Finding work and a contract
In the theme Werk en inkomen (work and income), the KNM exam checks whether you know how work is organized in the Netherlands. The focus is on facts, rules, and institutions. It does not test your personal opinion.
You may see questions about finding a job, having a full-time or part-time job, and starting your own business. One known example is about deeltijdbaan (part-time job):
Eva wil graag een deeltijdbaan. Kan dat in Nederland?
English meaning: Eva would like a part-time job. Is that possible in the Netherlands?
The correct idea is that this is possible in the Netherlands. This shows a typical KNM pattern: a short situation, then a direct rule question.
You may also see what the law requires if you want to start a business. A known exam-style example is:
Ming wil een eigen schoenenwinkel beginnen. Wat moet ze doen, volgens de wet?
English meaning: Ming wants to start her own shoe shop. What must she do, according to the law?
The tested fact is that she must register with the Kamer van Koophandel (Dutch Chamber of Commerce). The exam often asks this as Wat moet ... doen? because DUO wants to know if you recognize a legal requirement.
Contracts are also part of this theme. The exam can describe a work contract ending and then ask what happens next. For example:
Mark werkt in een supermarkt. Zijn contract eindigt op 31 mei. Hij heeft nog geen ander werk gevonden. Wanneer kan Mark een uitkering aanvragen?
English meaning: Mark works in a supermarket. His contract ends on 31 May. He has not found another job yet. When can Mark apply for a benefit?
This kind of question tests whether you notice the key fact in the situation: the contract is ending and the person has no new work. On the KNM exam, you often need to choose between three close options about time or rule.
Another rule the exam tests is equal treatment at work. A known example is:
Mogen vrouwen in Nederland hetzelfde werk doen als mannen?
English meaning: May women in the Netherlands do the same work as men?
The tested knowledge is that women may do the same work as men. This fits the post-2025 KNM style: DUO asks what the rule is in Dutch society.
You can also get a question about language at work:
Mag een werkgever eisen dat je goed Nederlands kunt schrijven?
English meaning: May an employer require that you can write Dutch well?
Here, the exam uses a common Mag ...? pattern. The right answer is conditional: only if it is needed for the job. In KNM, this matters because DUO often gives three options like yes, only in some cases, or no.
Tax and your payslip
The KNM exam also checks whether you understand the difference between gross salary and the money that arrives in your bank account. You do not need complex tax knowledge. You do need the basic rule.
A known example is:
Jason werkt in de zorg. Zijn brutosalaris is € 2.900. Wat krijgt hij op zijn bankrekening?
English meaning: Jason works in healthcare. His gross salary is €2,900. What does he get in his bank account?
The tested fact is simple: he gets less than €2,900. DUO uses this kind of question to check whether you know that brutosalaris (gross salary) is not the same as the amount paid into your account.
For KNM, your payslip knowledge should stay practical:
- brutosalaris is the gross amount
- the amount in your bank account is lower
- the exam may ask this with options like meer dan, precies, or minder dan
This is a good example of a DUO distractor pattern. The question is not asking you to calculate. It is asking whether you know the rule behind the payslip.
Benefits and allowances
Work and income in the Netherlands also includes money support in some situations. The KNM exam can ask about uitkering (benefit) and kinderopvangtoeslag (childcare allowance).
You already saw the example about Mark, whose contract ends. That question tests when someone can apply for an uitkering. The exam gives a concrete date and then asks Wanneer ...? You need to read the situation carefully and choose the correct time option.
Another known example is about childcare allowance:
Maartje krijgt kinderopvangtoeslag. Ze krijgt een nieuwe baan en gaat meer geld verdienen. Wat gebeurt er waarschijnlijk met haar kinderopvangtoeslag?
English meaning: Maartje gets childcare allowance. She gets a new job and will earn more money. What will probably happen to her childcare allowance?
The tested fact is that her kinderopvangtoeslag goes down. This is a classic KNM pattern: DUO gives a change in income and asks what happens next.
This theme is about recognizing the direction of change, not about doing full financial calculations. On exam day, pay attention to words like these:
- omlaag — down
- omhoog — up
- gelijk — stays the same
- waarschijnlijk — probably
If you miss one of these words, you can lose the point even when you know the topic.
What the KNM exam asks about this
In the 2025-2026 KNM exam, Werk en inkomen is one of the official themes. In the observed example exam, this block had several questions. The exact wording is usually short, concrete, and based on a person in a real situation.
For this topic, DUO often asks about these question types:
- Kan / Mag / Mogen ...? for rules about work
- Wat moet ... doen? for legal steps, such as registering a business
- Wat krijgt ...? for gross salary versus net pay in your bank account
- Wat gebeurt er waarschijnlijk ...? for allowances when income changes
- Wanneer ...? for benefits after a contract ends
The answer options are always three choices. They are often close to each other. One option may name the wrong institution, or the wrong time, or the wrong direction such as up instead of down.
That is why exam practice helps. You need to get used to short Dutch question stems, common answer patterns, and the small words that change the meaning.
InburgeringPrep helps you train exactly this. You practise with KNM-style questions in clear Dutch, with support so you can understand the meaning fast and build the exam habit DUO expects.