Skip to content

KNM practice exam in English: 20 free questions

Checked on November 13, 2026

This is a free KNM (Kennis van de Nederlandse Maatschappij, Knowledge of Dutch Society) practice exam in English. You answer 20 questions on the 8 themes of the new KNM end terms, in force since 1 July 2025: work and income; manners, values and norms; housing; health care; history and geography; public institutions; the constitution and rule of law; and education and parenting. After checking, you see the right answer and a short explanation for each question.

The real KNM exam is taken in Dutch, on a computer at a DUO exam centre. The questions come in themes, such as ‘housing’ or ‘work and income’. The exam takes 45 minutes and costs €50. Since July 2025 there is more attention to women’s right to self-determination and to the Holocaust.

DUO does not publish how many questions the exam has or how many you need to get right. We count 14 out of 20 as a pass. That is practice scoring, not an official pass mark.

This site is not DUO. We wrote these questions ourselves, based on the official end terms. Because the real exam is in Dutch, also take our Dutch KNM practice exam with 30 questions and DUO’s two official practice exams. For an overview of all inburgering exams in English, see the inburgering exam explained.

20 questions Pass mark: 14/20

Question 1 of 20Samira has a university degree in economics from Syria. She wants to know what her degree is worth in the Netherlands. What is the best thing to do? Have the degree translated and stamped at the municipality (gemeente). Nothing, because foreign degrees never count in the Netherlands. Have the degree evaluated by IDW (Internationale Diplomawaardering).

Explanation: IDW compares a foreign diploma with the Dutch education system, so employers can see your level. For most people who are integrating (inburgeraars) this is free.

Question 2 of 20Jan looks at his payslip. His net pay is lower than his gross pay. Why? His employer withholds tax and social insurance contributions. His employer has deducted a fine from his pay. The employer may decide how much of the salary to pay out.

Explanation: Employers withhold wage tax and contributions from gross pay and pay them to the Tax Administration (Belastingdienst). What is left is your net pay.

Question 3 of 20Fatima applies for a job. The manager says: 'We do not hire women who wear a headscarf.' What is true? That is allowed: a company can always choose whom it hires. That is discrimination, and it is against the law. That is only allowed at small companies with fewer than ten staff.

Explanation: Discrimination on the grounds of religion is prohibited (Article 1 of the Constitution and the Equal Treatment Act). Through your municipality you can report it to an anti-discrimination service (antidiscriminatievoorziening).

Question 4 of 20Maria has a dentist appointment tomorrow at 10:00. She is ill and cannot go. What should she do? Just not go. The dentist will notice anyway. Call the dentist as soon as possible to cancel. Go the next day without an appointment.

Explanation: In the Netherlands you make appointments in advance and cancel in time if you cannot come. If you cancel too late, you may still have to pay.

Question 5 of 20On 4 May at 8 p.m. the whole country is silent for two minutes. Why? To remember the victims of war, from the Second World War onwards. To celebrate the King's birthday across the whole country. To mark the start of summer time, which begins that evening.

Explanation: 4 May is National Remembrance Day (Nationale Dodenherdenking). On 5 May the Netherlands celebrates Liberation Day: the end of the German occupation in 1945.

Question 6 of 20Ali rents a social housing flat. For months there has been mould and a leak, and the landlord does nothing. Where can Ali get help? The police (politie). DUO, the exam and study-finance agency. The Rent Tribunal (Huurcommissie).

Explanation: Tenants have rights. The Huurcommissie settles disputes between tenants and landlords, for example about maintenance or the level of the rent.

Question 7 of 20Lina has empty glass jars and bottles. What does she do with them? She takes them to the bottle bank (glasbak). She puts them in the general household waste. She leaves them next to a full container in the street.

Explanation: In the Netherlands you separate waste such as glass, paper and food and garden waste (gft). Your municipality explains how. Leaving rubbish next to a container is not allowed and can lead to a fine.

Question 8 of 20Omar has had back pain for two weeks. He wants to see a specialist at the hospital. What does he do first? He goes straight to the hospital's emergency department. He makes an appointment with his GP (huisarts). He calls 112.

Explanation: The GP is the first point of contact for health problems. To see a hospital specialist you usually need a referral from your GP.

Question 9 of 20It is Saturday evening. Lena's little boy has a high fever and she is worried. It is not life-threatening. Whom does she call? The emergency number 112, for an ambulance. The local pharmacy (apotheek), for medicine. The out-of-hours GP service (huisartsenpost).

Explanation: In the evening, at night and at weekends you call the huisartsenpost for urgent problems. Call 112 only when a life is in danger.

Question 10 of 20Karim (30) lives and works in the Netherlands. Does he need health insurance? Yes, basic health insurance is compulsory. No, health insurance is voluntary in the Netherlands. Only if he often sees a doctor or goes to hospital.

Explanation: Everyone who lives or works in the Netherlands must have basic health insurance (basisverzekering) under the Health Insurance Act. Children under 18 are covered free of charge on a parent's policy. Extra cover is optional.

Question 11 of 20What happened to the Jews in the Netherlands during the Second World War? The German occupiers protected them and let them keep working. They could leave the country without problems, for example for America. They were persecuted, deported and murdered.

Explanation: During the German occupation (1940-1945) Jews were persecuted. Most were deported via camp Westerbork to extermination camps. More than 100,000 Jews from the Netherlands were murdered. This is the Holocaust (Shoah).

Question 12 of 201 July is Keti Koti. What do many people remember and celebrate on that day? The end of the Second World War in 1945. The abolition of slavery in 1863. The independence of Suriname in 1975.

Explanation: The Netherlands abolished slavery in Suriname and its Caribbean colonies on 1 July 1863. In Suriname many freed people still had to work for ten more years. Keti Koti means 'broken chains'.

Question 13 of 20In which city are the Dutch government and parliament based? The Hague (Den Haag). Amsterdam, the capital. Rotterdam, the largest port.

Explanation: Amsterdam is the capital, but the government and both houses of parliament are in The Hague.

Question 14 of 20Nadia gets a phone call. The caller says he works for the municipality and asks for her DigiD password. What does Nadia do? She gives the password, because the municipality is allowed to ask. She would rather send the password safely by e-mail. She does not give her password and hangs up.

Explanation: Your DigiD is personal. Never give your password or codes to anyone, even if they say they work for the government.

Question 15 of 20Hassan moves to another house in the same city. What must he do? Nothing. The landlord will tell the municipality. Report his new address to the municipality within 5 days. Only inform his employer and his health insurer.

Explanation: You report a move to your municipality, from 4 weeks before until 5 days after the move. Your address in the Personal Records Database (BRP) is then correct.

Question 16 of 20Mehmet has Turkish nationality. He is 40 and has lived legally in the Netherlands for 6 years. Can he vote in the municipal council elections? Yes, because he has lived here legally for more than 5 years. No, only Dutch nationals can vote. Yes, but only if he owns a house in that municipality.

Explanation: Residents without Dutch nationality can vote for the municipal council after 5 years of uninterrupted legal residence. EU citizens can vote straight away. To vote for the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) you must be Dutch.

Question 17 of 20Aisha is 19. Her parents want her to marry a man they have chosen for her. Aisha does not want to. What is true in the Netherlands? Aisha must do what her parents say, because she is still young. Aisha can only choose for herself from the age of 25. Aisha decides for herself whether and whom she marries.

Explanation: Women in the Netherlands have the right to self-determination: they decide about their own body, relationships, marriage, education and work. Forcing someone to marry is a crime, and you can only marry from the age of 18.

Question 18 of 20What applies in the Netherlands when a religious rule or a tradition conflicts with the law? The religious rule comes first. Dutch law comes first. Everyone may choose which rule to follow.

Explanation: There is freedom of religion (Article 6 of the Constitution), but everyone must obey the law. The law ranks above religious rules and traditions.

Question 19 of 20From what age must a child in the Netherlands go to school? From age 5. From age 4. From age 6.

Explanation: School attendance is compulsory from age 5 (Compulsory Education Act). Most children start primary school at 4. Young people must stay in education until 18 unless they have a basic qualification (startkwalificatie), such as a havo, vwo or mbo-2 diploma.

Question 20 of 20Mohamed and Leila are looking for a primary school for their son. What is true? The municipality decides which school their son attends. They may choose a public or a 'special' (e.g. religious) school. Only public schools receive money from the government; others are private.

Explanation: There are public schools and 'special' (bijzondere) schools, for example Catholic, Protestant, Islamic or schools with their own teaching philosophy. The government funds both (Article 23 of the Constitution). Parents choose.

Sources: Our own practice questions, based on the official KNM end terms (Staatscourant 2024, 15802; in force since 1 July 2025) — Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (Netherlands)

Frequently asked questions

Is the real KNM exam in English?

No. The real KNM exam is in Dutch. Use this English version to learn the content, then practise with our Dutch KNM practice exam and DUO's two official KNM practice exams.

How many questions does the KNM exam have, and what is the pass mark?

DUO does not publish either. It only states that the exam takes 45 minutes and that the questions are grouped by theme. In this practice exam we count 14 out of 20 as a pass; that is practice scoring, not an official standard.

What changed in the KNM exam in 2025?

Since 1 July 2025 the exam follows new end terms: 8 themes, 27 key actions and 78 end terms. There is more attention to women's right to self-determination and to the Holocaust, and the questions focus more on knowledge than on behaviour.

Who has to take the KNM exam?

Almost everyone who integrates: people in the B1 route or education route under the 2021 Act, people under the 2013 Act, and voluntary candidates who want Dutch citizenship or permanent residence. People in the Z route do not take KNM.

Sources

KNM end terms (Staatscourant 2024, 15802) — Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment
Inburgeringsexamen vernieuwd: extra aandacht voor zelfbeschikking vrouwen en kennis holocaust (30 June 2025) — Rijksoverheid
Kennisexamens: KNM — inburgeren.nl — DUO
Hoeveel kost inburgeren? (costs) — inburgeren.nl — DUO
Oefenen (official practice exams) — inburgeren.nl — DUO