UN YPP Complete: independent practice for the MCQs, the written stage and the interview
Everything in the MCQ practice kit, plus written-response tasks and competency-based interview drills for Development and Sustainability, with feedback point by point.
- Every MCQ answer explained
- Worked example for every task
- Timed interview drills
- 1Multiple choiceCore kitFree questions
- 2Written response4 × 60 minworked examples
- 3Competency interview5 × 15 min1 free question
The three parts
Everything in the MCQ practice kit, plus practice for the later stages of the YPP exam process in the 2026 exam area, Development and Sustainability: 12 open-ended written tasks on invented information packs, each task with its own suggested word limit, and 25 competency-based interview questions in timed drills. Type your answer and get feedback point by point: what you showed (your own words quoted), what you left out, the one thing to add next, and a worked example, model answer or answer frame.
- Multiple choiceCore kitGeneral-paper and specialised multiple-choice sets, every answer explained.
- Written response4 × 60 min4 invented information packs for Development and Sustainability, 3 open-ended tasks each with a suggested word limit, and a worked example for every task.
- Competency interview5 × 15 min25 questions in timed drills of 5: the three competencies the 2026 job opening names (Professionalism, Planning & Organizing, Teamwork), plus motivation and the UN core values of integrity and respect for diversity. 8 full model answers and an answer frame (Situation, Action, Result, lesson learned) for every other question.
Free: one interview question, with full feedback
Type what you would say: one specific example, what you did, how it turned out and what you learned. About 5 minutes. No sign-up.
Question 1 10 marks
Tell us about a time your original plan for a piece of work stopped working part-way through. What did you do, and how did the work turn out?
0 words · at least 50 needed for feedback. Answer as fully as you would on the day.
Written-response practice
Competency-based interview drills
The MCQ practice comes with it: see the MCQ kit and try its free questions.
One payment unlocks the MCQ kit and the written and interview pack
- The full MCQ practice kit (the core kit), opened by the same purchase
- 12 written-response tasks in 4 sets on invented information packs, each with a suggested word limit and a worked example
- 25 competency-based interview questions in 5 timed drills (the job opening's three competencies, motivation, integrity and respect for diversity), with 8 full model answers and an answer frame for every other question
- Feedback on every typed answer, quoting your own words, and up to 3 marked attempts per set or drill
Job-opening competencies and UN core values
- Professionalism
- Pride in work; professional competence and mastery of subject matter; meeting commitments and deadlines; persistence with difficult problems; calm under stress; taking responsibility for gender perspectives and the equal participation of women and men.
- Planning & Organizing
- Clear goals consistent with agreed strategies; identifying and adjusting priorities; allocating time and resources; foreseeing risks and allowing for contingencies; monitoring and adjusting plans; using time efficiently.
- Teamwork
- Working collaboratively towards organizational goals; valuing others' ideas and expertise; placing the team agenda before a personal one; supporting the final group decision; sharing credit and accepting joint responsibility.
- UN core values
- Integrity, Respect for Diversity and Professionalism (UN Careers, How to apply).
How the YPP exam process works
- Who can apply
- Nationals of the participating countries for that year, 32 or younger in the year of the examination, with at least a first-level university degree relevant to the exam area, fluent in English or French. The list of participating countries varies from year to year; check the list for your cycle.
- 2026 cycle
- Under "What are the examination subject areas for 2026?", the YPP page lists Development and Sustainability, and the 2026 job opening is for the YPP examination in Development and Sustainability. The UN Careers job opening for it closes on 30 November 2026 (New York time). Positions are mainly in DESA, UNCTAD and the Regional Commissions.
- Online exam, part I
- The General Paper and the first part of the Specialized Paper, multiple choice. The YPP page describes the typical first stage as about 2 hours, in English or French; the structure may vary slightly from year to year. The 2026 job opening anticipates February 2027, exact dates to be given to those invited.
- Online exam, part II
- Specialised constructed-response (open-ended) questions. The YPP page describes the typical second stage as about 2 to 2.5 hours, each question with a suggested response word limit, possibly proctored remotely. Only candidates successful in part I are invited; the 2026 job opening gives a tentative 1 to 2 months after part I, exact dates to be announced.
- Interview
- A competency-based video-conference interview for candidates successful in the written examination, assessing the key competencies in the job opening; the 2026 opening anticipates mid-2027. UN Careers advises answers structured as Situation, Action, Result, with the outcome or lesson learned.
- After the exam
- Successful candidates go on a roster for three years, which does not guarantee an offer; placements are at P-1 or P-2 on a two-year fixed-term contract, at any duty station.
Sources (read 1 November 2026): UN Careers: Young Professionals Programme; UN Careers: YPP 2026 job opening, Development and Sustainability; UN Careers: How to apply (At Your Interview).
The UN's own warning about paid YPP services
“Please be aware that the United Nations is not collaborating or partnering with any companies offering YPP-related services of any kind. Any services or programmes sold by such companies are not supported or endorsed by the United Nations.”UN Careers, Young Professionals Programme, “Warning - Regarding For Profit Companies”.
That includes us. We do not review applications, we have no inside information and we do not know the exam questions. The UN charges no fees at any stage. Its own YPP information and preparation materials are publicly available free of charge on careers.un.org, and invited candidates also get access to exam-specific preparation material. This kit is extra practice you can choose to buy.
Questions
Is this from the United Nations?
No. ProSyllabus is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the United Nations. The UN says it does not work with any company selling YPP services. Everything here is our own practice material, built only on what the UN publishes about the YPP. Read the UN's own YPP pages too (linked below).
Do you review my YPP application?
No. We do not review or help with applications in any way. Apply only through the UN's own job opening on careers.un.org; the UN charges no fees at any stage.
How is my answer judged?
Each task has our own list of practice points: for written tasks, the right figures from the pack, the analysis, and a clear structure inside the word limit; for interview questions, one specific example, your own actions, the result and the lesson learned. An automated marker checks your typed answer against every point, and any credit it gives quotes your own words. It can miss something valid or credit something it should not, so treat it as practice feedback and compare with the worked example, model answer or answer frame. The band (strong, solid, developing) is our own guide, not a UN mark or a prediction.
Does this cover my exam area?
The written sets cover Development and Sustainability, the exam area the UN lists for the 2026 cycle, across its themes: economics and statistics, environment, social affairs and population, and data and programme management. The interview drills focus on the three competencies named in the 2026 Development and Sustainability job opening, plus motivation, integrity and respect for diversity; for another exam area, check the competencies in its job opening.
I already bought the MCQ kit.
The MCQ practice stays yours. The complete kit is for buying both together in one purchase.
Can I try it first?
Yes. One interview question is free and gets the full feedback, with no sign-up.
Independent practice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the United Nations. The tasks, information packs, data, answer frames, model answers and worked examples are our own; no UN material is reproduced and no UN emblem is used.
Disclaimer
Independent practice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the United Nations.
Are these the real YPP questions? No. We do not know the exam questions and have no inside information. Our written tasks use invented countries and invented data, and our interview questions are our own, written around the three competencies the 2026 job opening names, motivation and the UN core values. Our timings (60 minutes per written set, 3 minutes per interview answer) are our own practice timings.