The KNM exam, explained
KNM tests what you know about life in the Netherlands. What it covers, how it works, and what changed in July 2025.
By the Kora team: Alex, Mariel and Abena, who did inburgering themselves. Written with help from AI. Every fact is checked against the official source. How we write our guides
Checked against official sources on 2026-10-25 · Plain text version to copy (.md)
What KNM is
KNM stands for Kennis van de Nederlandse Maatschappij: knowledge of Dutch society. It is a knowledge exam, not a language exam. The questions are written in simple Dutch, at A2 level, and supported by pictures.
KNM is part of both the A2 route and the B1 route. On the B1 route it is still a DUO exam, separate from the Staatsexamen.
How the exam works
You take KNM on a computer at a DUO exam location. You watch short video clips, read the questions on screen and also hear them through headphones. Every question is multiple choice: you click the right answer.
The exam takes 45 minutes, plus 15 minutes of explanation first. A computer marks it.
The 8 official themes
The questions are grouped by theme. The official exam standards list eight:
- Work and income
- Manners, values and norms
- Housing
- Health and healthcare
- History and geography
- Institutions
- The state and the rule of law
- Education and parenting
What changed on 1 July 2025
Since 1 July 2025 there are new exam standards. There is more attention for women's right to make their own choices and for knowledge of the Holocaust. The questions are also aimed more at knowledge than at behavior.
Why memorizing questions does not work
Many people learn practice questions by heart. Then the real exam asks the same fact in other words, and the memorized sentence does not help. It works better to learn the fact itself.
That is why every KNM question in Kora comes back in new words, with new names and the answers in a new order.
Questions
Is KNM a language exam?
No. It tests knowledge of Dutch society. The questions are in simple Dutch at A2 level, with pictures and audio.
Do I take KNM on the B1 route too?
Yes. KNM is part of the B1 route as well. It is the same DUO exam, not part of the Staatsexamen.
How long does the KNM exam take?
45 minutes, plus 15 minutes of explanation before it starts.
Official sources
General information, not legal advice. Your letters from DUO and your municipality decide what applies to you.
Practice for the exam with Kora
Practice questions that change every time, with explanations in your own language. 7 days free, no card needed.