The VCA Exam: What It Is, Who Needs It and How to Pass

If you want to work in the Netherlands on a building site, in a factory, in the petrochemical industry or sometimes in a warehouse, you will very likely come across these three letters: VCA. Many job ads say "VCA vereist" (VCA required) or "VCA is een pré" (VCA is a plus). What does it mean, and how can you get it?

What is VCA?

VCA (Veiligheid, Gezondheid en Milieu Checklist Aannemers) is a Dutch health and safety certificate. It shows that you know the basic safety rules: dangerous substances, working at height, machines, fire safety, first aid and personal protective equipment. It is a certificate of your knowledge, not a trade qualification.

There are two main types:

Type	Who is it for?
B-VCA (Basisveiligheid)	Workers who do the actual work. Most job ads ask for this one.
VOL-VCA (Veiligheid voor Operationeel Leidinggevenden)	Foremen, team leaders and subcontractors. It also includes everything in B-VCA.

What is the exam like?

The B-VCA exam:

• 40 questions, mostly multiple choice.
• At most 60 minutes.
• You pass if you get at least 65% right.
• The certificate is valid for 10 years.

VOL-VCA is longer and harder, with more questions and a higher pass mark.

In which language? The big exam centres offer B-VCA in many languages, for example Dutch, English, Polish, Romanian, Ukrainian and German. Before you sign up, ask the exam centre or the agency whether there is an exam date in your own language.

How to prepare

1. A course or study on your own. Many agencies organise a one- or two-day course, with the exam at the end. You can also study on your own from a book or with online practice tests.
2. Practice tests. The types of questions repeat. If you can do 3–4 practice tests without mistakes, you have a very good chance of passing.
3. Watch the words. In many questions one single word decides the answer ("always", "never", "first"). Read slowly.

How much does it cost, and who pays?

The price differs by exam centre and course, so we do not give an exact amount. The main point: many agencies pay for VCA if you work for them, or if the job requires it. Before you pay for it yourself, ask:

• Does the agency pay for the course and the exam?
• Do you have to pay it back if you leave early? (Ask for this in writing!)
• Is the course during paid working time?

VCA is checked

Certificates go into a central register (CDR), so the employer can check whether yours is real. Do not buy a "ready-made" VCA from anyone: fake papers are found out, and it can cost you your job. We also wrote about this in our article on scams.

Which jobs ask for it most often?

• Construction: construction worker, carpenter, roofer or scaffolder
• Industry: welder, pipefitter, electrician
• Logistics: some forklift driver jobs, mainly at industrial sites

In short

VCA is a simple but very useful paper: you can get it with one or two days of study, it is valid for 10 years, and it opens the door to many better-paid jobs. If the agency pays for it, it is definitely worth doing.