €9.95 incl. VAT. You can then switch to full access at a lower customer price.
- Your result: pass or fail, your score and the pass mark
- Go through every question: your answer next to the correct answer
- An explanation for every question, with the source
- Overview per topic: where you lose points
- All practice exams
B-VCA (English)
Pass- Score
- 3300/4000
- Pass mark
- 2580
Score per topic
- A. Preparing, discussing and inspecting the work700/800
- B. Carrying out work1500/1900
- C. Control of specific hazards900/1000
- D. Controlling incidents and emergency situations200/300
+ 1 more topic
Frequently asked questions
Where can I practise for the B-VCA exam?
Online at Examenzaal (examenzaal.nl): 6 practice exams in English for B-VCA, each with 40 questions in 60 minutes, built like SSVV's 2026 test matrix. Every question comes with an explanation and its source. The result of one practice exam costs €9.95, full access €17.95, one payment.
How many questions does the B-VCA exam have, and how long does it take?
B-VCA has 40 questions; VOL-VCA and VIL-VCU have 60. All three take 60 minutes.
What does the VCA exam cost?
According to SSVV, a single VCA exam costs about 100 euros. A read-aloud exam or an exam in another language costs about 20 to 50 euros more. If you take a training course, the exam is usually included in the price of the course.
Can I take the VCA exam in English?
Yes. SSVV names English as one of the languages of the renewed exams. Ask your exam centre whether it offers your exam in English.
Source: SSVV – What changes in the VCA exams in 2026 (languages) (opens in a new window)
How long is a VCA diploma valid?
A VCA diploma is valid for ten years. That applies to B-VCA, VOL-VCA and VIL-VCU. After that, you have to take the exam again.
How do I check a VCA certificate?
To check a VCA certificate, use the Centraal Diploma Register (CDR) at cdr.ssvv.nl. Search by surname (without prefixes such as 'van' or 'de') and date of birth, or by diploma number.
What percentage do I need to pass VCA?
According to SSVV's 2026 test matrices, the pass mark for B-VCA (40 questions), VOL-VCA and VIL-VCU is 64.5%, with 2580 points for B-VCA and 3870 for the other two.
Are these the real exam questions?
No. Examenzaal is independent, does not work with SSVV or any exam centre, and has no access to their questions. We write all questions ourselves, based on the VCA-ETT final attainment levels, the Dutch Working Conditions Act and the Working Conditions Decree. The English questions are translations of our checked Dutch questions, using SSVV's English glossary. VCA is a trademark of SSVV.
How are the questions checked?
Twice, independently, by other AI models. A second AI model that did not write the question answers it blind, with the source text, and only then judges our answer and explanation. A question goes into a practice exam only when a third AI model, which neither wrote it nor did the first check, also answers it correctly and finds no problems. The English versions go through the same two checks in English.
What do I see without paying?
You take a complete practice exam, with a timer. After handing in, your result is ready: your score, whether you passed and what you got right and wrong per question, with the correct answer and the explanation, come with the result of that exam (€9.95) or with full access (€17.95). You know that before you start.
What do the result and full access cost, and is it a subscription?
The result of one practice exam costs €9.95 once and full access (all practice exams, 12 months) €17.95 once, both including VAT. If you buy a result first, you then pay a lower customer price for full access to this exam and for further results. It is not a subscription and it does not renew.
Practise first, pay only for your result
Start with Practice exam 1, or see what full access gives you.