Introduction
The NLTV B1 (Bậc 3) is an intermediate-level Vietnamese proficiency certificate issued by Vietnam National University (VNU), equivalent to CEFR B1. At this level, you are expected to understand the main points of clear, standard Vietnamese on familiar topics such as work, school, and daily life. You can handle most situations that arise while traveling in Vietnam and produce simple connected text on familiar subjects. Passing B1 opens doors to Vietnamese university programs and many professional environments.
Exam Format
| Section | Duration | Questions | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | ~30 min | 20-25 | Conversations, announcements, short interviews on everyday topics |
| Reading | ~40 min | 20-25 | Articles, letters, advertisements, and short narrative passages |
| Writing | ~30 min | 15-20 | Fill-in-blanks, sentence transformation, and a short paragraph task |
| Speaking | ~15 min | 6-10 | Self-introduction, opinion questions, and role-play scenarios |
What You Need to Know
Grammar Points for B1
- Conditional sentences with nếu…thì — expressing real conditions and their results (e.g., Nếu trời mưa thì tôi ở nhà.)
- Passive voice with được / bị — được for positive outcomes, bị for negative ones (e.g., Anh ấy được khen. vs. Cô ấy bị phạt.)
- Relative clauses with mà — linking clauses to describe nouns (e.g., Quyển sách mà tôi mua rất hay.)
- Causative verbs: cho, bảo, khiến, làm — expressing that someone causes or orders an action
- Comparison structures: hơn, nhất, bằng, kém — comparative and superlative forms including equality
- Aspect markers: đã, đang, sẽ, vừa, sắp — indicating when an action happened, is happening, or will happen
- Reported speech with nói rằng / nói là — reporting what someone said (e.g., Cô ấy nói rằng anh ấy bận.)
- Modal verbs: phải, nên, có thể, được phép — expressing obligation, advice, ability, and permission
- Reduplication for emphasis or gradation — using repeated words to intensify meaning (e.g., chậm chậm, vui vẻ)
- Topic-comment sentence structure — fronting the topic for emphasis (e.g., Cái áo đó, tôi thích lắm.)
Essential Vocabulary Topics
- Work and careers (công việc, lương, đồng nghiệp, phỏng vấn, kinh nghiệm)
- Health and the body (bệnh viện, triệu chứng, khám bệnh, thuốc, sức khỏe)
- Travel and transportation (đặt vé, hành lý, chuyến bay, ga tàu, bản đồ)
- Shopping and money (giảm giá, hóa đơn, thẻ ngân hàng, mặc cả, trả góp)
- Education and study (thi cử, điểm số, học bổng, trường đại học, môn học)
- Food and restaurants (thực đơn, gọi món, hóa đơn, đặc sản, ăn chay)
- Feelings and opinions (theo tôi, tôi nghĩ rằng, đồng ý, phản đối, lo lắng)
- Environment and community (ô nhiễm, tái chế, hàng xóm, cộng đồng, phát triển)
Sample Questions
Listening Sample
A: Anh ơi, hôm nay anh có thể đến cuộc họp lúc 3 giờ không?
B: Xin lỗi, tôi bận rồi. Tôi có hẹn với khách hàng lúc đó.
Question: Why can't person B attend the meeting?
- A. He forgot about the meeting.
- B. He has an appointment with a client.
- C. He is not feeling well.
Answer
Answer: B. He has an appointment with a client. Explanation: Person B says tôi có hẹn với khách hàng (I have an appointment with a client), so he cannot attend the 3 o'clock meeting.
Reading Sample
Read the notice and answer the question:
Thông báo: Từ ngày 10 đến ngày 15 tháng 4, siêu thị Hà Nội sẽ giảm giá 30% cho tất cả các mặt hàng thực phẩm. Khách hàng mua từ 500.000 đồng trở lên sẽ được tặng thêm một phần quà.
Question: What do customers receive if they spend 500,000 VND or more?
- A. A 30% discount on all items.
- B. Free delivery to their home.
- C. A free gift.
Answer
Answer: C. A free gift. Explanation: The notice states sẽ được tặng thêm một phần quà (will receive a free gift) for purchases of 500,000 VND or more. The 30% discount applies to food items for everyone during the sale period.
Writing Sample
Fill in the blank with the correct word (được / bị):
Vì đến muộn, anh Nam _____ sếp phê bình trước toàn công ty.
Answer
Answer: bị Explanation: Bị is used here because being criticized (phê bình) is a negative experience for the subject. Được would be used for a positive or beneficial passive action.
Study Tips
- Build vocabulary in context — instead of memorizing isolated words, study them in full sentences and short dialogues that mirror real B1 exam situations.
- Listen to Vietnamese daily — podcasts, YouTube news clips, and Vietnamese dramas help you get comfortable with natural speech speed and accents before the listening section.
- Practice writing short paragraphs — spend 10 minutes a day writing 5–8 sentences on a familiar topic (e.g., your job, weekend plans) and then check your grammar against B1 rules.
- Master được and bị — these are frequently tested in writing and reading; make sure you can identify and use them correctly in different sentence types.
- Simulate exam conditions — practice each section with a timer so you build the stamina and pacing required for the full exam day.
- Review common connectors — words like vì, nên, tuy nhiên, mặc dù, vì vậy are essential for B1-level reading comprehension and writing tasks.
- Use spaced repetition for vocabulary — apps like Anki with Vietnamese B1 word decks will help you retain the 1,500–2,000 words typically needed for this level.