Before registering, most candidates wonder about two things: "What exactly will they ask?" and "How many points do I need to pass?" The Dutch civic integration exam abroad (inburgering), officially the Basisexamen Inburgering Buitenland, consists of three separate parts, and each one is scored on its own; so knowing how the exam is built is the first step to building the right study plan. In this article we bring together the parts, the order on exam day, the scoring rule, the right to retake a single part and how long your result stays valid. If you want to know who has to take the exam and how to apply, start with the guide What is the Dutch civic integration exam?; this article is about the exam's structure and scoring.

In short: 3 parts (KNS, Lezen, Spreken), in one sitting and on a computer; you need at least 6 in each part and you have to pass all three. A failed part is retaken on its own. Source: naarnederland.nl.

Three parts, one sitting

The exam takes place at the Dutch embassy or consulate general in the country where you live, on a computer. All three parts are taken on the same day, in one sitting, and the whole session lasts about 2 hours. The order is:

Instructions for KNS
KNS (Kennis van de Nederlandse Samenleving, Knowledge of Dutch Society)
Break
Lezen (reading)
Break
Spreken (speaking)

Because the official source does not give the number of questions and the time per part separately, we do not quote figures here; what matters is knowing that you have to finish all three parts on the same day and with the same concentration. That is why, in the last week of your preparation, you should do all three parts back to back at least once; the real exam simulation exists for exactly that.

Part	Dutch name	What do you do?	How is it assessed?
KNS	Kennis van de Nederlandse Samenleving	You answer questions about Dutch society based on photos and videos	By computer
Lezen	Leesvaardigheid	You read short texts and signs and answer the questions	By computer
Spreken	Spreekvaardigheid	You answer questions out loud and complete half sentences	Human assessors, Beoordelingsmodel Spreken

KNS: knowledge of Dutch society

KNS measures whether you know how life in the Netherlands works: work, health care, education, housing, history, geography, how the state is organized and social values. The questions come with photos and videos; you see a situation on the screen and answer the question about it. The official preparation material is the Naar Nederland package, and the exam asks about the world that package describes.

The trap in KNS is not understanding the Dutch question even though you know the topic. Words such as gemeente, huisarts, verzekering and huur are KNS's own vocabulary; learn them together with the topic. We cover the topics people mix up most in the KNS guide.

How do you prepare on the site? The practice exams include 30-minute KNS practice exams; for every question you read a "why this answer?" explanation in your own language. Topic Lessons explains the topics in 5 languages; on the All Questions page you see the entire question bank with its answers.

Lezen: short texts and signs

Lezen is the reading comprehension part at A1 level. You are shown short texts: a sign, an advertisement, a short message or an announcement. You read the text and find the answer to the question in it. What is measured here is not Dutch grammar but whether you can pull basic information out of a text: what time, where, how many euros, who.

The most common mistake in Lezen is trying to translate the whole text word by word. Read the question first, then look for that piece of information in the text. We show this method step by step in Lezen reading exam tactics.

How do you prepare on the site? The Lezen practice exams follow the real format; you see the explanation of your wrong answers right away. For vocabulary, the Dutch words dictionary and the word games drill the basic words of everyday life with audio.

Spreken: answering questions and completing sentences

In the Spreken part the computer asks you a question in Dutch or gives you a half sentence; you say your answer into the microphone. There are two kinds of task: answering a question ("Waar woon je?") and completing a sentence ("Ik ga naar de dokter, want…").

What sets Spreken apart from the other two parts is that it is scored by human assessors. They use the official Beoordelingsmodel Spreken, and this model has two criteria:

Relevance: is the answer a plausible and fitting answer to the question?
Intelligibility: can the answer be understood by an experienced listener?

Two rules of the model put most candidates at ease: a one-word answer can score, and the answer does not have to be grammatically correct. So answering "Hoe ga je naar je werk?" with "Met de bus." is a fitting answer. See the Spreken exam guide for detailed examples.

How do you prepare on the site? In the Spreken practice exams you record every answer; you listen to it, see the transcript and compare it with the sample answers. For every answer you get AI feedback in your own language: does your answer fit the question, is it intelligible, what could you have said better. If you like, you can also request an instructor review.

Scoring: at least 6 in every part

The scoring rule is simple and non-negotiable:

Rule	Explanation
Pass mark	At least 6 in every part
All three required	You have to pass KNS, Lezen and Spreken, all three; there is no average
Parts are independent	A high score in one part does not make up for a low score in another
Passed parts are kept	A part you passed stays valid; you only retake the part you failed

The practical consequence of this rule: the strategy "I'll study Spreken later and score high on KNS" does not work. The three parts are three separate doors, and you have to get through every one of them. Build your preparation plan accordingly; the 30-day study plan carries all three parts together every day.

Tip: Identify your weakest part early. Take one practice exam in each part and give the biggest share of your weekly study to the part where you scored lowest. Since the pass threshold is the same for every part, your weakest link is your real limit.

Retaking the part you failed

If you fail one of the three parts, you do not retake the whole exam; you sit only the part you failed again. For that, you register again and pay the fee for that part. The official fee is €50 per part, €150 for all three parts.

The registration process is the same every time:

You register and pay the fee.
Within 5 working days you receive a confirmation with your candidate number.
You book the exam appointment at the embassy or consulate yourself.
You can change the date or the location once, at the latest 24 hours before the exam.

On exam day you must have your passport with you; you check in at the desk and your fingerprints are taken. You will find how the day unfolds and what to watch out for in the exam day guide.

When do results arrive, and how long are they valid?

Results are sent by DUO by email or letter, at the latest 8 weeks after the exam. The result document shows the score for each part separately.

When it comes to validity, two different rules must be kept apart:

Passed parts stay valid. If you passed Spreken and failed Lezen, your Spreken result stands while you retake Lezen.
1 year for the MVV application. After you have passed all three parts, the MVV application must be made within 1 year. If you delay the application, your exam result can no longer be used for the MVV.

So plan your exam calendar around your MVV calendar: the 1-year period starts on the day you pass the third part. That is why it matters to prepare the other MVV requirements, such as income, housing and documents, together with your partner in advance. Because exemption and application conditions differ from person to person, check your own situation at ind.nl.

Timeline of the exam

If you want to see the whole process in one table:

Step	Time / rule
Registration and payment	€50 per part, €150 for all three
Confirmation with candidate number	Within 5 working days
Appointment	You book it yourself at the embassy/consulate
Change of date/location	Once, at the latest 24 hours before
Exam session	About 2 hours: KNS instructions → KNS → break → Lezen → break → Spreken
Result	From DUO by email/letter, at the latest 8 weeks
Passing	At least 6 in every part, all three must be passed
Failed part	Retaken on its own (new registration + fee)
MVV application	Within 1 year of passing all three parts

Preparation summary for each part

Part	What to focus on	Where to start on the site
KNS	The topics + their Dutch terms	Topic Lessons, then the 30-minute KNS practice exams
Lezen	Question first, then the text; numbers, times, places	Lezen practice exams + word games
Spreken	Short, fitting, intelligible answers; record yourself and listen	Spreken practice exams, AI feedback, pronunciation guide
All three	Same day, same concentration	Real exam simulation, at least once in the week before the exam

Frequently asked questions

I passed two parts and failed one. Do I retake all three?

No. The parts you passed stay valid; you register again only for the part you failed and pay the fee for that part.

Can I know in advance how I will get the 6?

The practice exams on the site follow the exam format and show your part score on the result screen; if you stay above the threshold consistently, you are close to ready. Still, the only thing that decides your score in the real exam is your performance on exam day.

Do results come before 8 weeks?

The official source says "at the latest 8 weeks". They may come sooner, but plan around 8 weeks.

I passed the exam. Should I apply for the MVV right away?

You have to apply within 1 year of passing all three parts. If you have the other MVV requirements ready, there is no reason to wait.

Start now

You now know how the three parts work; the next step is to take one practice exam in each and find your weakest link. Go to the practice exams, take one practice exam each for KNS, Lezen and Spreken, and build your weekly plan around the results.