The United Nations Young Professionals Programme (YPP) is a recruitment initiative for the UN Secretariat: an entrance examination, then professional development for those who succeed. The examination is held once a year in subject areas set by the needs of the UN, for nationals of participating countries; the list of countries changes every year. For the 2026 cycle the UN opened one exam area, Development and Sustainability (job opening 285586, posted 16 October 2026, deadline 30 November 2026), for nationals of 47 participating Member States, aged 32 or under in the year of the exam (born on or after 1 January 1994), with at least a relevant bachelor's degree and fluency in English or French. The UN describes the written exam as online and usually in two stages. Part I (anticipated for February 2027) has the General Paper, on competencies and abilities for working in an international affairs context such as reasoning, written communication and UN core values and competencies, plus the first, multiple-choice part of the Specialized Paper; it lasts about 2 hours. Part II, one to two months later and only for those who pass Part I, is the constructed-response (open-ended) part of the Specialized Paper, about 2 to 2.5 hours with suggested word limits. Those who pass the written exam are invited to a competency-based video-conference interview (expected mid-2027). Successful candidates join a roster, valid for three years, for P-1 or P-2 posts; a place on the roster does not guarantee a job. The UN warns that for-profit companies sell YPP services, that it partners with none of them, and that it charges no fees. No inside information and no application review; we do not know the exam questions. The UN does not charge fees at any stage of the YPP and publishes free preparation information at careers.un.org/ypp.
UN YPP exam practice: general and specialised multiple choice
MCQs, written response and interview practice in one kit
One interview question free, with feedback
Internships, UN Volunteers, the YPP, JPO posts, P-level, General Service and consultancy jobs: who each route is for, the official minimums, how selection works and what is open now.
Which written test each UN job may use, which official sample tests the UN lists (and which links are down), a worked numerical question and a P-level drafting prompt with a rubric.
How UN competency-based interviews work, the competencies panels probe, typical questions for each, two worked answers in Situation, Action, Result form, and a YPP practice script.
What the UN Young Professionals Programme exam asks at each stage, where the free official preparation material is, one worked practice question and a written-response prompt with a marking rubric.
YPP P-2 step I: US$56,046 net base a year plus a city post adjustment, about US$98,417 in New York (our arithmetic). The method, P-1 pay, benefits, contract and first posting.
Two online written stages (general and specialised multiple choice, then open-ended answers) and a competency-based video interview. The 2026 cycle has one exam area: Development and Sustainability.
Study: General paper
Review what you missed. Write down the reason behind each correction.
Close your notes and recall the main ideas in your own words.
A personal study plan, saved only in this browser.
Independent practice by ProSyllabus.
Not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the United Nations.
Every question is original, written for practice, and is not UN material.
Independent: not affiliated with the United Nations
Independent practice.