KNS practice questions: how to prepare for Knowledge of Dutch Society
KNS is the first part of the basic civic integration exam and tests what you know about daily life in the Netherlands. This guide covers the question format, the topics and how to study for this part.
KNS stands for Kennis van de Nederlandse Samenleving, "Knowledge of Dutch Society". It is one of the three parts of the Dutch civic integration exam abroad and the first one you take on exam day. KNS questions are about things you will deal with after moving: the healthcare system, school, work, housing, rules, history, geography and everyday habits.
The good news: KNS is predictable. The photo book in the official self-study package contains every question and answer. Success in this part comes from knowing the questions and understanding why the answers are what they are.
What does KNS test?
KNS tests your knowledge of Dutch society, not your Dutch grammar. The questions are in Dutch, but at A1 level: short and simple. The main topics are:
- Health: the GP (huisarts), health insurance, emergencies.
- Education and children: school age, compulsory education, childcare.
- Work and income: rules at work, taxes, social security.
- Housing and neighbours: renting, registering with the municipality (gemeente), getting along with neighbours.
- History, geography and government: the king, parliament, elections.
- Rights, rules and values: equality, freedom of speech, equal rights for women and men.
That's about one minute per question, which is usually enough. Because you can listen to the questions, KNS is manageable even if you read slowly.
Typical question types
The real challenge is to read the photo and the question together. Two example situations:
- A situation in a photo: the photo shows a woman with her child, who has a fever. The question asks who you go to first when your child is ill. The right answer depends on knowing that in the Netherlands you first contact the GP, not the hospital.
- Rules and values: the photo shows women and men working in the same workplace. The question asks whether a woman and a man doing the same job get the same pay. Questions like this check that you understand the principle of equality in the Netherlands.
You can see sample questions in the exam format on this page and study all of them in All Questions.
Common mistakes
- Answering from your own country's habits. The question is always about the situation in the Netherlands. If something works differently at home, choose the Dutch rule.
- Ignoring the photo. The photo gives the context. Reading only the question and skipping the photo can lead you to the wrong option.
- Relying on memorisation. You can memorise the questions from the photo book, but if a word or photo looks slightly different in the exam, memorised answers fall apart. If you know the reason, you won't be thrown.
- Not knowing the key words. Words like huisarts, gemeente, verzekering and belasting come up often. Learning them first makes the questions much easier.
- Getting stuck on one question. Flag a question you're unsure about and come back to it; don't spend your time on a single item.
This plan assumes 30–45 minutes a day. Shorten or stretch it to fit your own pace.
Week 1: understand the topics
In the KNS section of Topic Lessons, read the short lesson for each topic, then answer its questions. In Try first mode you choose your answer before the explanation opens: why it is right, why the others are wrong. Mark what you understand as Learned and follow your progress topic by topic.
Week 2: review
Go through all of the roughly 100 KNS questions in All Questions with the answers hidden. Mark the ones you got wrong and return to their explanations in Topic Lessons. Listening to the Dutch pronunciation gets you used to the questions being read aloud in the exam.
Week 3: practise against the clock
Take one KNS practice exam a day. There are more than twenty, and questions repeat as little as possible between them. From the result page you can jump straight from a wrong answer to its explanation. Once you are comfortably above the pass mark in practice exams, you are ready for this part.
Before the exam
In the last days, take KNS together with the other two parts, in exam-day order, with the Real Exam Simulation. For the other parts, read the Lezen guide and the Spreken guide; for the overview, see the civic integration exam guide.
Sources
How many questions are in the KNS exam?
The real KNS part has 30 questions and takes 30 minutes. Each question comes with a photo, is read aloud, and you choose one of two answers.
Where do the KNS questions come from?
All KNS questions and answers are in the photo book (fotoboek) of the official zelfstudiepakket "Naar Nederland". The film in the package covers the same topics. In the exam you get a selection of these questions.
How many correct answers do I need to pass KNS?
In the official exam each part is graded from 1 to 10 and you need at least a 6. Official sources don't say exactly how many correct answers that equals. The pass mark shown in our practice exams is a practice benchmark, not an official grade.
Do I need to speak Dutch for KNS?
The questions are in Dutch, but they are short, simple and read aloud. Knowing basic words and a few key words per topic is enough. The explanations in Topic Lessons are in your own language, so you can learn the words you don't know there.
Is memorising the KNS questions enough?
It may work in the short term, but it's risky: when a question or photo looks slightly different, memorised answers fail. Understanding the reason behind each question lasts longer and also prepares you for life in the Netherlands.
How long should I study for KNS?
It depends on your starting point. For many people, two to three weeks of regular daily study is a good start to know the questions and score comfortably in practice exams. Your practice results will show you when you're ready.