Of the 8,500 people who have taken a short test designed to assess knowledge of the Netherlands and Dutch society, only 38% passed, the NRC reports on Friday.

The short test (vrijstellingstoets) is taken by people who have lived in the Netherlands for some time. If they pass, they do not have to take a formal integration course and exam.
The short test hit the headlines on Friday after it emerged that a writer who has won an EU literature prize for a Dutch language novel failed the test.
‘There were no questions about Van Gogh, the Nightwatch, windmills, the canals or Sint Maarten but questions such as ‘Mo lives on social security and wants to take his son to a crèche. Who has to pay?’, Rodaan Al Galidi told NRC.next.
Children
The NRC reported later on Friday that the 30 questions in the short test are particularly difficult for men, people without children and people who don’t claim social security.
‘There are questions about mortgage tax relief, gay marriage, menstruation, pregnancy and child vaccinations, childcare facilities, child health clinics, the Dutch school system, pay and conditions deals, permits and 16th and 17th century history,’ the NRC says.
Some 75% of the 10,000 people who took the longer test between 2007 and September 2011 passed, the NRC says.