How to prepare for the KNM exam: start with one timed test
Start with one full practice test before you study anything: set a timer for 45 minutes and answer 40 questions in one go, because that is the format of the real inburgering KNM exam. Each question has a picture (usually a photo), a short Dutch question and three answer options. Do not stop to look things up, but mark the questions you were unsure about and review them only after the timer ends.
DUO has two free practice exams on its practice page, and they follow the format used since 1 July 2025. After that first test, our KNM practice questions give you more material for each theme.
Then sort every wrong answer into one of two lists:
- I did not know the fact. This is a knowledge gap, which you fix by studying the theme.
- I mixed up two answers that both looked right. This is a confusion error, which you fix by comparing the two answers side by side.
The KNM pass mark: 28 out of 40
You pass KNM with 28 correct answers out of 40, and DUO states this mark on the result screen of its practice exam. You do not need a perfect score, and there is no penalty for a wrong answer, so never leave a question open.
Your first score tells you what to do next:
- 28 or more: you are around the pass mark. Make that score stable by building a buffer of a few points above the pass mark.
- About 20 to 27: work on your weakest themes instead of doing one full test after another.
- Below 20: learn the facts first. Full tests will only show you the same gaps again.
A single score of 28 is not much safety, because nerves or a few hard questions can cost you two or three points on the day, so aim to score above 28 in practice more than once before you book.
The eight KNM themes to study
Searches such as inburgering kennis Nederlandse maatschappij or knm inburgering all lead to one exam with eight official themes (knowledge of Dutch society). The questions come in blocks, and a short screen tells you which theme comes next.
- Werk en inkomen (work and income)
- Omgangsvormen, waarden en normen (manners, values and norms)
- Wonen (housing)
- Gezondheid en gezondheidszorg (health and health care)
- Geschiedenis en geografie (history and geography)
- Instanties (public bodies and organisations)
- Staatsinrichting en rechtsstaat (how the state works and the rule of law)
- Onderwijs en opvoeding (education and raising children)
Since 1 July 2025 some topics get more attention, including the Second World War, the Holocaust and antisemitism. Others are the right of women to make their own choices, LHBTI rights, and the rule that Dutch law comes before religious or cultural rules. Safe use of DigiD and online privacy are new as well. The exam now asks what you know about Dutch society, not what you would do in a situation, so older behaviour-style practice books are less useful.
What to learn first
Some mistakes come back in every theme, so fixing them gives you extra points across the whole exam, whatever the topic.
- Who does what. Many questions ask which body is responsible. Learn the difference between the gemeente (municipality), parliament, the judge and the police. Do the same for the GP (huisarts), the pharmacy and the hospital.
- Yes, no, or only if. Questions with Mag ...? or Moet ...? often have three answers: yes, no, and yes under a condition. Read the condition before you choose.
- The question word. Waarom asks for a reason, wanneer for a time, waar for a place and wie for a person or organisation. A wrong answer often fits the topic but answers a different question word.
The photo sets the scene but rarely gives you the answer, so read the Dutch question first and then the three options.
A four-week KNM study plan
A plan you can keep after work beats a long plan you drop in week two, and short sessions on a few evenings a week are enough for most people.
- Week 1: take the timed test and sort your mistakes by theme and by type.
- Week 2: study your two weakest themes and one repeated error, such as mixing up institutions.
- Week 3: study the next two weak themes. Keep one short session to review week 2.
- Week 4: take a second timed test and compare it with week 1.
Each week, use two short sessions for one theme each, one session to compare answers that look alike and one longer session with mixed questions from all themes. If you have more time, repeat the cycle of two study weeks and one test. If you have less, do one test, one week of focused study and one final test.
The last week before the exam
Do your last full timed test early in the week and spend the other days on your weak themes and on questions where you mixed up two institutions. Stop studying the night before.
During the exam you have about a minute per question, so do not get stuck: choose the best answer, move on and come back later if there is time. The result arrives by letter within 8 weeks and is also shown in Mijn Inburgering. KNM is the same exam on the A2 and the B1 route. For more exam-day advice, read our KNM tips.
