Pass the KNS Exam

I prepared for the Basisexamen from the UK to join my partner in the Netherlands. The A1 exercises matched the real exam format — especially the speaking part, where you only hear the question once. Studied every evening for 4 months. I wish there were a few more reading practice texts, but the speaking preparation was exactly what I needed. Passed at the embassy on the first try.

I came to the Netherlands as a kennismigrant and had to pass the inburgering exam. My Dutch was basically zero — I only spoke English at work. The timed practice exams were the most helpful: they run exactly like the real thing, so nothing surprised me on exam day. Passed Reading, Listening, and KNM on the first try. Speaking took two attempts — I ran out of time on Part 4 with the three images.

I needed B2 to start my master's at Leiden University. The NT2-II is significantly harder than B1 — longer texts, faster audio, and for speaking you need to give a 2-minute presentation on the spot. The writing exercises with AI feedback helped me the most — academic Dutch is very different from how people actually talk. Studied for 5 months while working. Passed everything, though the listening was close.

I moved to the Netherlands as a partner of a kennismigrant and had 3 years to pass everything. The hardest part was not knowing what the exam actually looks like — nobody shows you. Here I could practice the exact format: reading texts with questions, listening to audio played once, speaking with a countdown. The writing AI feedback helped me learn the email structure they expect. Passed everything after about 8 months.

My taalschool barely covered KNM, so I was worried. The practice questions here are very close to the real exam — same style, same topics. I did 40 practice questions every evening for about 3 weeks. Some topics like Dutch politics could use more detailed explanations — I had to look up a few things separately. But the question format practice was exactly what I needed. Got 38 out of 40.

I needed B2 for my job in IT — my employer required it for a promotion. The writing exercises prepared me for formal reports and emails in Dutch. Academic and professional Dutch is a different world from daily conversation. The AI grading showed me exactly where my grammar and structure needed work. Took me about 4 months of evening practice. The speaking exam was the hardest part — it required real preparation.

I needed B1 for my Dutch citizenship application. I had passed A2 two years earlier and my Dutch was fine for daily life, but the Staatsexamen is a real step up. The timed reading practice was crucial — you get 100 minutes for everything and I was always running out of time at first. Passed Lezen and Luisteren first try, but needed two attempts for Schrijven. I just made too many spelling mistakes the first time.

I moved from the US for my Dutch wife and started with zero Dutch. The listening exercises with different speaking speeds really helped — on the real exam you only hear the audio once and some speakers talk fast. After 8 months of daily practice I passed everything. Would have liked more variety in the accents, but overall the format practice made the real exam feel familiar.

I prepared for the Basisexamen from Russia to join my family in Amsterdam. Studying Dutch when nobody around you speaks it is hard. The exercises gave me structure — I knew what to study each day instead of memorizing random words from a book. The KNS questions about Dutch society were completely new to me and the practice helped a lot. Took 5 months of evening study after work. Not easy, but I passed.

I have been in the Netherlands for 6 years and needed B1 for my verblijfsvergunning voor onbepaalde tijd. My spoken Dutch is fine from daily life, but the exam format is very specific. Without timed practice I would have talked too long on some questions and too short on others. The theory sections explaining what examiners look for were the most useful part.

The ONA portfolio was the part I was most confused about. Nobody explains what a good portfolio looks like. The step-by-step guidance for all 8 cards saved me — I had example answers to work from and knew what the interviewer would ask. I also used the platform for my A2 exam preparation. The speaking practice with the timer taught me to structure my answers within 1 minute.

Needed B1 for my MBO. I had been living in the Netherlands for 3 years and could have conversations, but the exam Dutch is different from street Dutch. The reading comprehension texts were challenging but fair — exactly the right difficulty for what you see on test day. Passed after about 3 months of focused practice alongside my regular coursework.

I came as a kennismigrant and needed to pass A2 for my citizenship. I used this alongside my tutor. The tutor taught me grammar, but the exam practice here taught me how the test actually works — the timing, the question types, the format of each section. That combination is what got me through. Passed everything in one go after about 6 months.

I moved from Brazil and needed B2 for my HBO admission. The speaking part of the NT2-II is no joke. The practice prompts here helped me build a structure I could use for any topic. The reading exercises are also at the right level — long academic texts, just like the real exam. Took me 6 months of serious study.

I needed B1 because I had to do it in 3 years. The flashcards helped me build vocabulary faster than my textbook — I practiced on the train every day. The progress tracking kept me motivated when it felt like I was not improving. Passed Lezen, Luisteren, and Spreken first try. Schrijven took a second attempt, but the AI writing feedback showed me exactly what to fix.

I prepared for the Basisexamen from the UK to join my partner in the Netherlands. The A1 exercises matched the real exam format — especially the speaking part, where you only hear the question once. Studied every evening for 4 months. I wish there were a few more reading practice texts, but the speaking preparation was exactly what I needed. Passed at the embassy on the first try.

I came to the Netherlands as a kennismigrant and had to pass the inburgering exam. My Dutch was basically zero — I only spoke English at work. The timed practice exams were the most helpful: they run exactly like the real thing, so nothing surprised me on exam day. Passed Reading, Listening, and KNM on the first try. Speaking took two attempts — I ran out of time on Part 4 with the three images.

I needed B2 to start my master's at Leiden University. The NT2-II is significantly harder than B1 — longer texts, faster audio, and for speaking you need to give a 2-minute presentation on the spot. The writing exercises with AI feedback helped me the most — academic Dutch is very different from how people actually talk. Studied for 5 months while working. Passed everything, though the listening was close.

I moved to the Netherlands as a partner of a kennismigrant and had 3 years to pass everything. The hardest part was not knowing what the exam actually looks like — nobody shows you. Here I could practice the exact format: reading texts with questions, listening to audio played once, speaking with a countdown. The writing AI feedback helped me learn the email structure they expect. Passed everything after about 8 months.

My taalschool barely covered KNM, so I was worried. The practice questions here are very close to the real exam — same style, same topics. I did 40 practice questions every evening for about 3 weeks. Some topics like Dutch politics could use more detailed explanations — I had to look up a few things separately. But the question format practice was exactly what I needed. Got 38 out of 40.

I needed B2 for my job in IT — my employer required it for a promotion. The writing exercises prepared me for formal reports and emails in Dutch. Academic and professional Dutch is a different world from daily conversation. The AI grading showed me exactly where my grammar and structure needed work. Took me about 4 months of evening practice. The speaking exam was the hardest part — it required real preparation.

I needed B1 for my Dutch citizenship application. I had passed A2 two years earlier and my Dutch was fine for daily life, but the Staatsexamen is a real step up. The timed reading practice was crucial — you get 100 minutes for everything and I was always running out of time at first. Passed Lezen and Luisteren first try, but needed two attempts for Schrijven. I just made too many spelling mistakes the first time.

I moved from the US for my Dutch wife and started with zero Dutch. The listening exercises with different speaking speeds really helped — on the real exam you only hear the audio once and some speakers talk fast. After 8 months of daily practice I passed everything. Would have liked more variety in the accents, but overall the format practice made the real exam feel familiar.

I prepared for the Basisexamen from Russia to join my family in Amsterdam. Studying Dutch when nobody around you speaks it is hard. The exercises gave me structure — I knew what to study each day instead of memorizing random words from a book. The KNS questions about Dutch society were completely new to me and the practice helped a lot. Took 5 months of evening study after work. Not easy, but I passed.

I have been in the Netherlands for 6 years and needed B1 for my verblijfsvergunning voor onbepaalde tijd. My spoken Dutch is fine from daily life, but the exam format is very specific. Without timed practice I would have talked too long on some questions and too short on others. The theory sections explaining what examiners look for were the most useful part.

The ONA portfolio was the part I was most confused about. Nobody explains what a good portfolio looks like. The step-by-step guidance for all 8 cards saved me — I had example answers to work from and knew what the interviewer would ask. I also used the platform for my A2 exam preparation. The speaking practice with the timer taught me to structure my answers within 1 minute.

Needed B1 for my MBO. I had been living in the Netherlands for 3 years and could have conversations, but the exam Dutch is different from street Dutch. The reading comprehension texts were challenging but fair — exactly the right difficulty for what you see on test day. Passed after about 3 months of focused practice alongside my regular coursework.

I came as a kennismigrant and needed to pass A2 for my citizenship. I used this alongside my tutor. The tutor taught me grammar, but the exam practice here taught me how the test actually works — the timing, the question types, the format of each section. That combination is what got me through. Passed everything in one go after about 6 months.

I moved from Brazil and needed B2 for my HBO admission. The speaking part of the NT2-II is no joke. The practice prompts here helped me build a structure I could use for any topic. The reading exercises are also at the right level — long academic texts, just like the real exam. Took me 6 months of serious study.

I needed B1 because I had to do it in 3 years. The flashcards helped me build vocabulary faster than my textbook — I practiced on the train every day. The progress tracking kept me motivated when it felt like I was not improving. Passed Lezen, Luisteren, and Spreken first try. Schrijven took a second attempt, but the AI writing feedback showed me exactly what to fix.