UN Arabic Interpreter Exam Applications About to Close

The United Nations (UN) Office of Public Information and Conference Management announced the application period for the November 2024-January 2025 competitive examination process for Arabic interpreters. The deadline to apply is August 5, 2024. 

Candidates must have a perfect command of Arabic, and documented fluency and active interpreting experience in English or French. For the examination, candidates must specify their interpretation language combinations in what the UN calls a 250-word motivation statement as part of the application.

The examination process includes multiple phases, the first of which takes place on November 29, 2024, and consists of an online simultaneous interpretation pre-selection test. Approximately two weeks before the pre-selection test, candidates will be able to take a mock test to ensure equipment and internet connection work well.

Those who pass the pre-selection test are invited to the Session 1 online simultaneous interpretation exam on January 24, 2025. Finally, those who pass the Session 1 examination will take the Session 2 exam on January 25, 2025.

Besides the language requirements, interpreters must have knowledge of multiple subjects, including political, social, legal, and other subject matters common in the UN business.

The selection process also includes a competency-based interview for those who pass all examination sessions. Successful candidates will be eligible for job assignments in the UN Department for General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM) at headquarters in New York, Geneva, Vienna, and Nairobi. 

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Interpreters who are offered jobs may interpret from and into Arabic at an average of seven meetings per week, lasting up to three hours. 

Some interpreters could also act as team leaders or be assigned other duties. Although salary details for this post are not included in the UN announcement, it is classified as “P-2,” which on the UN Talent website is described as paying a range of USD 57,661-78,318 per year. 

More details can be found in the full job description.