Your VCA exam day: how the exam works
You take the VCA exam on a computer, laptop or tablet; the on-screen exam is the most common type. B-VCA has 40 questions, VOL-VCA and VIL-VCU have 60. Each exam takes 60 minutes.
Below you'll find what to expect on the day, which question forms there are and what happens when you pass or fail.
This page summarises what SSVV writes on ssvv.nl (in Dutch) about how the VCA exams are taken. SSVV develops and manages certification schemes for safe and healthy work; VCA is a trademark of SSVV registered in the Benelux. Examenzaal is not a training provider or exam centre and is not part of SSVV; our practice material is not SSVV's. You take your exam at an exam centre recognised by SSVV.
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Where and how
You take the exam at an exam centre recognised by SSVV. Exams take place every day, all over the country. You take it on a computer, laptop or tablet; the on-screen exam is the most common type.
What exactly to bring and what time to arrive is not on the SSVV pages we read. Your exam centre or training provider will tell you, so read their confirmation carefully.
How many questions and how much time?
According to SSVV's 2026 test matrices, B-VCA has 40 questions and VOL-VCA and VIL-VCU have 60. All three take 60 minutes. The pass mark for all three is 64.5%. That is on average 1.5 minutes per question for B-VCA and 1 minute per question for VOL-VCA (our calculation).
| Exam | Questions | Time | Pass mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| B-VCA | 40 | 60 minutes | 64.5% |
| VOL-VCA | 60 | 60 minutes | 64.5% |
| VIL-VCU | 60 | 60 minutes | 64.5% |
What kind of questions?
The 2026 test matrices name closed questions in four forms: multiple choice, multiple response, matrix and matching. On its general exam page, SSVV calls the questions multiple-choice questions. For every question, check the question form and read it to the end (our tip).
Reading aloud and language
If you have trouble reading, you can get a read-aloud exam for B-VCA: the computer then reads the questions to you word for word. You can't take an oral exam. According to SSVV (as of 29 April 2026), the renewed exams were available in Dutch, English, German and French; the other languages follow from 1 August 2026. Ask your exam centre which languages it offers.
After the exam
When you pass, the exam centre records it in the Centraal Diploma Register (CDR) and issues your diploma. Employers and clients can see in the CDR whether you really have the diploma. Some exam centres also give you a card, but that is not required.
If you fail, you take the exam again. You can do that through the exam centre where you took your exam. How soon you get your result is not stated in the SSVV sources we read.
Frequently asked questions
Is the VCA exam on paper or on a computer?
According to SSVV, you take the exam on a computer, laptop or tablet; the on-screen exam is the most common type.
How long is the VCA exam?
60 minutes, for B-VCA (40 questions) and for VOL-VCA and VIL-VCU (60 questions).
Can I take the VCA exam orally?
No. According to SSVV, an oral exam is not possible. For B-VCA you can get a read-aloud exam.
What should I bring to the VCA exam?
That is not on the SSVV pages we read. Your exam centre or training provider will tell you what to bring.
This explanation was written by Examenzaal. We checked SSVV's information (in Dutch) on 22 October 2026 and 23 October 2026. Examenzaal is an independent provider of practice material. Spotted a mistake? Let us know.
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