Checked 13 October 2026. The questions are our own, written from the end terms for KNM (Staatscourant 2024, 15802), which exams have followed since 1 July 2025. Exam facts are from DUO’s inburgeren.nl. The DUO pages we read give no question count and no pass mark for KNM.
The KNM exam is in Dutch, but most people who prepare in English want to know one thing first: can I already answer this kind of question? This page gives you ten new practice questions on Knowledge of Dutch Society (Kennis van de Nederlandse Maatschappij). Each one is written in Dutch at the level the exam uses, followed by our English translation. You pick an answer, press one button, and get your score with the reason for every miss. Every reason comes from the official end terms (eindtermen), the list of what a candidate must know, and names the end term it was written from. The questions are ours: they are not copied from DUO’s practice exams or from any book, and they are not a forecast of your paper. ProSyllabus is an independent study site. We are not affiliated with, or endorsed by, DUO, the IND or the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment; every rule below is quoted or summarised from their published pages and regulations, and DUO or the IND decides every individual case.
Exam length: DUO, content of the knowledge exams. The question count and the pass mark are not on DUO’s pages; we state neither.
How the real KNM exam asks questions
A practice question is only useful if it resembles the real thing, so here is what the official sources say and where this page differs. DUO says you take KNM on a computer, that there are several themes, that you answer questions for each theme, and that the exam lasts 45 minutes. The end terms add that the questions are built at level A2 of the Dutch framework for second-language learners, that they are about everyday, recognisable situations, and that the exam uses a lot of pictures to make those situations recognisable. The explanatory annex to the regulation describes multiple-choice questions with video fragments, shown on screen and read aloud through headphones. Our guide to the eight themes and 78 eindtermen has that format in full.
| Feature | Real exam (official) | This page |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Dutch, questions built at A2 | Dutch at about A2, with an English translation added |
| Question type | Multiple choice; you click an answer | Multiple choice, three options each (three is our choice) |
| Pictures, video and audio | Video fragments and images; questions also heard through headphones | Text only |
| Length | 45 minutes | Untimed; about ten minutes |
| Number of questions | Not published | 10 |
| Pass mark | Not published | None: a learning score only |
| What the questions are drawn from | The end terms: the required knowledge and its indicators guide the content of the exam | The same end terms, one question per chosen end term |
Sources: DUO, content of the knowledge exams; Staatscourant 2024, 15802, Bijlage 2 (level, everyday situations, images, and the statement that the required knowledge and indicators guide the exam content); Regeling inburgering 2021, explanatory annex (multiple choice, video, headphones). The right-hand column describes our page. “Not published” means the DUO and regulation pages we read give no figure.
Two honest limits follow from that table. First, no official page we read says how many answer options a KNM question has, so three options here is a choice we made, not a copy of the exam. Second, text cannot rehearse listening or watching a video. Use this page to test what you know, and use DUO’s two practice exams to rehearse the exam on a screen.
KNM practice exam: ten questions
Work through the ten questions without looking anything up. Read the Dutch first and use the English line only to check that you understood the question; in the exam room you will have the Dutch alone. If you do not know an answer, choose anyway and note the question number, because a guess that turns out right still marks a gap.
Ten KNM practice questions
Each question is in Dutch, as in the exam, with our English translation underneath. Pick one answer per question. Nothing leaves this page.
1. Samira wil een eigen bedrijf starten. Wat moet zij verplicht doen?
Samira wants to start her own business. What is she obliged to do? · Theme 1
2. Je hebt morgen een afspraak bij de gemeente, maar je kunt niet komen. Wat doe je?
You have an appointment at the municipality tomorrow, but you cannot come. What do you do? · Theme 2
3. Je zoekt een andere woning. Wat is belangrijk om snel te doen?
You are looking for another home. What is important to do quickly? · Theme 3
4. Je buurman valt van de trap. Hij reageert niet en ademt niet. Welk nummer bel je?
Your neighbour falls down the stairs. He does not respond and is not breathing. Which number do you call? · Theme 4
5. Je vertelt je huisarts over je klachten. Mag de huisarts dit aan je werkgever vertellen?
You tell your GP about your complaints. May the GP tell your employer? · Theme 4
6. Wat is er elk jaar op 4 mei in Nederland?
What takes place in the Netherlands every year on 4 May? · Theme 5
7. Vanaf welke leeftijd moet je op straat een identiteitsbewijs laten zien als de politie daarom vraagt?
From what age must you show an identity document in the street when the police ask for it? · Theme 6
8. Je hebt een kind gekregen. Waar vraag je kinderbijslag aan?
You have had a child. Where do you apply for child benefit? · Theme 6
9. Ravi is geen Nederlander. Hij woont al zes jaar in Nederland. Bij welke verkiezingen mag hij stemmen?
Ravi is not Dutch. He has lived in the Netherlands for six years. In which elections may he vote? · Theme 7
10. Voor welke kinderen geldt de leerplicht?
For which children does compulsory education (leerplicht) apply? · Theme 8
The answers and reasons are also printed in the table below, so you can check by hand if the button does not work on your device.
Answers and explanations
The table gives the correct option for each question, the reason, and the end term it was written from. The code is the one printed in the regulation: 6.4.1 means theme 6, sub-area 4, end term 1. If you missed a question, read that end term in Dutch in the Staatscourant text; the sentence around it usually holds two or three more facts that can be asked.
| # | Question (Dutch) | Correct answer | Why | End term |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samira wil een eigen bedrijf starten. Wat moet zij verplicht doen? | B. Zich inschrijven bij de Kamer van Koophandel (Register with the Chamber of Commerce (KvK)) | The end terms say registration with the Kamer van Koophandel is obligatory to start a business. A supplementary pension is something a self-employed person can arrange, not a condition for starting. | 1.4.1 (theme 1) |
| 2 | Je hebt morgen een afspraak bij de gemeente, maar je kunt niet komen. Wat doe je? | A. Je meldt je op tijd af (You cancel in good time) | The end terms say many people in the Netherlands value being on time and cancelling appointments in good time. | 2.1.3 (theme 2) |
| 3 | Je zoekt een andere woning. Wat is belangrijk om snel te doen? | C. Je inschrijven als woningzoekende (Register as a home-seeker) | The end terms name the importance of registering quickly as a home-seeker (woningzoekende). | 3.1.3 (theme 3) |
| 4 | Je buurman valt van de trap. Hij reageert niet en ademt niet. Welk nummer bel je? | B. 112 | This is life-threatening. The end terms say 112 must be called in life-threatening situations. | 4.3.2 (theme 4) |
| 5 | Je vertelt je huisarts over je klachten. Mag de huisarts dit aan je werkgever vertellen? | C. Nee, alleen als jij toestemming geeft (No, only if you give permission) | What you discuss with a GP falls under medical confidentiality (medisch beroepsgeheim); it may be shared with others only after your permission. | 4.1.1 (theme 4) |
| 6 | Wat is er elk jaar op 4 mei in Nederland? | A. Nationale Dodenherdenking (National Remembrance of the Dead) | The end terms: the National Remembrance of the Dead is on 4 May each year, and Liberation Day is celebrated on 5 May. | 5.1.2 (theme 5) |
| 7 | Vanaf welke leeftijd moet je op straat een identiteitsbewijs laten zien als de politie daarom vraagt? | B. Vanaf 14 jaar (From age 14) | Everyone aged 14 and over must show ID in public space when the police or a competent authority ask. Age 12 applies on public transport, which is why it is the tempting wrong answer. | 6.4.1 (theme 6) |
| 8 | Je hebt een kind gekregen. Waar vraag je kinderbijslag aan? | C. Bij de Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (At the Social Insurance Bank (SVB)) | The end terms say child benefit (kinderbijslag) can be applied for at the Sociale Verzekeringsbank. | 6.3.3 (theme 6) |
| 9 | Ravi is geen Nederlander. Hij woont al zes jaar in Nederland. Bij welke verkiezingen mag hij stemmen? | A. De gemeenteraadsverkiezingen (The municipal council elections) | The end terms: non-Dutch people who have lived in the Netherlands for more than five years may take part in the municipal council elections. | 7.1.4 (theme 7) |
| 10 | Voor welke kinderen geldt de leerplicht? | B. Voor kinderen van 5 tot 16 jaar (Children from 5 to 16) | Children between 5 and 16 are leerplichtig; between 16 and 18 the qualification duty (kwalificatieplicht) applies. | 8.1.3 (theme 8) |
Source for every reason: Staatscourant 2024, 15802, Bijlage 2, at the end term shown. The questions and the English wording are ours.
What your score means, and what it does not
The DUO pages we read give no pass mark for KNM and no question count. So a score here cannot be turned into "pass" or "fail", and any site that does that is using a number we could not find in DUO’s pages. What ten questions can do is show the shape of your knowledge. Ten end terms out of 78 (the total is our count) is a thin sample, so read the result by question rather than as a percentage.
| Your result | What it suggests (our reading) | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| 9 or 10 correct | You know the common facts. Your risk is the detail inside the broad end terms: ages, time limits, which body does what. | Take the <a href="/hub/knm-examen-oefenen-a2-questions-eight-themes" style="color:#255a45;font-weight:600">20 KNM questions across the eight themes</a> and look at the per-theme score. |
| 6 to 8 correct | The base is there but uneven. Misses usually cluster in one or two themes. | Read the end terms for the themes you missed, then retest. |
| 5 or fewer correct | Start with content, not with more questions. | Follow the <a href="/hub/knm-exam-preparation-two-week-plan" style="color:#255a45;font-weight:600">two-week KNM plan built on the end terms</a>, then come back. |
| Right, but only with the English line | The knowledge is there; the Dutch is the bottleneck. | Learn the Dutch key word for each fact (table below) and practise on DUO’s practice exams. |
The bands and advice are ours. They are a way to choose what to study next, not a prediction of the exam result.
Where candidates slip in these ten questions
Each wrong option above was chosen for a reason: it is a neighbouring fact from the same end term, or a body that sounds as if it could be right. These are the pairs worth learning as pairs.
| Easy to confuse | What the end terms say | End term |
|---|---|---|
| 12 and 14 for showing ID | From 14 in public space; from 12 on public transport | 6.4.1 |
| 4 May and 5 May | 4 May is the National Remembrance of the Dead; 5 May is Liberation Day | 5.1.2 |
| Leerplicht and kwalificatieplicht | Leerplicht from 5 to 16; kwalificatieplicht from 16 to 18 | 8.1.3 |
| SVB and UWV | Child benefit is applied for at the SVB; the UWV is named for unemployment and incapacity for work after a work history | 6.3.3 and 1.1.7 |
| Municipal and national elections | Non-Dutch residents of more than five years may take part in municipal council elections | 7.1.4 |
| What the GP may share | Covered by medical confidentiality; shared only after the patient’s permission | 4.1.1 |
| Obligatory and optional steps for a business | Registration with the KvK is obligatory; a supplementary pension and incapacity insurance can be arranged by the self-employed person | 1.4.1 |
Source: Staatscourant 2024, 15802, Bijlage 2. The selection of pairs is ours.
The Dutch words behind the ten answers
Knowing a fact in English does not help if you do not recognise the Dutch word on the screen. These are the key words in the ten questions, with our English glosses. Say them aloud: in the exam you also hear the question.
| Dutch | English (our gloss) | Question |
|---|---|---|
| de Kamer van Koophandel (KvK) | Chamber of Commerce | 1 |
| de afspraak; afmelden | appointment; to cancel | 2 |
| de woningzoekende; inschrijven | home-seeker; to register | 3 |
| de huisarts; de toestemming | GP; permission | 5 |
| de Dodenherdenking; Bevrijdingsdag | Remembrance of the Dead; Liberation Day | 6 |
| het identiteitsbewijs | identity document | 7 |
| de kinderbijslag | child benefit | 8 |
| de gemeenteraadsverkiezingen | municipal council elections | 9 |
| de leerplicht; de kwalificatieplicht | compulsory education; qualification duty | 10 |
KNM practice in English or Dutch: which to use
The KNM exam is in Dutch, and we found no English version of it on DUO’s pages. DUO’s page gives the exam as a computer test of 45 minutes; the end terms say the questions are built at level A2 of the Dutch framework; and DUO marks both of its KNM practice exams "(link in Dutch)". So the question is never which language the exam is in. It is which language to prepare in, and the answer changes as the exam comes closer. The table is our judgement, argued from those three official facts.
| Stage | Use | Why (from the official format) | The risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. First read of a theme | English, or your strongest language | KNM tests knowledge. Understanding why a GP refers you or what a municipality does is faster in a language you read easily | Stopping here. You then know the fact and cannot recognise it on the screen |
| 2. Learning the facts | Both: each fact with its Dutch key word | The questions are in Dutch at A2. A fact stored as "excess" is not found when the screen says "eigen risico" | Learning Dutch words as a loose list, without the fact they belong to |
| 3. Practice questions | Dutch first; English only to check that you understood | In the exam you read the Dutch alone, and you also hear it | Reading the English line first, which hides a language gap |
| 4. Rehearsal | Dutch only, with sound | DUO’s two KNM practice exams are in Dutch. The explanatory annex to the regulation describes questions heard through headphones | Using both official practice exams too early; there are only two |
| 5. Last days | Dutch only | The exam itself is in Dutch | New English material that adds facts you cannot place in Dutch |
Sources for the facts in the third column: DUO, content of the knowledge exams and Practising page; Staatscourant 2024, 15802 (level A2); Regeling inburgering 2021, explanatory annex (audio). The stages, the advice and the risks are ours.
When English practice helps, and when it hurts
- It helps when you are new to a theme, when a Dutch sentence in the end terms is above your level, and when you want to check that a wrong answer was a knowledge gap and not a reading mistake.
- It hurts when it replaces Dutch in the last weeks. The exam’s language level is A2, which the end terms describe as understanding sentences and frequently used expressions on matters of direct importance. A2 is reachable, but only for words you have met.
- It hurts when a translation drops the small words that decide an answer. The end terms say a legal liability insurance (WA) is "niet verplicht ... maar wel zeer wenselijk" and that, after naturalisation, dual nationality is "in principe" not allowed. A loose English summary can turn both into a plain yes or no.
- It cannot rehearse listening. Reading English does nothing for hearing a Dutch question through headphones.
Our judgement. The Dutch phrases are quoted from end terms 6.6.1 and 6.2.3; the description of A2 is from paragraph 1.1 of the end terms.
A simple test tells you which stage you are in. Take the ten questions above again with a sheet of paper over the English lines. If your score holds, practise in Dutch from now on. If it drops, the likely missing piece is Dutch vocabulary rather than knowledge (our reading, not a measurement), and the trainer below is the next step. The small words that change an answer are collected in our guide to common mistakes in the KNM exam, with ten trap questions.
Dutch key-term trainer, tied to the end terms
Forty-eight words, six for each of the eight themes. Each one appears in the end terms, so it is a word the exam’s source text uses (the articles de and het are ours), and each carries the code of the end term it comes from. The English is our gloss, kept short on purpose.
Dutch key-term trainer: 48 words from the end terms
Pick a theme and a mode. In the two test modes one side stays hidden until you open it, one word at a time. Nothing leaves this page.
The Dutch words are taken from the end terms (Staatscourant 2024, 15802); the English is our gloss. The full list is printed as a table below.
| Theme | Dutch (from the end terms) | English (our gloss) | End term |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Work and income | de arbeidsovereenkomst | employment contract | 1.2.1 |
| 1. Work and income | het uitzendbureau | temporary employment agency | 1.2.1 |
| 1. Work and income | het sollicitatiegesprek | job interview | 1.1.2 |
| 1. Work and income | de uitkering | social-security benefit | 1.1.7 |
| 1. Work and income | de bijstand | social assistance benefit | 1.1.7 |
| 1. Work and income | de vakbonden | trade unions | 1.2.2 |
| 2. Manners, values and norms | de omgangsvormen | manners; ways of dealing with each other | 2.1.1 |
| 2. Manners, values and norms | afmelden | to cancel an appointment | 2.1.3 |
| 2. Manners, values and norms | het geregistreerd partnerschap | registered partnership | 2.1.4 |
| 2. Manners, values and norms | ongehuwd samenwonen | living together unmarried | 2.1.4 |
| 2. Manners, values and norms | de feest- en gedenkdagen | public holidays and days of remembrance | 2.1.5 |
| 2. Manners, values and norms | het vrijwilligerswerk | voluntary work | 2.2.1 |
| 3. Housing | het huurcontract | rental contract | 3.1.1 |
| 3. Housing | de sociale huur | social rented housing | 3.1.3 |
| 3. Housing | de woningzoekende | home-seeker | 3.1.3 |
| 3. Housing | de meterstanden | meter readings | 3.2.1 |
| 3. Housing | de storing | fault or outage | 3.2.1 |
| 3. Housing | de afvalscheiding | separating household waste | 3.3.1 |
| 4. Health and healthcare | de huisarts | GP, family doctor | 4.1.1 |
| 4. Health and healthcare | het medisch beroepsgeheim | medical confidentiality | 4.1.1 |
| 4. Health and healthcare | het recept | prescription | 4.1.2 |
| 4. Health and healthcare | de huisartsenpost | out-of-hours GP service | 4.3.1 |
| 4. Health and healthcare | het eigen risico | compulsory excess (deductible) of the health insurance | 4.4.1 |
| 4. Health and healthcare | het basispakket | basic package of the health insurance | 4.4.1 |
| 5. History and geography | het volkslied | national anthem | 5.1.1 |
| 5. History and geography | de koloniën | colonies | 5.1.1 |
| 5. History and geography | de Nationale Dodenherdenking | National Remembrance of the Dead (4 May) | 5.1.2 |
| 5. History and geography | Bevrijdingsdag | Liberation Day (5 May) | 5.1.2 |
| 5. History and geography | de hoofdstad | capital city | 5.2.1 |
| 5. History and geography | het openbaar vervoer | public transport | 5.2.2 |
| 6. Institutions | het burgerservicenummer | citizen service number (BSN) | 6.1.1 |
| 6. Institutions | de verblijfsvergunning | residence permit | 6.2.2 |
| 6. Institutions | de jaaropgave | annual income statement | 6.3.1 |
| 6. Institutions | de toeslagen | allowances (for care, rent, childcare) | 6.3.3 |
| 6. Institutions | het identiteitsbewijs | identity document | 6.4.1 |
| 6. Institutions | het bezwaar | objection (to bad treatment by the government) | 6.5.1 |
| 7. Constitution and rule of law | de rechtsstaat | state under the rule of law | 7.1.1 |
| 7. Constitution and rule of law | het hoger beroep | appeal against a court ruling | 7.1.3 |
| 7. Constitution and rule of law | het kiesrecht | the right to vote and to stand for election | 7.1.4 |
| 7. Constitution and rule of law | de vrijheid van meningsuiting | freedom of expression | 7.2.2 |
| 7. Constitution and rule of law | de godsdienstvrijheid | freedom of religion | 7.2.3 |
| 7. Constitution and rule of law | het zelfbeschikkingsrecht | right to self-determination | 7.2.8 |
| 8. Education and upbringing | leerplichtig | subject to compulsory education (5 to 16) | 8.1.3 |
| 8. Education and upbringing | kwalificatieplichtig | subject to the qualification duty (16 to 18) | 8.1.3 |
| 8. Education and upbringing | de bijzondere scholen | schools founded on a belief or a view of teaching | 8.1.2 |
| 8. Education and upbringing | de buitenschoolse opvang | out-of-school care | 8.1.4 |
| 8. Education and upbringing | de ouderbijdrage | parental contribution | 8.3.1 |
| 8. Education and upbringing | aansprakelijk | liable | 8.2.1 |
Source for the Dutch words: Staatscourant 2024, 15802, Bijlage 2, at the end term shown. The articles (de, het) and the English glosses are ours. Forty-eight words are a start, not the vocabulary of the exam: the end terms run to 78 end terms and 176 indicators by our count.
How these questions were written
Our method, so you can judge the questions
- Each question starts from one end term or indicator in Bijlage 2 of the regulation (Staatscourant 2024, 15802). The exact Dutch sentence is kept on file for each question.
- The correct answer restates that sentence. It adds nothing from outside the official text.
- Wrong options are taken from neighbouring facts in the end terms where possible, because that is where real confusion sits.
- No question is copied or adapted from DUO’s practice exams, from a book, or from our own revision kit.
- Names in the questions (Samira, Ravi) are invented.
A question written by us is not an official question. If a reason here ever differs from the end terms, the end terms are right; tell us and we will correct the page.
Where to practise next
For more questions of the same kind, the 20 KNM questions across the eight themes has twenty more, none repeated from this page, with a score per theme. For the official rehearsal, DUO links two KNM practice exams from its Practising page (Practice exam A2 KNM 1 and 2); DUO recommends a desktop computer for them. They are free according to the IND (page read 13 October 2026); DUO’s own practice page states no price. If you are deciding between a study book and DUO’s own material, see the Ad Appel book compared with DUO’s practice exams. Ten more questions, each built around a trap in the wording, are in common mistakes in the KNM exam, with ten trap questions. And if you have a date booked, the two-week KNM plan built on the end terms turns the eight themes into fourteen days. Booking and fees are in our guide to fee, booking, cancelling and retakes.
Preview the KNM revision kit
These ten questions sample ten end terms out of 78. The kit is a seven-page PDF that restates all eight themes of the official end terms in plain English with the Dutch words the exam uses. Page 1 is free to read in full, so look at it before you decide anything. It is a revision aid from an independent site, not an official document and not a substitute for DUO’s practice exams.
See the kit’s free first page and contentsFrequently asked questions
Is the KNM exam available in English?
No. The exam is in Dutch, with questions built at level A2. The English on this page is our translation, added so that you can check your understanding while you prepare.
Are these real KNM exam questions?
No. They are our own questions, written from the official end terms that the exam has followed since 1 July 2025. They are not copied from DUO’s practice exams and are not a forecast of the real paper.
How many questions are in the real KNM exam?
The DUO pages we read give no number. They say the exam lasts 45 minutes and that you answer questions for several themes.
What score do I need to pass KNM?
The DUO pages we read give no pass mark for KNM, so we do not give one. Treat the score on this page as a way to find gaps.
Does the real exam have three answer options?
No official page we read states the number of options. The regulation says the exam is multiple choice. Three options here is our choice.
Where are the official practice exams?
On DUO’s Practising page at inburgeren.nl: Practice exam A2 KNM 1 and Practice exam A2 KNM 2. DUO’s page shows no price for them. The IND’s page on civic integration for naturalisation, read on 13 October 2026, says of DUO’s practice exams: “You can take these for free to practise for the civic integration exam.”
Should I practise for KNM in English or in Dutch?
Both, in that order. English is useful for a first read of a theme and for checking a wrong answer. From the practice-question stage on, read the Dutch first, and in the last weeks use Dutch only: the exam is in Dutch at A2, on screen and through headphones. That staging is our advice.
Is there an official KNM practice exam in English?
We found none on DUO’s Practising page: both KNM practice exams are marked as links in Dutch. The English pages of inburgeren.nl that we read explain the rules and the outline of the exam.
I got the answers right only with the English. Is that enough?
Not yet. In the exam you read and hear Dutch only. Learn the Dutch key word for each fact and practise with DUO’s practice exams.
Which end terms do these questions follow?
The end terms for KNM in Bijlage 2 of the Regeling inburgering 2021, as replaced by the regulation of 7 May 2024 (Staatscourant 2024, 15802), in force for exams since 1 July 2025.
More in this series
- KNM syllabus: the 8 themes and 78 eindtermen of the new exam
- KNM for Indian knowledge migrants and partners: permanent residence and citizenship
- KNM fee, booking, cancellation and retakes
- KNM exemptions and which integration law applies
- Inburgering deadline and fines: why family migrants are still fined
- KNM-examen oefenen A2: 20 questions across the 8 themes
- Ad Appel KNM book vs DUO’s practice exams: what is enough
- Basisexamen inburgering buitenland: who needs it, parts, fee, validity
- KNM exam preparation: a two-week plan built on the end terms
- KNM exam mistakes: the avoidable ones, with ten trap questions
- Netherlands KNM notice board — official updates
Sources
- official — Staatscourant 2024, 15802 — Regeling of 7 May 2024 replacing Bijlage 2 (KNM eindtermen), in force 1 July 2025
- official — DUO — Content of the knowledge exams (KNM, MAP, ONA, PVT)
- official — DUO — Practising for the exam
- official — Regeling inburgering 2021 (BWBR0045574), art 3.4-3.8 and the explanatory annex on the exams
- official — DUO news — Examen KNM aangepast (1 July 2025)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
