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Every year the United Nations seeks highly qualified candidates who are ready to launch a professional career as an international civil servant. The young professionals programme (YPP) is a recruitment initiative that brings new talent to the United Nations through an annual entrance examination. This year we will hold the written exam on 14 December 2016.

Eligibility

To know whether you meet the basic eligibility requirements to participate in the young professionals programme, please ask yourself:

    · Do you hold at least a first-level university degree?
    · Are you fluent in English or French?
    · Are you a national of a participating country?
    · Are you 32 or younger by the end of this year? (Is your date of birth on or after 1 January 1984?)

Applications

The application periods for the examination will run from 19 May to 19 July 2016 (11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time).

In 2016, we are offering examinations in the following job networks:

    1. Economic Affairs
    2. Information and Systems Technology

It is important to note that incomplete and/or late applications will NOT be considered. Therefore, you must complete and submit your application prior to the deadline.

It is important to complete and update all information accurately as this will serve as a basis for evaluating your eligibility and suitability for the examination. You will receive, by email, an application number. Please note, once submitted, your application CANNOT be modified.

Additional guidelines on creating applications are available by clicking on the Manuals and Help links found on the upper right hand corner of the webpage.

The examination

The examination consists of two main elements: a written test and an oral exam.

The written test assesses your substantive knowledge, analytical thinking, and drafting abilities. It has two parts:

    (a) The General Paper, which requires you to summarize a text in either English or French, is administered to all participants.

    (b) The Specialized Paper tests your substantive knowledge and analytical thinking for the job network you applied to. It can be taken in any of the six United Nations official languages.

The oral exam, which is only for those who pass the written test, is a competency-based interview.

Successful candidates of the YPP examination will be placed on a reserve list for possible recruitment at the junior professional level at the United Nations.

For more information, including on participating countries and how to apply, please go to the United Nations Careers Portal http://careers.un.org.