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Spring 2023 (24 April — 7 July 2023)
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Arabic, English: Online placement test under construction, not required.
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Spanish: Online placement test strongly encouraged.
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Chinese, French, Russian: Online placement test required - except for courses with no prerequisites, marked as "Prereq: none" in the Spring 2023 course brochure.
What do I need to know about the LCTU placement tests?
Verify your eligibility. Only eligible participants are allowed to take placement tests.
The LCTU placement tests take approximately 1.5 hours.
Each language has its own Placement Test requirements. Placement test results are valid for 9 months (you can retake the placement test to reassess your language proficiency). Consult Dates for the Upcoming Terms (yearly calendar) when planning for your placement test.
Seat availability for certain courses is limited, and they may be already full during the first weeks of the registration period. Plan to register and take the placement test as soon as possible to secure a seat in your preferred course.
How do I register for a placement test in Spanish?
Please register for a placement test the same way you would register for a course. You will find registration instructions on our registration page.
Once you are registered for a placement test, instructions will be available in inspira or Elearning, by clicking on "Notes and Attachments" and/or the "Launch button."
Placement Test Schedule |
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Language |
Inspira LMS Code |
Dates |
Location |
Spanish |
LMS-2630 |
From 01 to 29 March |
Online Test |
How do I register for a placement test in Chinese, French and Russian?
Verify your eligibility.
UN Secretariat staff members, staff from UNICEF, UNOPS, UNDP, and UN Women:
- If you have an account to access CDOTS-Campus, search and self-enroll for the "Chinese / French / Russian placement test."
- If you don’t have an account, 1) create an account and 2) self-enroll for the "Chinese / French / Russian placement test."
Delegates and Permanent Mission Personnel; Staff from UNFPA and UNCDF; Spouses/partners, retirees, and associated press; UN Volunteers at the UN Secretariat
- If you have completed a previous language course in CDOTS-Campus, search and self-enroll for the "Chinese / French / Russian placement test."
- If you are new to language courses, please use this form to request an account. You will use the account to self-enroll for "Chinese / French / Russian placement test" and for your future language courses.
Placement Test Schedule | ||
Language |
Dates |
Location |
Chinese |
From 1 March |
Search for "Chinese placement test" in cdots-campus |
French | Ongoing | Search for "French placement test" in cdots-campus |
Russian | From 1 March | Search for "Russian placement test" in cdots-campus |
For more information or assistance, please use this form: |
How do you describe your language skills?
The UN Secretariat has a new multilingualism ally to describe language skills: the United Nations Language Framework.
The UN Language Framework:
- breaks down language skills into four levels; this applies equally to all six official languages;
- is unique to the multicultural context of the United Nations.
Overview of Courses at UNHQ
Language acquisition and specialized courses are currently being aligned to the United Nations Language Framework standards.
Note that various language acquisition courses (30 hours, 10-week course) are required -at a minimum- to complete each UN Level of Language Competence: UN I, Basic; UN II, Intermediate; UN III, Advanced.