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Exam part

The KNM exam: how it works.

KNM stands for Kennis van de Nederlandse Maatschappij, knowledge of Dutch society. You answer questions about life in the Netherlands. Think of work, housing, healthcare and the government.

You take the exam on a computer. It takes 45 minutes and costs € 50.

What it looks like

The screen shows a question with a picture. Below it you choose from three answers. You do not have to write anything.

In the DUO practice exams every question had a picture and three answers. Every question was also read aloud.

The eight themes

Eight themes came back in the two DUO practice exams. This often, out of 80 questions:

These are the DUO practice exams, not the real exam. The split was almost the same in both practice exams.

What the practice exams show

The Inburgeringscursus.nl team counted both DUO practice exams for KNM. Two people did this separately. Does a figure count fewer than 80 questions? Then they did not agree on the rest.

  • 40

    per practice exam

    questions, each with three answers

  • 52

    out of 80

    questions are about work, institutions, healthcare or the government

  • 36

    out of 79

    questions are about rules: who arranges what and what you are entitled to

  • 77

    out of 79

    questions only have wrong answers that really exist

This is DUO practice material. The real exam can be different.

How this was counted and what did not hold up is in the KNM exam research by Inburgeringscursus.nl.

How to prepare

  1. 1

    Start with the big themes

    Work, institutions, healthcare and the government were 52 of the 80 questions together. That is where your time pays off most.

  2. 2

    Learn who does what

    Many questions are about an institution. Do you know what the gemeente does and what UWV does? Then you already get many questions right.

  3. 3

    Learn history by heart

    With history and geography there is nothing to reason out. All 9 questions were about facts you need to know.

  4. 4

    Practise with questions

    Most questions describe a situation. You learn this best by doing many questions. Reading alone is not enough.

Where it goes wrong

  • All three answers exist

    Crossing out what does not exist hardly ever works here. The wrong answers are real institutions or rules. They just do not fit this question.

  • A concept that looks similar

    The trap that came back most: a concept that is close but not right. That was true for 30 of the 76 questions. Keep asking who arranges exactly this one thing.

  • Looking in the picture

    For 78 of the 80 questions you did not need the picture. Read the question and the answers. That is where the information is.

  • Choosing too fast

    Two thirds of the questions describe someone in a situation: 50 of the 77. Read the whole situation before you choose.

How it is marked

The computer marks the exam. You pass or you fail.

DUO does not publish how many questions you need to get right. Do you see a fixed number somewhere, like 26 out of 40? That is an estimate. It is not a DUO rule.

Failed? Then you can take the exam again. You pay € 50 again.

Try a question

A question like the ones in the exam. Two wrong answers really exist. They just do not fit this situation.

KNM · Work and income

Ahmed heeft een vaste baan. Hij is ziek en kan niet werken. Wat moet hij eerst doen?

Ahmed has a job and falls ill. So he first reports sick to his employer. UWV only handles it when you have no employer. The gemeente has nothing to do with it.

Questions about KNM

How many questions does the KNM exam have?

DUO does not publish this. The two DUO practice exams have 40 questions each. Every question has three answers.

How many mistakes can you make in KNM?

DUO does not publish this. You only hear whether you passed. A fixed number you see online is an estimate.

How long does the KNM exam take?

The exam takes 45 minutes. You take it on a computer.

What changed in 2025?

Since 1 July 2025 KNM has new exam goals. Two subjects were added. The first is the freedom of women to make their own choices. The second is the Holocaust. With it comes the rule that antisemitism and discrimination are forbidden. The questions now test knowledge, not behaviour.

What does the KNM exam cost?

The exam costs € 50 per attempt. If you fail, you pay € 50 again for a new attempt. Do you have an asylum permit and fall under the 2021 law? Then your first two attempts are often free. Check inburgeren.nl to see what applies to you.

When do I get my result?

Usually within 8 weeks. You get a letter. You can also see the result in Mijn Inburgering.

Is KNM the same as KNS?

No. KNS is part of the basic exam you take abroad, before you come to the Netherlands. You take KNM in the Netherlands.

Sources

Facts checked on 14 October 2026.