Around 50,500 pupils taking the general secondary education certificate (HAVO), and a further 35.000 in pre-university streams (VWO) begin their final written exams today. This will be the first year that everyone is allowed to use a Dutch dictionary in all subjects.

A further 115,000 school leavers begin their vocational training (vmbo) exams on Monday. The last exams take place on June 1, with the results published two weeks later.