Dutch Basic Civic Integration Exam Abroad

What you need to know about MVV Exam

You want to live with your partner in the Netherlands. People from outside the EU usually need a permit to live in the Netherlands. To do this, you must first take the Civic Integration Examination Abroad. This test is about the Dutch language and Dutch society.

From January 1, 2022, civic integration obligation for newcomers with Turkish nationality

From 1 January 2022, newcomers with Turkish nationality are obliged to integrate. To make a good start in the Netherlands, it is important that newcomers learn the language and get to know Dutch society. This way they can participate as quickly as possible. Whether through paid work, internship or volunteer work.

The integration obligation has been in force since 1 May 2020 for newcomers from Turkey with asylum status and their family members. From 1 January 2022, this obligation therefore also applies to family migrants who want to come to the Netherlands for long-term residence and to other migrants such as spiritual ministers. Highly skilled migrants, students or migrants who come to the Netherlands for a temporary purpose are not subject to an integration obligation. In principle, newcomers with Turkish nationality who are already in the Netherlands and have a residence permit are not (yet) subject to an integration obligation.

Having a certificate of passing this exam is a mandatory requirement for obtaining an MVV visa, unless you come to the Netherlands for one of the following reasons:

Work;

Study;

The "Au pair" program;

Family visit;

Treatment.

The MVV exam consists of 3 parts:

1) Social Studies (KNS: Kennis van de Nederlandse samenleving);

2) Listening and speaking Dutch skills (Spreekvaardigheid)

3) Reading skills and understanding of the text in Dutch (Leesvaardigheid)

To prepare for the exam, a self-study kit "Naar Nederland" has been released. To prepare for the exam, a self-study kit "Naar Nederland" has been released. This self-study kit is made for people who want to prepare for the Basic Civic Integration Examination Abroad. It contains teaching materials for learning, listening and reading in Dutch. You can also practice for all the exam parts. With Naar Nederland you can practice for the exam yourself. You can order this teaching material or download it for free via https://www.naarnederland.nl.

The effectiveness of using this kit as a tutorial is controversial, taking into account the fact that on the Internet you can find a lot of links to free materials for exam preparation. In addition, no tutorial will teach you Dutch phonetics, no matter how good it is. All 3 parts of the exam are taken within one and a half hour. The exam takes place using a computer. Responses are recorded by an automatic system in the Netherlands.

1. Social Studies (KNS: Kennis van de Nederlandse samenleving)

Duration : 30 minutes (consists of 1 part)

The total score can vary from 0 to 10. To pass this part of the exam, you must answer at least 70% of the questions correctly.

This part of the exam contains 30 questions (out of a possible 100) with photos. On the exam you will see pictures and you will be given the questions. Questions are read slowly. You will see and hear two possible answers, only one of which is correct. Click on the correct answer with the mouse.  

Usually, this part of the exam does not cause difficulties for anyone, because the answers are easy to learn in advance. The questions are about geography, history, the political structure of the Netherlands, the peculiarities of education, health care, employment.

Types of questions

General (question to the whole sentence):

1. a) Is Nederland een democratie? (Is Netherlands a democracy?);
2. b) Moet u in Nederland opnieuw uw rijbewijs halen? (Do I have to get a driver's license again in the Netherlands?);
3. c) In welk deel van de wereld ligt Nederland? (In which part of the world is the Netherlands located?);
4. d) Wat betekent Nederland? (What does the word "Netherlands" mean?).

Alternative questions (you need to choose one of the two options):

1. a) Moet u voor een taalcursus betalen of is het gratis? (Are language courses paid or free?);
2. b) Opa's en oma's wonen die bij hun kinderen of wonen ze apart? (Do grandparents live together with their children or separately?);
3. c) Is wapenbezit zonder vergunning toegestaan of strafbaar? (Is possession of a weapon without a permit allowed or prohibited?);
4. d) Uzelf verzekeren tegen ziektekosten, is dat verplicht of vrij? (Is medical insurance mandatory or not?)

Special questions (are asked to a specific member of the preposition):

1. a) Waarom is Anne Frank beroemd? (What is Anne Frank famous for?);
2. b) Welke kolonie van Nederland wordt onafhankelijk vlak na de Tweede Wereldoorlog? (Which Dutch colony became independent shortly after World War II?);
3. c) Wat is de belangrijkste wet in Nederland? (What is the most important law in the Netherlands?);
4. d) Welke taal spreken de mensen in Nederland? (What language is spoken in the Netherlands?)

As you can see, the questions are quite simple. This part of the exam is usually passed without difficulty, but you need to prepare carefully for questions about age and employment (mistakes happen here most often). It is best to memorize the answers to all the questions so that there is not even a need to use pictures.

2. Listening and speaking Dutch skills (Spreekvaardigheid)

Duration: 35 min (consists of 2 parts)

To pass this part of the exam, the candidate must understand and use familiar phrases and expressions necessary to perform specific tasks. The candidate should be able to participate in a simple conversation if the interlocutor speaks slowly and clearly and is ready to help. These skills and abilities correspond to the level of foreign language proficiency A1. The candidate's answers will be evaluated according to the following criteria: pronunciation; correctness of answers; speed of reading; expressiveness; understanding of the text.

How this part of the exam goes:

Before the exam, the candidate receives a sheet with instructions for this section. Instructions for each part of the exam will also be given on the computer before the start of each part in the form of an example. You need to answer after the signal.

 Structure

1. a) Question-answer / Vraag-Antwoord . This part contains a number of simple questions that are read at a normal pace. The candidate must answer in monosyllables or in a short sentence.  The questions are of a general nature. Examples: Waar ben je geboren? Heb je kinderen?
2. b) Finish sentences / Zinnen afmaken . The candidate hears a short sentence. After that, he hears the beginning of the next sentence that he has to finish. Example: Ik heb vandaag niets gegeten. Ik heb … (honger).

3. Skills of reading and understanding texts in Dutch (Leesvaardigheid)

Duration : 35 min (consists of 2 parts)

In this section of the exam, it is checked to what extent the candidate is able to perceive the Latin font, as well as read and understand texts written in Dutch. To pass this part of the exam, the candidate must understand familiar names, words and very simple sentences, for example, in ads, on posters or in catalogs.

How this part of the exam goes:

Before the exam, the candidate receives a sheet with instructions for this section. Instructions for each part of the exam will also be given on the computer before the start of each part in the form of an example. You need to answer after the signal.

 Structure

1. Reading and recognizing words / Woorden lezen en naar woorden luisteren

1) The candidate hears the word and must choose from 4 options its correct spelling.

 2) The candidate sees the word on the screen and must choose from 4 options for its correct pronunciation.

1. Reading texts and answering questions to them / Teksten lezen en vragen beantwoorden. The candidate is given 3 short texts and 2 questions for each text. The texts consist of 50-90 words. Under the text there are 3-4 possible answers to the questions. It is necessary to choose the right one.