KNM work and income (werk en inkomen), explained

Work and income is one of the eight themes of the KNM exam, and one of the biggest. The questions are about your contract, your rights at work, and who pays which benefit. Here are the key facts, with real practice questions from Kora.

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

Sources checked on 8 November 2026 (list at the bottom of this page). Kora is independent and not connected to DUO, CvTE or the IND. Plain text version to copy (.md)

What the KNM exam asks about work and income

Many questions describe a moment in working life: applying for a job, a new contract, being ill, losing your job. You choose what the person should do, or which organisation helps.

The other big group is about money: who collects tax, who pays which benefit, and what you must report yourself.

Your work: contract and rights

Arbeidsovereenkomst: your own work contract, with your pay, hours and tasks. A contract with an end date is a temporary contract. A permanent contract has no end date.
Cao: agreements for a whole sector or company, about pay, working hours and days off.
Minimumloon: the legal minimum wage for workers from 21. An employer may never pay less, also not during the proeftijd (trial period).
Loonstrook (payslip): shows your gross pay, what was taken off for tax and premiums, and your net pay.
Ill? Call your own employer as soon as possible. While you are ill, the employer keeps paying your wage.
Discrimination at work is forbidden. Men and women get equal pay for equal work.
Paid too little, or unsafe work? Talk to your employer first. If that does not help, report it to the Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie.

Who pays what: the money map

UWV: unemployment benefit (WW). Apply in time, with DigiD. With WW you must actively look for work and show this to UWV.
Gemeente (municipality): bijstand, when you have no other income and no right to WW. Also help with debts (schuldhulpverlening).
SVB: child benefit (kinderbijslag) and the state pension (AOW) from the state pension age.
Belastingdienst: national taxes. You usually file your tax return in March or April, online with DigiD.
Dienst Toeslagen: allowances such as zorgtoeslag and huurtoeslag. If your income changes, report it, or you pay back later.
KvK (Chamber of Commerce): you register here when you start your own business.

Practice questions from Kora

These are real questions from Kora's KNM practice, in Dutch like the exam. In the app, each fact comes back in new words, so you learn the fact and not the sentence.

1. Iris is haar baan kwijt en wil een WW-uitkering. Welke instantie regelt dit?
Answer: Het UWV.
Why: WW (unemployment benefit) comes from UWV. Bijstand from the municipality comes later, only without WW.
2. Faysal heeft geen werk en te weinig geld om van te leven. Hij heeft geen recht op WW. Waar vraagt hij hulp?
Answer: Bij de gemeente (bijstandsuitkering).
Why: No WW and too little money to live on: bijstand from the municipality.
3. Een werkgever biedt minder dan het wettelijk minimumloon. Mag dat?
Answer: Nee, de werkgever moet zich altijd aan het wettelijk minimumloon houden.
Why: The minimum wage is a legal floor. Paying less is never allowed, even with your consent.
4. Sanne is ziek en kan niet werken. Wat kan ze het beste als eerste doen?
Answer: Zo snel mogelijk haar eigen werkgever bellen om zich ziek te melden.
Why: You call in sick with your own employer first, as early as possible.
5. Een cao (collectieve arbeidsovereenkomst) bevat afspraken over werk. Waar gaan die vooral over?
Answer: Salaris, werktijden en vrije dagen.
Why: A cao has agreements for a sector: pay, working hours and days off.
6. Het contract van Daan eindigt op 31 december. Wat voor contract is dit?
Answer: Een tijdelijk contract (contract voor bepaalde tijd).
Why: A contract with an end date is a temporary contract.
7. Mohammed krijgt te weinig loon en werkt in een onveilige situatie. Bij welke organisatie kan hij dit melden?
Answer: Bij de Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie.
Why: Too little pay or unsafe work: report it to the Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie.
8. Ingrid moet haar belastingaangifte doen. Wanneer en hoe gebeurt dat meestal?
Answer: In maart of april, online met je DigiD
Why: The tax return is usually in March or April, online with DigiD.

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Questions people ask

Who pays unemployment benefit in the Netherlands?

UWV pays WW, if you lose your job and meet the conditions. If you have no right to WW and too little income, you can ask your municipality for bijstand.

What is the difference between a cao and an arbeidsovereenkomst?

The arbeidsovereenkomst is your own contract with your employer. A cao is a set of agreements for a whole sector or company. Both can say something about pay, hours and days off.

Does the KNM exam ask about amounts, like the minimum wage?

Kora does not learn amounts by heart for KNM, because they change every year. Our questions test the rule: who pays, who decides, what is allowed. For current amounts, check rijksoverheid.nl or uwv.nl.

Practice work and income in your own language

Kora explains every KNM answer in your own language, and asks each fact again in new words. 7 days free, no card needed. It is practice, not a promise: nobody can tell you in advance that you will pass.

Practice all work and income questions

Sources

Sources checked on 8 November 2026. The facts on this page come from these official pages and from Kora's own checked KNM questions. Rules change: if something here differs from an official page, the official page is right. This is general information, not legal advice.

Kora is independent, not DUO. It is not connected to DUO, CvTE or the IND, and it cannot book exams for you.