The Young Professionals Programme - FAQs Questions relevant to Staff in the General Service and related categories (including Field Service

category, FS-5 and below) interested in sitting the YPP exam

1. I’ve heard that the format of the examination has changed since last year. Please explain

what’s different.

It is true that a small modification has been made to the exam. As in previous years, there is a written

examination – consisting of a general paper and a specialized paper – and an oral examination. These

three components remain, and each part is still eliminatory. However, questions on international current

affairs are now no longer included in the oral exam, and instead form a part of the general paper in the

written examination.

For further details of the format of the exam, please go to: careers.un.org/YPPapplicationprocess in English,

or careers.un.org/YPPderoulementdelaselection in French.

For sample examination papers, please go to: careers.un.org/YPPsampleexaminations in English, or

careers.un.org/YPPexemplesdepreuves in French.

2. Are staff members sitting the YPP examination able to take time off to prepare for and

attend the exam?

Subject to supervisor’s approval, staff should be able to take the YPP examination without having to take

annual leave. Preparation for the examination should be done outside of work hours, or during leave.

3. If I am a staff member who is under 32 and from a country listed as eligible for YPP can I

apply for YPP?

Yes, if you…

- are 32 years or younger at the end of the examination year

- hold at least a first-level university degree, such as a bachelor’s or other undergraduate degree,

relevant to the job family in which you wish to sit the examination

- are fluent in either English or French (knowledge of other official United Nations languages is an asset)

- are a national of participating country (the list of participating countries is published annually and

varies from year to year, go to careers.un.org/ypp (English) or careers.un.org/ypp (French) for

clarification)

then you can apply to participate in the young professionals programme as an external candidate. To do

this you must register and create an external account in inspira, and apply using this external account. Go

to careers.un.org/YPPapplicationprocess (careers.un.org/YPPderoulementdelaselection in French) for full

details.

Please note that, as external applicants, such Staff members will:

- not automatically be convoked to the examination (application forms are reviewed by OHRM and

only a maximum of 40 candidates per country per job family will be convoked);

- if successful in the examination, he/she will compete for 90% of YPP positions, along with other

external candidates (rather than for the 10% of positions reserved for successful candidates from

General Service and related categories);

- be subject to mandatory rotation two years after they join the Organization, requiring a move to a

different Secretariat duty station.

4. Will staff members who pass the YPP examination have any choice about where they are

placed (in terms of department and duty station)? Will they have to take the first position

offered to them?

There is a difference in policy for staff in GS and related categories (including Field Service staff, F-5 and

below), and for those staff members who meet all the criteria for external candidates and so apply to YPP as

an external candidate (see question 3 above).

External candidates who take up a YPP post are subject to mandatory rotation to a different duty station

after their first two year posting.

However, the General Assembly has recognised that staff in GS and related categories who pass the YPP

examination may not be able or willing to move to a different duty station for personal or family reasons

(A/65/537). For this reason, staff in GS and related categories who pass the YPP examination will not be

required to move duty stations, though they must be flexible with regards to the Department or Office where

they are placed and should still accept the first P position offered to avoid losing their place on the

programme.

Whilst preferences made at the time of application will be taken into account where possible and for all

YPPs, all successful candidates must be prepared to accept the first position offered to them. Failure to do

so will mean that they are removed from the list of successful candidates and made no further offers.

5. Will the change from G to P to YPP mean that there are more positions available to staff

who pass the exam?

This may vary from year to year. In both the old and the new system, Secretariat staff who pass the YPP

examination are eligible to compete for a proportion of the total number of positions available to successful

candidates. With the old NCRE system, GS staff (and those in related categories) who passed the

examination were entitled to a reserved portion of P-1 and P-2 posts, consisting of 10% of all regular budget

P-1 and P-2 positions, plus up to seven positions in non-geographic locations and up to three positions in high

vacancy duty stations. Since the change to YPP, successful GS staff are still entitled to a reserved 10% of all

P-1 and P-2 posts being filled by YPP in a given year, but there may be more positions are available since the

pool now includes 15% of all extra-budgetary P-1 and P-2 posts (A/65/537).

So, for example, it is estimated that around 85 regular budget and 10 extra-budgetary posts in four job

families will be filled by YPP candidates who pass the 2011 examination.

The exact number of posts available will vary from year to year, depending on the job families the

examination is offered in and the changing needs of the Organization. However, in any case, the variety of

positions will be greater since the introduction of YPP, as the inclusion of extra-budgetary posts now means

there are more opportunities for field experience and international exposure.

6. Will staff members who are successful in the YPP examination be competing against other

YPP recruits for the same positions, or are there particular P positions reserved for internal

candidates?

When looking to fill a YPP position, Hiring Managers will review profiles of all eligible, successful candidates

(including both those internal and external to the UN) and choose the most suitable based on merit. Whilst

staff members who pass the YPP examination will fill 10% of all the YPP positions available, there are no

specific posts earmarked for candidates moving from the GS and related categories to the P level.

7. Will staff members who are successful in the YPP examination be offered a P-1 or a P-2

position? Could they ever be offered P-3 if they have sufficient experience?

All successful YPP candidates will be offered either a P-1 or P-2 post, depending on their experience and

qualifications. Successful candidates who are placed at the P-1 level for their initial assignment will be

promoted to a post at the P-2 level after two years of successful performance. Candidates whose initial

assignment is at the P-2 level may apply for posts at the P-3 level after completing their first assignment of

two years. Hiring Managers will be encouraged to give ‘priority consideration’ to YPP staff for P-3 posts.

8. What type of contract will staff who join the YPP be offered?

YPP staff members will be offered a two-year fixed term contract at the start of their Professional career with

the Secretariat. After two years, they will be granted a continuing contract, subject to good performance.

An exception is made for staff who join the YPP and already hold a permanent contract. As a permanent

contract is an acquired right, this will not be removed, and such staff members will simply keep their

permanent contract as they move over to a Professional position.

9. Will staff who pass the YPP examination be given the same benefits and personal

development opportunities as external YPP candidates?

Yes, absolutely. No distinction will be made between YPP participants in the development opportunities

offered.

As per the Report of the Secretary-General to the General Assembly (A/65/305/Add. 4), the intention, from

the 2011-12 intake, is include the following elements in the YPP programme:

- An expanded, two week orientation programme which will be offered to new YPPs at the start of

their UN careers, before they report for duty. This will include learning about working in the field and

producing a Career Development Plan, which will be shared with programme manager and

reviewed annually.

- Mentoring from a more senior member of staff who will provide further guidance to ensure successful

and accelerated integration into the Organization.

- Enhanced learning opportunities, including on-the-job training and a designated training budget for

YPPs.

- A more structured approach to placement and rotation including mandatory rotation to a different

duty station after the first YPP assignment. (N.B. Staff from the General Service and related categories

who pass the examination will not be required to move internationally, but are encouraged to do so

and will have to move to a different function after two years).

10. How long is the YPP selection process likely to take? If I apply for the next YPP examination

and am successful, when might I move to a P position?

Successful YPP applicants can expect to move to a P post between July 2012 and April 2013, although there

is no guarantee of placement within this timeframe.

The YPP written examination is scheduled to take place on 7 December 2011, with the marking of written

papers and the oral examinations expected to be completed by mid-2012. From this time onwards, four

placement exercises will commence, each filling the P-1 and P-2 vacancies that have become available at

that point in time.

This said, no guarantee of placement is made, and all candidates are reminded that Hiring Managers select

the most suitable candidate for the P-1 or P-2 vacancy in each case.

However, unlike in previous years, only the number of candidates needed, plus ten per cent, will pass the

examination, making the chances of placement higher than in previous years. Those not placed in a P-1 or

P-2 role within two years would no longer be considered for posts and would have to resit the YPP

examination if they wished to be reconsidered.

11. Where can I find out more about YPP?

More detailed information is available on the Careers Portal (https://careers.un.org/ypp in English, and

https://careers.un.org/yppfr in French), and on an Information Sheet which can be found on the it’s for real!

website (https://itsforreal.un.org). The relevant AI and SGB will also be posted on it’s for rea!l as soon as they

are released. Finally, for additional background information about the YPP, you may wish to read the

Secretary-General’s report to the General Assembly, A/65/305/Add.4.

Questions relevant to NCRE staff already placed within the UN

1. What does the change from NCRE to YPP mean for successful NCRE candidates who have

already been placed within the Organization?

For the time being, there will be little change for those already placed through NCRE. OHRM/ DM would like

to launch programmes to support the progression of all young professionals, including those already on

board, but these are currently at an early stage of development. Announcements will be made if and

when such plans come to fruition.

2. Will NCRE staff members benefit from YPP’s new style of orientation and training? If so, from

when?

No, unfortunately those who are already on board will not benefit from the additional training programmes

planned for YPP, for financial and logistical reasons. However, the first YPP orientation is planned for July

2012, and those NCRE recruits who have not been on their NCRE orientation at that point may be able to

join the YPP orientation.

3. What will happen to the Managed Reassignment Programme?

The transition between the Managed Reassignment Programme and the YPP Mandatory Reassignment

Programme is currently being finalised. The Managed Reassignment Programme will proceed as planned

until at least the first quarter of 2012. Further information will be made available in due course.

4. Can/ should NCREs placed within the UN now refer to themselves as being on the YPP on

their PHP and other documents, or should they continue to use the term NCRE?

For clarity, the term NCRE should still be used.

General questions about the YPP and the examination

1. What kind of reference materials could I use to prepare for the written examinations? You may want to go over newspapers, journals and books you used while studying at university and any

other publications which you think may be useful or relevant to job family you are applying for.

For sample examinations, go to careers.un.org/YPPexemplesdepreuves in French, or

careers.un.org/YPPsampleexaminations in English. It is important to note that the sample examinations are

meant to give you an idea of the sort of questions that might be asked, based on past examinations. The

examination you will take will have different questions.

2. Can I arrive late to the examination? Arriving late is strongly discouraged, as it will disturb others and you will miss the instructions read at the start

of the examination. In the event that you are delayed, you will be admitted up to thirty minutes after the

starting time. You will not be granted any extra time if you arrive late.

3. I have a very poor handwriting, so can I use a typewriter or a computer? No, this is not possible. The examination is paper based. It would also raise confidentiality and security issues

if typewriters or computers were permitted. We strongly encourage you to write as legibly as possible.

4. What can I bring to the examination centre? Is there a dress code to take the examination?

What is not allowed in the examination centre? Please bring black pens, pencils, highlighters, calculator, ruler, your convocation (summons) document, and

a picture ID indicating your nationality (UN ID, passport, citizenship card, etc.). You may also bring some light

food (candies, chocolate, etc.) and refreshments (clear water or juice bottle, etc.) that will not distract

others in the room. Smoking is not allowed in the examination room. There is no dress code to participate in

the examination. Please be aware that some examination rooms might be rather cool or warm, so you

should prepare according to the local climate and weather. Please click here for a list of acceptable

calculators.

Do not bring mobile phones, dictionaries, portable computers, reference materials, or draft/scrap paper.

Should you bring any of these items, you will be required to leave them outside the examination room in a

secure area for the whole duration of the examination.

5. I was invited to take last year's examination, but I did not take it. May I take this year's

examination? In order to take this year's examination you must submit a new application, meet all requirements, be

selected by the Board of Examiners and convoked to an examination centre.

6. When should I expect the results of the examination and how will I be notified?

The marking of the written examination is expected to be completed within 3-4 months after the

examination. Click here for the status of each job family. All examinees are notified in writing via e-mail to

their last updated e-mail address. Please inform us of any change in your email address during the

examination process so that we have your current email address when we notify you. The application

numbers of examinees convoked to the interview are also published on this site. The interview usually takes

place 1-2 months after the completion of the marking of the written examination. In all, you should be

prepared to wait up to 5 months for an interview.

7. I passed the written part but failed the oral examination. Do I need to repeat both parts of

the examination at a subsequent examination? Yes, you will have to go through the entire examination process again, starting with the submission of your

application. The YPP examination is comprised of both a written and oral examination, and results from one

examination year do not carry over to another examination year.

8. What are my chances of actually getting a Professional job if I pass the YPP examination? If you pass the YPP examination, you will most likely be offered a job. The number of candidates that pass is

closely linked to the positions that are projected to become available. Each year, only the number of

candidates that match the projected vacancies plus 10 % is passed. Consequently, passing the examination

may not, however, guarantee a job. Job offers to successful candidates are made on a quarterly basis,

subject to the requirements of the Organization.