The civic integration exam and other exams

Civic integration abroad: basic civic integration exam abroad

There are two situations in which you must take an exam before coming to the Netherlands:

1)      If you are moving to the Netherlands to live with your partner or spouse, or;

2)      If you are a minister of religion (someone whose work is about religion, the church or another faith)

If this is your case, you must take the 'basic civic integration exam abroad' at the Dutch embassy or consulate in your country of origin. In this exam you must demonstrate that you can read and speak Dutch to A1 level, and that you have knowledge of Dutch society.

Civic integration in the Netherlands: the civic integration exam

Most people who have to integrate in the Netherlands do this by taking the civic integration exam. This exam consists of 7 components. You always have to pass all the components. You can take the exams for the different components at different times or you can choose to take several components on a single day.

These are the seven components of the civic integration exam according to the Civic Integration Act:

·         The Reading exam at language level B1 or above

·         The Listening exam at language level B1 or above

·         The Writing exam at language level B1 or above

·         The Speaking exam at language level B1 or above

·         The Knowledge of Dutch Society (KNM) exam: this component is concerned with how people relate to one another in the Netherlands and what the rules are in the Netherlands.

·         The Dutch Labour Market and Participation Module (MAP): you get acquainted with and prepared for the Dutch labour market. The municipality determines whether you have completed this component on the strength of a final interview.

·         The Participation Statement Process (PVT): after taking part you sign a participation statement in which you declare that you are involved in Dutch society and are willing to contribute to society.

You do the Reading, Listening, Speaking and Knowledge of Dutch Society (KNM) components on the computer. For example, you are shown videos and have to answer questions about them. All the questions are in Dutch.

The Writing component is done with pen and paper. You are given tasks like: writing a letter, filling in a form or completing sentences. All the tasks are in Dutch.

Do you want to know how you can prepare for the civic integration exam? Click here.