The YPP examination is held once a year and is open to nationals of countries participating in the annual recruitment exercise. The list of participating countries is published annually and varies from year to year.

Basic application criteria:

• You must have the nationality of a participating country.
• You must hold at least a first-level university degree relevant for the exam area you are applying for.
• You must be 32 or younger by the end of the examination.
• You must be fluent in either English or French.

Each year, countries that are un- or under-represented in the United Nations, are invited to take part in the Young Professionals Programme. Participating countries can be found on the YPP page of the UN Careers Portal: https://careers.un.org/ypp

Staff members of the United Nations in the General Service and related staff categories, as well as in the Field Service category, are given the opportunity to participate in the young professionals programme examination for recruitment into the Professional category. This is a way of recognizing talent and excellence in the Organization by reserving entry level professional posts for staff members who pass the competitive examination.

The examination is the exact same examination and is given in the same manner as the YPP examination for external candidates. If you meet the criteria below, you can apply to participate in the young professionals programme as an external candidate under the G to N track:

• You must have the nationality of a participating country.
• You must hold at least a first-level university degree relevant for the exam area you are applying for.
• You must be 32 or younger by the end of the examination.
• You must be fluent in either English or French.

If you are a staff member of the United Nations in the General Service and related staff categories, or a staff member in the Field Service category, and do not meet the criteria above, you can still participate in the examination under the G to P track if you meet the following criteria:

• You must have at least five years of continuous service in the Secretariat.
• You must have fully successful performance in the last two performance appraisals.
• You must have a United Nations appointment valid until at least six months after the date of the examination.
• You must meet the minimum educational criteria for the job family you are interested in applying for.

Successful staff will be placed in a professional position at the P-1 or P-2 level, depending on their qualifications and will work in different offices in various functions contributing to the goals of the Organization.

Competitive examinations for recruitment and placement in posts requiring specific language skills in the Professional category are administered separately, and are not included in this examination.

> Frequently asked questions - internal candidates