KNS, or Kennis van de Nederlandse Samenleving (Knowledge of Dutch Society), looks like the “memorization part” of the civic integration exam (inburgering). But KNS is not really a memory test; it is a comprehension test: it measures how well you understand how life works in the Netherlands, how people relate to each other and how the state is organized. In this article we explain the scope of KNS, its most important topics and the most effective ways to study for it.

What is KNS and what does it measure?

KNS measures whether you know the country at a basic level before you come to the Netherlands. The questions come from everyday life: Who do you go to when you are ill? At what age do children start school? What does the municipality do? Are women and men equal in the Netherlands?

The official preparation material is the Naar Nederland package. The film and photos in the package explain life in the Netherlands through different topics and are offered in many languages, including English. A large share of the KNS questions relate to the topics in this material.

KNS at Dutch Daily Online: Our KNS practice exams consist of 30 questions in 30 minutes; 21 correct answers count as a pass. You can find all KNS questions with their answers in the All Questions section.

The main KNS topics

We can group the KNS topics under eight headings. Under each heading we have also given the Dutch keywords you will often meet in the exam.

1. Geography and transport

The Netherlands has 12 provinces (provincie).
The capital is Amsterdam; the government and parliament are in Den Haag (The Hague).
A large part of the country lies below sea level; that is why dikes (dijken) and water management are very important.
The bicycle (fiets) is at the heart of daily life.

Keywords: de provincie, de hoofdstad, de dijk, de zee, de fiets, het openbaar vervoer

2. History

4 May (Dodenherdenking): those who died in the war are remembered; at 8 p.m. there is a two-minute silence.
5 May (Bevrijdingsdag): the liberation from the Second World War in 1945 is celebrated.
The Golden Age (de Gouden Eeuw, 17th century): a period of great progress in trade, science and art.

Keywords: de oorlog, de bevrijding, herdenken, de geschiedenis

3. Government and politics

The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy (constitutionele monarchie). The king is Willem-Alexander.
The country is run by the government; the head of the government is the prime minister (minister-president).
Parliament has two chambers: the Tweede Kamer (150 members) and the Eerste Kamer (75 members).
Elections are normally held every four years. There are also elections for the municipal council (gemeenteraad).
Article 1 of the constitution (Grondwet) lays down equal treatment for everyone and the ban on discrimination.

Keywords: de koning, de regering, de minister-president, de Tweede Kamer, de verkiezingen, stemmen, de Grondwet, de gemeente

4. Work and income

To work, you sign an employment contract (arbeidscontract).
Tax (belasting) is deducted from your salary; the Belastingdienst handles tax matters.
When you become unemployed, you apply to UWV for unemployment benefit (WW-uitkering).
There is a legal minimum wage (minimumloon).

Keywords: het werk, de werkgever, de werknemer, het salaris, de belasting, solliciteren, de uitkering

5. Health

When you are ill, you first go to the family doctor (huisarts). You usually see a specialist only with a referral (verwijzing) from the family doctor.
Everyone must have compulsory basic health insurance (zorgverzekering).
When life is in danger, you call 112.
Medicines come from the pharmacy (apotheek).

For details: the healthcare system in the Netherlands.

Keywords: de huisarts, ziek, de afspraak, de apotheek, het ziekenhuis, de zorgverzekering

6. Education

Children usually start primary school (basisschool) at age 4; school is compulsory from age 5 (leerplicht).
Primary school lasts 8 years; then comes secondary education (vmbo, havo, vwo).
For young people without a diploma, the school obligation continues until age 18 (kwalificatieplicht).
Parents stay in contact with the school; parent-teacher meetings (oudergesprek) are important.

Keywords: de school, de leraar, de leerling, het diploma, de leerplicht

7. Housing

Rental homes are rented from private landlords or from housing associations (woningcorporatie).
People on a low income can receive housing benefit (huurtoeslag).
Waste is separated (paper, glass, plastic, organic).
When you move, you must report your address to the municipality (gemeente).

Keywords: het huis, de huur, de huurder, de verhuurder, de buren, het afval, verhuizen

Keeping appointments and being on time is very important. Even visits to friends are usually planned in advance.
Women and men are equal; they have the same rights in education, at work and in marriage.
There is freedom of religion and expression.
Same-sex marriage is legal; nobody may be discriminated against because of their sexual orientation.
People generally speak directly; saying your opinion openly is not considered rude.

Keywords: op tijd, de afspraak, gelijk, de vrijheid, de mening, discriminatie

How should you study for KNS?

Learn the logic, not just the topic

KNS questions usually describe a situation and ask “What should this person do?” For example: “Ahmet is ziek. Hij heeft koorts. Wat doet hij?” The answer comes from knowing the logic of the Dutch system: you call the huisarts first.

So while studying each topic, ask yourself: “Why is it like this in the Netherlands?” Once you understand the logic, you can answer correctly even a question you have never seen before.

Learn the Dutch terms alongside

Even if you understand the topics in English, the questions in the exam are in Dutch. If you do not know words like gemeente, huisarts and belasting, you cannot understand the question. Reinforce the keywords of each topic with the word games.

Classify your mistakes

After a practice exam, sort your mistakes by topic. Most candidates find that their mistakes cluster in two or three topics. Focusing on those topics is the fastest way to raise your score.

Watch out for confused concepts

Gemeente or provincie? Tweede Kamer or Eerste Kamer? 4 May or 5 May? These concepts are often confused in the exam. We have explained all of them one by one in the 12 most confused KNS topics.

How do you solve a sample KNS question?

Fatma woont in Utrecht. Ze gaat verhuizen naar een ander huis in Utrecht. Wat moet ze doen?

A. Ze meldt haar nieuwe adres bij de gemeente. B. Ze meldt haar nieuwe adres bij de politie. C. Ze hoeft niets te doen.

Solution: The keyword in the question is verhuizen (to move house). In the Netherlands a change of address is reported to the municipality (gemeente). The correct answer is A.

As you can see, knowing the word (verhuizen) and knowing the system (address = municipality) together give you the right answer.

Frequently asked questions

How long should I study for KNS?

For someone who studies regularly, 2–4 weeks is usually enough. But it is best to study KNS in parallel with the other parts, because the words you learn in KNS also help you in Lezen (reading) and Spreken (speaking).

Do I have to buy the Naar Nederland package?

It is not compulsory, but it is the official preparation material and very valuable for KNS. The practice exams and the question bank at Dutch Daily Online are designed to reinforce what you learn from this material in the exam format.

My KNS score is low. What should I do?

First sort your mistakes by topic. Then learn the Dutch keywords of those topics and try to understand the “logic” of the topic. After a few practice exams your score will rise noticeably.

The first step to get started with KNS: do a KNS practice exam today and see which topics you are strong in and which ones you are weak in.