The KNM exam: 45 minutes on a computer
KNM tests your knowledge of Dutch society. You take it on a computer in 45 minutes. The fee is €50 in 2026 (External site, opens in a new tab), unless you qualify for free attempts. Book in Mijn Inburgering (My Civic Integration) (External site, opens in a new tab). DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, the Dutch education service) sends your result within 8 weeks (External site, opens in a new tab).
If you need to take Kennis van de Nederlandse Maatschappij, use this guide to choose practice and plan your booking. KNM is part of the inburgeringsexamen (civic integration exam).
KNM topics
KNM covers everyday situations, public services, rights and Dutch facts. The inburgeringsexamen guide explains how KNM fits with the language exams, Module Arbeidsmarkt en Participatie (MAP, labour market and participation module), Oriëntatie op de Nederlandse Arbeidsmarkt (ONA, orientation on the Dutch labour market) and Participatieverklaringstraject (PVT, participation statement process).
The eight official KNM themes
KNM covers eight subject areas. Their topics and learning objectives come from the Besluit inburgering 2021 (Civic Integration Decree 2021), Article 3.4 (External site, opens in a new tab) and the KNM exam objectives (External site, opens in a new tab). The last column suggests a way to practise; it does not predict your exam questions.
You can scroll wide tables sideways.
| Theme | Examples to study | Practice advice |
|---|---|---|
| Werk en inkomen (work and income) | Contracts, job applications, salary, benefits, taxes, UWV (employee insurance agency), Kamer van Koophandel (KVK, Chamber of Commerce), insurance for self-employed people | Ask: am I an employee, unemployed, or running a business? |
| Omgangsvormen, waarden en normen (manners, values and norms) | Being on time, appointments, equality, relationships, holidays, direct but respectful communication | Check whether the action respects appointments, equality, and other people's rights. |
| Wonen (housing) | Renting, buying, utilities, moving, meter readings, social housing, neighbourhood rules | For a home problem, ask: landlord, supplier, gemeente (municipality), or emergency number? |
| Gezondheid en gezondheidszorg (health and healthcare) | Huisarts (general practitioner), dentist, pharmacy, insurance, eigen risico (compulsory insurance excess), 112, child health checks | For normal illness, contact the huisarts. For a life-threatening emergency, call 112. |
| Geschiedenis en geografie (history and geography) | Holidays, provinces, water management, World War II, colonies, national symbols | Learn to recognise dates, maps, and symbols, and understand why water management matters. |
| Instanties (institutions) | Gemeente, DUO, Belastingdienst (Tax Administration), Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB, Social Insurance Bank), DigiD (government digital login), ID (identity document), passport, toeslagen (allowances) | First identify the office responsible for the task. |
| Staatsinrichting en rechtsstaat (government and rule of law) | Voting, parliament, courts, police, equality, religion, the King, ministers | Know the difference between rights, police action, and a judge’s decision. |
| Onderwijs en opvoeding (education and upbringing) | Compulsory education, school levels, DUO student finance, childcare, parental responsibility | Parents and schools both have duties. Parents must ensure school attendance during compulsory education unless an exemption or authorised absence applies. |
KNM format, fees, booking and results
You take KNM on a computer and have 45 minutes. DUO's KNM format page (External site, opens in a new tab) confirms these details.
You can scroll wide tables sideways.
| Detail | Official information | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Place | DUO exam location, on a computer | Choose the date and place when booking. |
| Time | 45 minutes | Practise with a timer. If the exam screen shows progress, use it to check what is left. Aim to answer every question before time ends. |
| Question count | 40 questions, according to DUO's KNM practice exam | Use our 40-question sets as extra practice. |
KNM pass mark and practice scores
You need about 28 of 40 correct to pass. Our KNM practice exam has 40 multiple-choice questions and the same pass mark.
DUO determines your official result. The Regeling inburgering 2021 (Civic Integration Regulation 2021) (External site, opens in a new tab) sets the exam objectives and computer assessment rules.
KNM fee and free attempts
The DUO fee table (External site, opens in a new tab) lists KNM at €50 in October 2026. Some asielstatushouders (people with asylum status) under Wet inburgering 2021 (Civic Integration Act 2021) qualify for the first two attempts at each exam free.
Eligibility depends on your integration route (External site, opens in a new tab). Free attempts cover exams at the level in your persoonlijk plan inburgering en participatie (PIP, personal integration and participation plan) or above. You pay for exams below that level. If you qualify but need more than two attempts, you pay for the extra attempts. People with asylum status under the 2021 Act cannot borrow from DUO. See the free exam attempts guide for the conditions.
KNM booking in Mijn Inburgering
Your integration law, PIP and personal situation determine your required exams. Follow DUO's KNM registration instructions (External site, opens in a new tab):
- Log in to Mijn Inburgering with DigiD (External site, opens in a new tab).
- Check whether KNM is one of your required exams.
- Choose the exam date and place.
DUO confirms your booking by email and letter. If you cannot log in, use the Aanmelding inburgeringsexamen on DUO's registration page (External site, opens in a new tab). For more booking details, use the inburgering exam registration guide.
KNM results in Mijn Inburgering
DUO sends the knowledge-exam result within 8 weeks (External site, opens in a new tab) by letter. You can also see it in Mijn Inburgering. The exam results timeline explains where to check while you wait.
KNM question patterns
KNM questions use everyday situations and pictures. You may need to identify an office, choose an action or recognise a Dutch fact. Use these practice checks:
- Identify the situation: someone is sick, moving, working, studying, paying rent, voting or contacting a public service.
- Read the question before using the picture. An image can show the topic; the question tells you what to answer.
- Check who is responsible. For normal illness, contact the huisarts first. The gemeente handles municipal services; a private energy contract goes through a supplier.
An answer can name a service that exists. That service can still be the wrong first action for the situation. For normal illness, start with the huisarts rather than the hospital. A bank can receive your benefit payment, but you apply through the responsible public service. Practise recognising these choices with KNM question types, answers and traps.
For healthcare situations outside the exam, use the guide to finding and using a huisarts. For a life-threatening medical emergency, call 112. The government’s 112 guidance (External site, opens in a new tab) explains when to use the emergency number.
Learn words that help you understand the situation: afspraak (appointment), uitkering (benefit), huur (rent) and verzekering (insurance). For school questions, learn leerplicht (compulsory education); for driving questions, learn rijbewijs (driving licence). Also practise recognising huisarts, gemeente, toeslagen, DigiD and eigen risico.
DUO's exam secrecy rules (External site, opens in a new tab) require candidates to keep exam questions secret. Candidates may not photograph or copy the questions.
KNM practice
We suggest this study order:
- Study one theme at a time.
- Take DUO's official KNM practice exams (External site, opens in a new tab).
- Write one short rule for each mistake. For example: for normal illness, call the huisarts first.
- Practise with mixed questions. Identify the theme yourself. Use our free KNM mock exam as extra practice.
Make a contact list with each service and the task it handles. Group your list by topic:
- Work and money: UWV, KVK, Belastingdienst and SVB.
- Health and emergencies: huisarts, apotheek (pharmacy) and emergency number 112.
- Housing and public services: gemeente, DUO, Juridisch Loket (legal advice service) and woningcorporatie (housing association).
If healthcare, benefits, housing, rights or institutions still confuse you, use the KNM topics explained. Learn the rule behind each answer before taking another practice test.
Your KNM booking decision
If Mijn Inburgering lists KNM as a required exam, choose a date with time for practice and results before your deadline. If your deadline is close, check the available dates now: the wait can exceed 6 weeks. If you qualify for free attempts, check the conditions before paying. You need about 28 of 40 correct to pass. Use DUO's official practice exams to learn the question types.
- Author
- By Inburgering.org team
- Reviewer
- Reviewed by Kirill Svavolia
Official Sources
- DUO / inburgeren.nl (DUO's civic integration website): Knowledge exams (External site, opens in a new tab) - KNM is a 45-minute computer exam with themes. This public page gives no fixed question count or raw pass mark.
- DUO / inburgeren.nl: Aanmelden examen (register for an exam) (External site, opens in a new tab) - KNM booking, date and place selection, confirmation, paper form and waiting time that can exceed six weeks.
- DUO / inburgeren.nl: Oefenen (practice) (External site, opens in a new tab) - Official A2 and KNM practice exams from DUO.
- DUO / inburgeren.nl: Uitslag examen (exam result) (External site, opens in a new tab) - DUO result timing for knowledge exams and A2 language exams.
- DUO / inburgeren.nl: Hoeveel kost inburgeren? (what does civic integration cost?) (External site, opens in a new tab) - The €50 KNM fee and first two free attempts for asylum-status holders under Wet inburgering 2021, with the PIP-level exception.
- Besluit inburgering 2021, Article 3.4 (External site, opens in a new tab) - Legal list of KNM subject areas.
- Regeling inburgering 2021, Articles 3.2, 3.4, 3.5, 3.7 and 3.8 (External site, opens in a new tab) - KNM objectives, the exam fee, route conditions for free attempts and automated computer assessment.
- DUO / inburgeren.nl: Kennisexamens (knowledge exams) (External site, opens in a new tab) - Dutch source for the KNM computer format and duration, required exams, and the official PIP name.
- KNM exam objectives, in force from 1 July 2025 (External site, opens in a new tab) - Current eight subject areas, everyday situations and pictures, knowledge and action examples, and healthcare distinctions.
- DUO / inburgeren.nl: Inloggen op Mijn Inburgering (External site, opens in a new tab) - Use Mijn Inburgering to check required exams, book and see results. Log in with DigiD.
- DigiD: What is DigiD? (External site, opens in a new tab) - DigiD identifies you when using government and other public services online.
- Rijksoverheid (Dutch central government): School attendance supervision (External site, opens in a new tab) - Parents must prevent unauthorised absence and schools must report it.
- Rijksoverheid: When a child may miss school (External site, opens in a new tab) - Exceptions to compulsory attendance, including exemptions and authorised absence.
- Government.nl: When to call 112 (External site, opens in a new tab) - Call 112 for urgent emergencies, including immediate danger and serious injury.
- Government.nl: Woningcorporaties (housing associations) (External site, opens in a new tab) - Housing associations provide and maintain housing.
- DUO / inburgeren.nl: Regels voor het examen (exam rules) (External site, opens in a new tab) - Candidates must keep exam content secret and may not photograph or copy questions.