Blog
Plain-English guides to the Dutch inburgering exam, the KNM exam, Dutch citizenship and Dutch grammar, checked against official sources.
- The inburgering exam explained: parts, costs, dates and the two laws
The inburgering exam is the set of Dutch civic integration exams run by DUO. Here is what you take under each law, what it costs, how to book and how to get ready.
- Dutch citizenship requirements: the full list for 2026
The requirements for Dutch citizenship by naturalisation, explained in plain English: residence, the integration exam, renouncing your nationality, costs and the faster option route.
- Dutch grammar: a complete guide with examples
One page with every major area of Dutch grammar, short explanations, real examples with translations, and a cheat sheet for each topic.
- What is the pv in Dutch grammar? How to find the persoonsvorm
The persoonsvorm, or pv, is the one verb in a Dutch clause that changes with the subject and the tense. Here is how to find it in three tests, with examples.
- What is B1 level Dutch? What you can do, with examples
B1 is the "independent user" level. Here is what B1 Dutch looks like in speaking, writing, reading and listening, with A2 and B1 examples side by side, and how to check where you are.
- Is it easy to get Dutch citizenship? An honest answer
The IND approves almost every naturalisation request it decides. The hard part is getting to that point: the years, the exam, the cost and giving up your passport.
- Is Dutch harder than German? Dutch grammar vs German, with examples
A side-by-side look at Dutch and German grammar: cases, articles, adjective endings, verbs, word order and pronunciation, with examples, and the few places where Dutch is the harder one.
- Is Dutch grammar similar to English? What matches and what doesn't
Where Dutch grammar works like English, where it doesn't, and the false friends that trip up English speakers. Every point with a short example and translation.
- Is Dutch grammar hard? What is easy, what is not, and why
Dutch grammar is easier than German or French in most ways, but a few rules trip up almost every learner. Here is what is easy, what is hard, and how to deal with the hard parts.
- The inburgering exam at B1: the B1 route under the 2021 law
On the B1 route you take the Nt2 state exam at B1, KNM, MAP and the PVT within 3 years. Here is how the route works, who pays and what to do if B1 is too hard.
- The inburgering A2 speaking exam: format, tasks and how to prepare
The A2 speaking exam is 35 minutes on a computer: 16 questions with videos and pictures, each answer recorded. Here is how each part works, how it is marked and how to practise.
- How to learn Dutch on your own: a realistic self-study plan
A practical self-study plan for Dutch: a daily routine, the free tools and official practice material worth using, and how to practise speaking without a teacher.
- How to learn Dutch grammar: a topic order and a weekly method
The order to learn Dutch grammar in, from present tense to the word er, with a free cheat sheet and practice tool for each topic and a simple weekly routine.
- How long does it take to get Dutch citizenship?
The full timeline to Dutch citizenship: years of residence, the integration exam, the IND decision, the ceremony, and the faster routes for partners and long-term residents.
- Dutch integration exam tips from Reddit, checked against DUO
People on Reddit share a lot of advice about the inburgering exam and the Nt2 B1 exam. We sorted the tips that come up most and checked each one against DUO and the official exam sites.
- Do highly skilled migrants have to take the inburgering exam?
Kennismigranten have no civic integration duty, and neither do their partners and children. Here is why, and when you do need the exam: for permanent residence or Dutch citizenship.
- Dutch inburgering exam example: what each part looks like
A walk through every part of the A2 inburgering exam, with an example task for each one that we wrote ourselves, and where to find DUO's free official practice exams.
- Dutch grammar PDF: 15 printable cheat sheets
What is on each of the 15 More Dutch grammar cheat sheets, what is free, and how to print them or save them as a PDF to study offline.
- The Dutch civic integration exam abroad: parts, cost and how to pass
The civic integration exam abroad (basisexamen inburgering buitenland) is the A1 test many partners pass before they can apply for an MVV. Here is what is in it, what it costs, who is exempt, and how it works in India.
- Dutch citizenship through marriage: the 3-year rule explained
Being married to a Dutch citizen does not give you Dutch nationality by itself. It does shorten the residence term to 3 years, lets you apply from abroad, and usually lets you keep your passport.
- Dutch citizenship test questions: 10 examples with answers
The Dutch citizenship test is the civic integration exam. Here are 10 example questions we wrote in the style of its KNM part, two language tasks, and where to find DUO's free official practice.
- Dutch B1 exam cost and schedule: fees, dates and deadlines
What the Nt2 B1 state exam costs, how you pay or borrow, when you get a refund, and how to read the official exam schedule with its registration deadlines and result dates.
- B1 Dutch exam questions PDF: where to find free official practice
There is no official PDF with real B1 exam questions. Here is where the free official practice is, what each part of the Staatsexamen NT2 Programme I looks like, and some example tasks we wrote.
- What to bring to the inburgering exam (and which ID counts)
The one thing you must bring to the inburgering exam is a valid ID. Here is DUO's list of accepted IDs, what goes in the locker and what the exam day looks like.
- What is the KNM exam? Knowledge of Dutch Society explained
KNM is the part of the inburgering exam about daily life in the Netherlands. Here is what the letters stand for, what the exam covers, who has to take it and what changed in 2025.
- What is the inburgering exam? A plain definition
The inburgering exam in a few lines: what the word means, what the exam is for, who runs it and how it differs from the other Dutch exams people mix it up with.
- Is the KNM exam difficult? What makes it easy and what trips people up
For most people KNM is one of the easier parts of the inburgering exam. Here is why, what still makes people fail, and how hard it is compared with the language exams.
- Is the inburgering exam difficult? It depends on your level and your law
How hard the Dutch civic integration exam is depends on whether you take it at A2 or B1. Here is which parts trip people up, why, and what your options are if you cannot pass.
- Inburgering exam results: how long they take and what comes next
How long you wait for each inburgering exam result, where you see it, what happens to your deadline while you wait, and what to do after you pass or fail.
- How much does the inburgering exam cost?
What the inburgering exams cost under each law, what the Nt2 state exam costs, who gets free attempts, and how the DUO loan for course and exam works.
- Inburgering exam A2 or B1? How to know which one you take
Which inburgering exam level applies to you, A2 or B1, under the 2013 law, the 2021 law, for naturalisation and for voluntary integration. With the differences between the two exams.
- How to take the inburgering exam, step by step
The practical route through the inburgering exam: which exams you need, where you register, how you pay, what happens on the day and when the result comes.
- How to study for the KNM exam: a method and the best free resources
A simple way to study for KNM that works whatever your schedule, plus the free official and non-official resources worth your time.
- How to reschedule or cancel your inburgering exam
The deadlines for moving or cancelling an inburgering exam, when you get your money back, and what to do if you are ill or miss the exam.
- How to register for the inburgering exam (and KNM)
Where and how to book each part of the inburgering exam, what you need to log in, how payment works and how long you wait for a date.
- Dutch language exam levels: A1, A2, B1 and B2 explained
What A1, A2, B1 and B2 mean in plain words, which Dutch exam is at which level, and which level you need for integration, citizenship, work and study.
- Dutch integration exam changes in 2025 and 2026
Every change to the inburgering exam since 2025 in one place, with the date it started, plus the plans for naturalisation that are still only proposals.
- Do inburgering exams expire? How long your results stay valid
Your integration diploma has no end date and passed parts keep counting. The exception is the exam abroad, valid for 1 year. What that means for naturalisation and your deadline.
- KNM exam questions: what they look like, with practice examples
Real KNM questions are confidential, but the style is easy to learn. Here is how the questions work, six practice examples we wrote, and where to find free official practice.
- The inburgering exam at A2: the four language exams explained
Who takes the inburgering exam at A2, what each of the four language exams looks like, and how to get ready for them.
- How to pass the KNM exam: what it tests and a plan that works
The KNM exam tests how daily life in the Netherlands works. Here is what is on it, how the exam runs, and a simple 4-week plan to pass it the first time.
- How to pass the inburgering exam: a study plan that works
A practical plan for passing the inburgering exam under the 2013 or 2021 law, from booking your dates to the morning of the exam.
- How to pass the B1 Dutch exam (Nt2 state exam, Programma I)
What the B1 Nt2 state exam looks like part by part, and how to prepare for each one without wasting time.
- How many questions are in the KNM exam, and how long does it take?
The KNM exam has 40 multiple-choice questions and you get 45 minutes. Here is how that time works out, what the day looks like and how to pace yourself.
- Dutch language test for citizenship: which level and which exams count
To naturalise you must show your Dutch is at least A2. Here is which language exams count, which diplomas let you skip them, and what to do if you already passed B1.
- The Dutch integration exam at a glance
The short version: what the Dutch integration exam is, who has to take it, what it contains and which law sets your rules.
- 12 Dutch grammar rules explained with examples
The core rules of Dutch grammar and sentence structure, each with a correct example, a typical learner mistake and an English translation.
- Dutch grammar for beginners: what to learn first
A step-by-step starter path for Dutch grammar basics. Learn the right things first, in the right order, with short examples.
- The Dutch citizenship test: what you need to pass to naturalise
There is no separate citizenship test in the Netherlands. You pass the civic integration exam, also called the naturalisation test. Here is every part, what it costs and who can skip it.
- The Dutch B1 exam: format, costs and who needs it
The Dutch B1 exam is the Staatsexamen NT2 Programme I. Here is what is in it, what it costs and who needs it for inburgering or work.