De proefplaatsing volgt op de gedragstest.

Proefplaatsing is a compound noun:

• proef = trial, test
• plaatsing = placement

So proefplaatsing means a trial placement or placement on a trial basis. The exact English translation can depend on context. For example, it could be used for animals, jobs, internships, or other situations where something starts with a trial period.

Gedragstest is also a compound noun:

• gedrag = behavior
• test = test

So gedragstest means behavior test or behavioral test. Dutch often forms one long noun where English might use two words or an adjective + noun.

In Dutch, every noun has a grammatical gender category for article choice: de or het.

Both proefplaatsing and gedragstest are de-words, so you get:

• de proefplaatsing
• de gedragstest

There is not always a simple rule you can guess from English, but one useful pattern is that many nouns ending in -ing are de-words, such as:

• de plaatsing
• de opleiding
• de beslissing

Since proefplaatsing ends in -ing, that helps explain de proefplaatsing.

Here volgt op means comes after or follows in time/order.

So the sentence means that the trial placement happens after the behavior test.

A useful way to understand it is:

• iets volgt op iets anders = something follows something else

So:

• De proefplaatsing volgt op de gedragstest. = The trial placement follows the behavior test.

Not exactly, and this is a very useful distinction.

In this sentence, volgt op is best understood as volgen op = to come after.

There is also a verb opvolgen, which can have meanings like:

• to succeed someone
• to follow up
• to obey advice/instructions

So although they look related, you should not assume they always work the same way.

Here, the meaning is simply about sequence in time:

• De proefplaatsing volgt op de gedragstest = the trial placement comes after the behavior test.

Because Dutch main clauses usually follow the V2 rule: the finite verb comes in the second position.

In this sentence:

• De proefplaatsing = first element
• volgt = finite verb, so it comes second
• op de gedragstest = the rest of the sentence

That is normal Dutch word order.

You could also change the first element and still keep the verb second:

• Op de gedragstest volgt de proefplaatsing.

This is more marked or formal, but it is grammatical.

Because the verb expression requires the preposition op.

With this meaning, Dutch says:

• volgen op = to follow after

So the thing that comes later volgt op the earlier thing.

This is one of those verb + preposition combinations that you largely need to learn as a unit.

Yes. In many contexts, komt na is a very natural alternative.

For example:

• De proefplaatsing komt na de gedragstest.

This means almost the same thing: the trial placement comes after the behavior test.

Very roughly:

• volgt op can sound a bit more formal or structured
• komt na can sound a bit more everyday and direct

Both are correct in the right context.

Because Dutch, like German, very commonly forms compound nouns by writing them as one word.

So instead of writing separate words, Dutch often combines them:

• gedrag + test → gedragstest
• proef + plaatsing → proefplaatsing

This is completely normal in Dutch. English sometimes does something similar, but less consistently. As an English speaker, one common habit to build is: if Dutch has a noun modifying another noun, there is a good chance it will be written as one compound word.

A simple learner-friendly pronunciation guide is:

• De ≈ duh
• proefplaatsing ≈ proof-plaa-tsing
• volgt op ≈ folkht op
• de gedragstest ≈ duh guh-DRAGH-test

A few notes:

• eu in proef does not sound exactly like English oo; English has no perfect match.
• The g in gedrag is the guttural Dutch g/ch sound.
• aa in plaatsing is a long vowel.
• Stress is roughly on:
  • PROEFplaatsing
  • geDRAGstest

A more natural rhythm is:

de PROEFplaatsing volgt op de geDRAGStest

It can refer to both, depending on context.

Volgt op usually means that one thing happens after another in a sequence. That may be:

• time: first the behavior test, then the trial placement
• procedure/order: the trial placement is the next step after the behavior test

In many real-life contexts, both ideas are present at once. The sentence does not strongly separate them.