The KNM Exam: All 8 Themes Explained, With Free Practice Questions

Each theme, and how to practise it

1. 1. Werk en inkomen (work and income)

   What you need to know

   • Finding work quickly, and what it means to be part of a Dutch workplace.
   • Dealing with discrimination when you look for work or at work, including hidden discrimination.
   • What you need to arrange to start your own business.

   How to practise

   • Learn the words you meet on job sites and contracts: vacature, sollicitatie, arbeidscontract, loonstrook.
   • Know which organisation does what: UWV for work and benefits, the KVK when you start a business.
   Practise KNM questions freeKNM key topics

2. 2. Omgangsvormen, waarden en normen (manners, values and norms)

   What you need to know

   • Recognising common Dutch manners and what people expect of each other.
   • Taking part in social networks: neighbours, clubs, volunteering, school and work.

   How to practise

   • Read each situation and ask what a Dutch person would know or expect here, not what you would do at home.
   • Since 2025 the questions ask about knowledge more than behaviour, so learn the reason behind each custom.
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3. 3. Wonen (housing)

   What you need to know

   • Finding suitable housing and arranging it properly.
   • Arranging gas, water, electricity and internet in your home.
   • Safety in the home and keeping your surroundings clean.

   How to practise

   • Learn the housing words: huurcontract, huurtoeslag, woningcorporatie, waarborgsom.
   • Know who to contact for what: the landlord, the gemeente, the energy company.
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4. 4. Gezondheid en gezondheidszorg (health and healthcare)

   What you need to know

   • The huisarts (GP) is your first stop, and refers you to a specialist when needed.
   • The huisartsenpost for evenings and weekends, and 112 when a life is in danger.
   • Health insurance, the eigen risico and the paperwork around care.

   How to practise

   • Learn the order: huisarts first, then a referral (verwijzing) for most specialist care.
   • Know the difference between the huisartsenpost and 112. Both are in the official learning goals.
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5. 5. Geschiedenis en geografie (history and geography)

   What you need to know

   • The Golden Age of trade and shipping in the 17th century, and the colonial past, including slavery.
   • Living with water: polders, dikes, windmills and the Delta Works.
   • The Second World War, the German occupation and the Holocaust, and migration after the war.
   • The national anthem (het Wilhelmus), the flag, and the names and locations of the provinces.

   How to practise

   • Learn the twelve provinces on a map. A blank map you fill in yourself works better than a list.
   • Some older guides leave history out. The official themes include it.
   Practise KNM questions freeKNM key facts about Dutch society

6. 6. Instanties (institutions)

   What you need to know

   • Information from the government and the services of your gemeente.
   • Filing a tax return and applying for allowances (toeslagen).
   • The police, legal help such as the Juridisch Loket, and why insurance matters.

   How to practise

   • Make a list of who does what: gemeente, Belastingdienst, DUO, politie, Juridisch Loket.
   • Read real letters from the gemeente and the Belastingdienst, so the words are familiar on exam day.
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7. 7. Staatsinrichting en rechtsstaat (the Dutch state and rule of law)

   What you need to know

   • How the democratic rule of law works, and how you can take part.
   • Three levels of government: the national government, the provinces and the gemeenten, each with elections.
   • Important laws, such as equal treatment (Article 1 of the Constitution) and women's right to self-determination.

   How to practise

   • Learn which election chooses whom: Tweede Kamer, Provinciale Staten, gemeenteraad, waterschap, European Parliament.
   • The 2025 update added women's right to self-determination as its own learning goal. Expect questions on it.
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8. 8. Onderwijs en opvoeding (education and upbringing)

   What you need to know

   • How the Dutch school system works, for yourself and for your children.
   • Children from 5 to 16 must go to school (leerplicht), and parents are responsible for their children's behaviour.
   • School costs, help with school costs, and student finance.

   How to practise

   • Learn the school types and words: basisschool, middelbare school, mbo, hbo, universiteit, leerplicht.
   • Know what a parent is expected to do: contact with the school, and keeping children in school.
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