State Secretary Jurgen Nobel (Participation and Integration): “It is very good that the new final terms will take effect on July 1, so that newcomers know how Dutch society works and what they need to do to get started and how we interact with each other in the Netherlands. I am glad that there is extra attention for womens self-determination. It is essential that newcomers learn that in the Netherlands, women are allowed to work and arrange their own lives. Knowledge of the Holocaust is also urgently needed. We are working on these themes in the integration action agenda.”
To pass the exam, for example, it is tested whether newcomers know what the Holocaust entails, that many Dutch Jews perished during it, and that anti-Semitism and discrimination are prohibited. Newcomers must also demonstrate that they understand what womens self-determination rights mean in the Netherlands.
For the KNM exam, it has been predetermined what newcomers must know about Dutch society to function well within it. These so-called final terms are divided into various themes, such as work and income, social manners, values and norms, housing, and government structure. The final terms of the KNM exam are renewed every 5 to 10 years to ensure that the exam aligns with changes in society and in legislation. The previous revision dates back to 2015.
Cito has prepared the new exams and coordinated the revision on behalf of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment. The Education Implementation Service (DUO) administers the integration exams. The revised final terms, part of the Integration Regulation 2021, were published last year in the Official Gazette.
