Basic Civic Integration Exam abroad · Level A1

Preparation for the Basic Civic Integration Exam

Personal online lessons, 100% focused on the Basic Civic Integration Exam abroad — Speaking A1, Reading A1, and Knowledge of Dutch Society (KNS).

🗣️ Speaking A1 📖 Reading A1 🇳🇱 KNS ✓ Dutch teacher
Book a free trial lesson →
Introductory price: €38/lesson — normally €45 (50 min)
❓ About the exam

What is the Basic Civic Integration Exam abroad?

The Basic Civic Integration Exam abroad is a required exam for people who want to move to the Netherlands to join a partner or family member and fall under the civic integration duty. You take the exam at the Dutch embassy or consulate in your country, before you travel to the Netherlands. Speaking and Reading are at A1 level. The exam also includes a part called Knowledge of Dutch Society (KNS).

ℹ️ Please note: "A1 civic integration exam" is sometimes used as a search term, but it is not the official name. The official name is the Basic Civic Integration Exam abroad. Rules and requirements can change — always check the current conditions with the Dutch embassy or on naarnederland.nl.

📋 Exam parts

The three parts of the exam

Each part needs its own approach. In your lessons we work on all three, step by step.

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Speaking — A1

You practise introducing yourself, giving personal information, answering simple questions, and having short conversations about everyday situations. We work on simple sentences, question-and-answer patterns, pronunciation and being understood — with common words and phrases, and exam-focused exercises.

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Reading — A1

You practise with simple Dutch sentences, short texts and practical information. We work on understanding questions, recognising important words, vocabulary and sentence comprehension — with exam-style reading texts and common phrases.

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KNS — Knowledge of Dutch Society

You practise with topics from the official Naar Nederland material: living in the Netherlands, family, work, healthcare, everyday situations, rules, Dutch society and customs, and practical situations.

Free KNS practice questions →

View Naar Nederland →

🔤 Vocabulary

Important basic Dutch verbs

Alongside the exam parts, you also learn the most important basic Dutch verbs — needed to understand and form simple sentences yourself.

zijn (to be) hebben (to have) gaan (to go) komen (to come) wonen (to live) werken (to work) leren (to learn) spreken (to speak) lezen (to read) schrijven (to write) eten (to eat) drinken (to drink) willen (to want) kunnen (can) moeten (must) mogen (may) doen (to do) maken (to make) weten (to know) begrijpen (to understand) vragen (to ask) geven (to give) krijgen (to receive) nemen (to take) kijken (to look) luisteren (to listen)

You don't learn these verbs as isolated words — you practise them in simple sentences, questions and answers, and everyday situations, woven directly into the Speaking and Reading exercises and exam-focused tasks. The goal: you recognise the verbs and can also actively use them.

📚 Learning materials

Official material + custom exercises

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Official Naar Nederland material

Dutch Together uses the official Naar Nederland material as an important basis for exam preparation — so your lessons always match what the exam actually asks.

View Naar Nederland →

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Dutch Together's own material

On top of that, I use my own additional exercises — built specifically to give you extra practice with Speaking, Reading, KNS, basic verbs, vocabulary, pronunciation, question-and-answer structures, simple sentences, exam-style tasks, and whatever topics you find hardest.

Combining official material with my own exercises gives you a personal and targeted preparation — exactly matched to what you need.

✏️ Want to practise for free first? Try my free MVV / Basic Exam exercises — with KNS questions, speaking exercises and reading texts in the same style as the real exam. Want to build up your general basic vocabulary and grammar too? Check out the free interactive A1 exercises.

🎯 Focus

100% focused on your exam

You won't spend time on topics that aren't a priority for your exam — every lesson contributes to your preparation.

Speaking A1
Reading A1
KNS
Basic Dutch verbs
Basic vocabulary
Basic sentences
Question-answer patterns
Pronunciation
Being understood
Exam-style tasks
Plenty of repetition
Personal feedback
Custom lesson material
Naar Nederland material
🎓 The approach

Why 1-on-1 lessons?

🎯

All the attention on you

No group, no distractions — every lesson is fully built around your level, your pace and your weak spots.

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Plenty of speaking time

In a 1-on-1 lesson, you do most of the talking — exactly what you need for the Speaking part.

Direct, personal feedback

Mistakes are corrected right away, so you don't keep repeating them — with a lesson plan matched to your level.

📅

Flexible scheduling

Lessons at a time that suits you, built up towards your exam date.

All lessons last 50 minutes and are fully 1-on-1.

🎁 Free trial lesson

Start with a free 20-minute trial lesson

During the trial lesson, we discuss:

  • ✓ your current level
  • ✓ which exam you need to take
  • ✓ which parts need extra attention
  • ✓ roughly how much preparation you'll likely need
  • ✓ how we'll build up your lessons together
Plan your free 20-minute trial lesson →
💶 Pricing

Transparent prices, no surprises

The bigger the package, the lower the price per lesson. All lessons last 50 minutes and are 1-on-1.

Single lesson

€38

€38 per lesson

5 lessons

€180

€36 per lesson

MOST POPULAR

10 lessons

€350

€35 per lesson

20 lessons

€680

€34 per lesson

Intensive exam preparation

Start your exam preparation today →
❓ Frequently asked questions

Questions about the Basic Civic Integration Exam

What is the Basic Civic Integration Exam abroad?

A required exam for people who want to move to the Netherlands to join a partner or family member and fall under the civic integration duty. You take it at the Dutch embassy or consulate in your country.

Is the Basic Civic Integration Exam an A1 exam?

The Speaking and Reading parts are at A1 level. The KNS part tests knowledge of Dutch society, not language level itself.

What parts does the exam have?

Three parts: Speaking (A1), Reading (A1), and Knowledge of Dutch Society (KNS).

Do you prepare for Speaking?

Yes — with exam-style speaking exercises, pronunciation, question-and-answer patterns, and plenty of speaking time in every lesson.

Do you prepare for Reading?

Yes — with exam-style reading texts, vocabulary and sentence comprehension exercises.

What is KNS?

Knowledge of Dutch Society — a part covering housing, work, family, healthcare, rules and customs in the Netherlands, based on the official Naar Nederland material.

Do you use Naar Nederland?

Yes, the official Naar Nederland material forms an important basis of the preparation.

Do you use your own teaching material?

Yes, alongside the official material I use my own exercises, developed specifically for extra practice on the parts you find hardest.

Which basic verbs will I learn?

Verbs like zijn (to be), hebben (to have), gaan (to go), komen (to come), wonen (to live), werken (to work), leren (to learn), spreken (to speak), lezen (to read) and more — practised in simple sentences and everyday situations.

Can I start if I speak almost no Dutch yet?

Yes, the lessons are suitable for beginners — we build up together from your current level.

Can I focus on Speaking only?

Yes, lessons are adapted to what you need — even if that's mainly Speaking.

How many lessons will I need?

That depends on your current level and exam date — we'll discuss this in your free trial lesson.

How long is a lesson?

Every lesson lasts 50 minutes and is fully 1-on-1.

Can I try a trial lesson first?

Yes, you can start with a free 20-minute trial lesson.

What does exam preparation cost?

A single lesson costs €38. Larger packages have a lower price per lesson — down to €34 per lesson with 20 lessons.

🎓 Get started

Ready to begin?

Book a free trial lesson and discuss your situation, level and planning for the Basic Civic Integration Exam.

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Free trial lesson

Get to know each other in a free 20-minute lesson — we'll discuss your level and exam planning.

Book free trial lesson →
Introductory price: €38/lesson — normally €45 (50 min)
📋

View pricing

Single lesson or lesson package — see which one fits your exam preparation.

View pricing →
✉️

Ask a question

Questions about the exam or the preparation? Send an email — I reply within a few hours.

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