KNM · books and practice
Which KNM book do you need for the exam?
Last updated · official information checked at inburgeren.nl
No. DUO does not prescribe a KNM book. The exam tests the official eindtermen: eight themes about how the Netherlands works. DUO publishes two free KNM practice exams on inburgeren.nl. A book helps if you like learning on paper or follow a course. If you buy one, pick a book written for the exam since 1 July 2025.
When I wrote KNM practice questions, I saw that many of them are about daily life in the Netherlands: work, health and the gemeente. So practise with questions about those situations.
On this page: what the KNM exam tests, which KNM study books you can buy and who each one suits. Then what a book can and cannot do, and how to practise for free.
What DUO tests
The exam follows the eindtermen, not a book
DUO does not name any specific book. The exam follows the eindtermen: the official learning goals, in force since 1 July 2025. The questions now test knowledge rather than behaviour: what is true in the Netherlands, not what you would do.
KNM is short for Kennis van de Nederlandse Maatschappij, or Knowledge of Dutch Society. You take the exam on a computer. It has 40 questions and takes 45 minutes. Every question has three answer options, and you need 28 right to pass. KNM is one exam, the same for A2 and B1.
The eindtermen have eight themes:
- Werk en inkomen (Work and income)
- Omgangsvormen, waarden en normen (Manners, values and norms)
- Wonen (Housing)
- Gezondheid en gezondheidszorg (Health and healthcare)
- Geschiedenis en geografie (History and geography)
- Instanties (Public bodies)
- Staatsinrichting en rechtsstaat (Government and the rule of law)
- Onderwijs en opvoeding (Education and parenting)
What each theme asks of you is in the KNM exam guide. How the exam looks on screen is explained in how the KNM exam works.
Free from DUO
Start with DUO's practice exams
inburgeren.nl has two free KNM practice exams from DUO. They run in the browser, and DUO recommends a desktop computer. They show you what the real exam looks like.
DUO also points to two more free sites: netinnederland.nl, with short films on topics from the exam, and oefenen.nl, with lessons. For help in person, DUO points to the public library.
The books
Which KNM exam books can you buy?
We found these KNM study books on each publisher's own website, and everything below comes from that page. We have not read or tested the books, and we do not rate them. We leave prices out because they change; follow the link for the current one. All of them are written in Dutch.
| Book | Publisher | Level | Written for the July 2025 exam? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welkom in Nederland (revised edition) | Boom | A2 | Yes, revised for the exam from 1 July 2025 |
| Kijk op Nederland (revised edition) | Boom | 0 to A1 | Yes, revised for the exam after 1 July 2025 |
| TaalCompleet KNM | KleurRijker | Working towards A2 | Yes, 2025 edition built on the 2024 KNM eindtermen |
| Studieboek inburgering KNM | Ad Appel Taaltrainingen | A2 | No date given. The publisher calls the book up to date. |
| Kennis van de Nederlandse Maatschappij: cursistenboek + e-learning | NCB Uitgeverij | A2 | No date given. The publisher says it meets the KNM eindtermen. |
Boom · level A2
Welkom in Nederland (revised edition)
Written for learners on the B1 route or the education route. The publisher says it also works for self-study.
- Seven chapters on the exam themes.
- Online: study guides, translated word lists, answers to the exercises and tests that resemble the exam.
- Sold as a paperback with a one-year online licence, or as the online licence alone.
Boom · level 0 to A1
Kijk op Nederland (revised edition)
Written for learners with a low level of Dutch, in heavily simplified language with many pictures and symbols.
- Reading, listening and writing exercises are online.
- For use alone or in a group, with an online guide for teachers.
- Sold as a paperback with a one-year online licence, or as the online licence alone.
KleurRijker · level Working towards A2
TaalCompleet KNM
Written for learners on the B1 route and the education route. The publisher says it suits full self-study, apart from the discussion tasks.
- Workbook with three years of access to an online learning environment.
- Online: reading texts with audio, assignments, videos, tests and word lists.
- Seven themes, each ending with a theme test.
Ad Appel Taaltrainingen · level A2
Studieboek inburgering KNM
Aimed at self-study, and the publisher says every text is written in simple Dutch at A2 level.
- Eight themes and close to 200 photos.
- Practice exams are sold separately as an online licence, or in a bundle with the book.
NCB Uitgeverij · level A2
Kennis van de Nederlandse Maatschappij: cursistenboek + e-learning
A companion to the publisher's online learning environment, where you study on your own.
- Reading, speaking and writing tasks in each lesson, and a word list for each theme.
- The e-learning licence runs for 12 months.
Not a book, but from a publisher: Boom's KNM-trainer, made by VU NT2. The trainer is a one-year online licence. You check your own answers, and a ‘Test jezelf’ section has sample questions. If you study with the LINK course, the trainer is already included.
On the Z-route? Then you do not sit the KNM exam. KleurRijker publishes TaalCompleet KNM-Z for that route, at level 0 to A1, to prepare for the final interview instead.
Book or practice
What a book does, and what it does not
A book walks you through the themes in a fixed order. You read at your own pace and pick up the Dutch words the questions are built from. You can write in it and flip back.
But a book is not the exam. The real exam is on a computer: a photo, a question and three options, 40 times, with a clock running. You cannot practise that on paper. And on paper nobody checks your answer as you go; you look it up yourself. Some books add online tests for this, so check the publisher's page to see what you get.
A book suits you if:
- you learn best on paper and like to take notes;
- you follow a course and your school works from a book;
- you know little about the Netherlands yet and want it all in order;
- your Dutch is still basic and you want simple texts with pictures.
Already know a lot about the Netherlands? Take one of DUO's practice exams first. It shows which themes you still need, and whether a book would help.
Free with us
Practise KNM without a book
inburgeringprep.com is a practice platform, so of course we want you to practise here. This is what we have for KNM, built for the exam since 1 July 2025:
| What | How many | Free |
|---|---|---|
| KNM lessons | 12 | The first 3 |
| KNM practice questions, each with an explanation | 222 | The first 10 |
| Full 40-question KNM practice exams | 50 | 1, which you can hand in up to 3 times |
| Printable KNM practice exams with an answer key | 4 | All 4 |
Start with the first KNM practice question, read the KNM exam overview or print a KNM practice exam. For a study plan, see the guide to preparing for KNM. Reading Dutch? The KNM examen oefenen and wat is KNM pages go deeper.
Common questions
Do I have to buy a book for the KNM exam?
No, you do not have to buy a KNM book, because DUO prescribes none and the exam tests the official eindtermen. You can prepare with a book, a course, DUO's free practice exams or a practice platform. What you have to sit is listed in Mijn Inburgering.
What is the best book for the KNM exam?
It depends on your level of Dutch and how you like to learn. We have not tested these books and do not rate them. Check three things on the publisher's page. What is the language level? Was the book written for the exam after 1 July 2025? Does it have exercises with answers?
Is there a KNM book in English?
Every book on this page is written in Dutch, and so is the exam itself. Welkom in Nederland comes with translated word lists online. Learning the Dutch names of public bodies and rules pays off, because the answer options are written in Dutch.
Can I use an older KNM book?
We advise against it. New eindtermen took effect on 1 July 2025, and the questions now test knowledge rather than behaviour. Boom writes that more than half of Welkom in Nederland changed in the new edition. It also says you cannot use the new edition alongside the old one.
Is there a KNM book as a PDF?
Boom shows a sample PDF with pages from its books on the product page. The full book is sold as a paperback with an online licence, or as the online licence alone. For something to print, our 4 KNM practice exams are free PDFs with an answer key.
Is there a separate KNM book for B1?
No, you do not need a separate book, because KNM is one exam and it is the same for A2 and B1. Welkom in Nederland and TaalCompleet KNM are written for people on the B1 route. Their texts are at A2 level, which is also the level of the KNM exam.
Where can I practise KNM for free?
Start with DUO, because inburgeren.nl has two free KNM practice exams that you take online. DUO also points to netinnederland.nl for short films and oefenen.nl for lessons. On inburgeringprep.com the first 10 KNM practice questions, the first 3 lessons and one full practice exam are free.
inburgeringprep.com is an independent study platform. We are not DUO or the government, and we have no deal with these publishers. Exam facts come from DUO and the government; book facts come from each publisher's own page:
- DUO: Oefenen (KNM practice exams)
- DUO: Kennisexamens
- Staatscourant 2024, 15802: eindtermen inburgeringsexamen
- Rijksoverheid: inburgeringsexamen vernieuwd (30 June 2025)
- Boom: Welkom in Nederland (herziene editie)
- Boom: Kijk op Nederland (herziene editie)
- Boom: KNM-trainer
- KleurRijker: TaalCompleet KNM
- Ad Appel Taaltrainingen: Studieboek inburgering KNM
- Ad Appel Taaltrainingen: KNM
- NCB Uitgeverij: Kennis van de Nederlandse Maatschappij
Book or not, test yourself.
A full timed practice exam tells you early if you are ready for KNM.