Applicants should determine their eligibility and prepare required supporting documentation before the registration period begins. Regarding any questions applicants may have, these should be addressed to the Administrator at the LPE Screening Centres (LPESCs). Please see more detailed information in the image on the right.

2025 LPE Process and Timeline is now available.

The 2024 Language Proficiency Exam (LPE) is based on UN Level III of the United Nations Language Framework (UNLF). It is strongly recommended that candidates familiarize themselves with Level III of the UNLF, in particular:

• the overall descriptors for UN Level III (pages 5, 8) and the learning objectives, communicative situations and text types (pages 22-26) in the UNLF Core Curriculum. These are common to all six official United Nations languages and the basis for the LPE in all six languages.
• the UN Level III pages in the specific language curriculum ( Ar, Ch, En,  Fr, Ru, Sp) of the language in which you will be taking the exam.

Further to Section 3.6 of the Administrative Instruction ST/AI/2021/1, candidates have to achieve a minimum of 15 points in each section of the exam and a minimum of 65 points in total to be awarded the UN Language Proficiency Examination certificate. Part 1 listening and reading sections and Part 2 writing section of the exam are eliminatory; i.e., candidates who do not reach a minimum of 15 points (out of the possible 25 points) in the listening or reading section of the exam will not have their writing and speaking sections evaluated, and candidates who do not reach a minimum of 15 points (out of the 25 possible points) in the written section of the exam will not have their spoken section evaluated.

• The exam consists of four sections: 1) Receptive activities: Listening; 2) Receptive activities: Reading; 3) Written production and interaction; and 4) Spoken production and interaction.
• The oral part of the old LPE will be replaced by the spoken production and interaction part of the online exam, and no live interviewers will be involved.
• Each section is worth 25 points. Candidates have to achieve a minimum of 15 points in each section, and a minimum of 65 points in total to be awarded the United Nations Language Proficiency Examination Certificate.
• All sections will be completed on the United Nations Online Examinations & Tests System.
• The four sections will be divided into two ‘quizzes’ on the platform and candidates will be able to take a break between parts.
  • Part 1: Listening and Reading (100 minutes)
  • Part 2: Written Production (90 minutes)
  • Part 3: ​Spoken Production (30 minutes)

For inquiries from individuals at UNHQ: email unlpeny@un.org
For inquiries from individuals based at other duty stations, please refer to list of participating LPESCs.

Frequently Asked Questions