Language Proficiency Exam Preparation

In the annual UN Language Proficiency Examination (LPE), listening, writing, speaking and reading skills in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are examined and certified.

The exam consists of four sections:

  1. Receptive activities: Listening
  2. Receptive activities: Reading
  3. Written production and interaction
  4. Spoken production and interaction

In addition to preparing for the exam, Language Proficiency Examination candidates are strongly encouraged to take additional language training to increase their chances of success.

Online Preparation Courses for the Language Proficiency Examination

The CDOTS Language and Communications Training Unit designed and developed courses to help exam candidates and other interested staff members understand and prepare for the new format of the LPE. They also encourage participants to learn more about test-taking strategies and techniques, and how to use self-learning to improve language development.

The courses are available in the six official UN languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. They are self-paced to orient UN-system exam candidates and equip them with test-taking techniques and strategies.

Participants will learn about the exam sections, how to interpret task instructions and what the expected language range is at the UN III Level. Participants will be able to produce answers (multiple choice, oral and written production) to the tasks, and compare them with sample responses and solutions.

The Language Proficiency Examination Preparation Courses are comprised of three modules that can be taken in any sequence and repeated as many times as needed.

  • Module 1 contains explanatory videos about the new LPE, the onboarding process and test-taking tips.
  • Module 2 offers an interactive lesson with sample speaking and writing tasks.
  • Module 3 includes additional resources about the test and a sample exam (English, French, Spanish)

Participants should expect to complete Modules 1 and 2 in about three hours. The practice exam takes from three to four hours to complete.

The LPE Preparation Courses are available in CDOTS Campus and open free of charge to every UN system exam candidate, with no eligibility restrictions.

Instructions on how to create an account, self-enrol or obtain support is available for exam candidates, trainers and language instructors.

Practice Exams to Prepare the Language Proficiency Examination

Each exam section includes various tasks to test the candidate’s linguistic abilities. For a practical overview of each section and tasks, we provide an LPE Practice Exam with the answer key, transcript and audios. The paper-based practice exam serves to familiarize candidates with the exam, enable them to make informed decisions about their own language abilities and determine the best year to apply for the exam.

Candidates will use the same practice exam in the online testing environment once they are invited to familiarize themselves with the exam site. The dedicated webpage Language Proficiency Examination contains further information on the exam process and timeline.

Online Language Proficiency Examination Preparation Courses - Video-teaser

In a Nutshell

Learning engagement

  • Video, audio and text presentations in the target language
  • Quizzes, drag and drop exercises
  • Sample responses, online sample test

Objectives

  • understand the exam format
  • understand the onboarding process in the assessment environment
  • apply test-taking tips and strategies
  • understand the types of tasks in the Written and Spoken Production and Interaction Sections of the exam
  • analyse passing-level models of written and spoken production
Chinese
French
Spanish