All you need to know about your upcoming General Ability Test                                                         Did you know? 
                                                      ?                                                                                                            The United Nations receives an average of 800 
       Why a General Ability Test (GAT)                                     Why is there a Textual Reasoning test part?                                            applications  per  professional  level  job  opening 
                                                                                                                                                                   from more than 140 countries. 
                           The  United  Nations  faces  unique,                            The  comprehension  and  drafting  of  written 
                           complex,  and  evolving  challenges.                            communications is an integral part of virtually 
                           In order to effectively deal with these                         every  job  in  the  context  of  POLNET.  Working         How do you make sure the GAT is fair? 
                           challenges,  a  high-performing  and                            with     complex      documents,       resolutions, 
                           adaptable      global    workforce     is                       mandates,      reports,   or   other    text-based           During  the  developmental  stage,  each  question  is  run 
                           essential. To build and maintain such                           materials  is  an  important  feature  of  the  job.         through software tools which provide us with standardised 
                           a  workforce,  the  Secretariat  has                            Therefore, those who wish to effectively operate             readability  scores.  This  helps  us  make  sure  that  the 
                           introduced a new staffing approach.                             in  POLNET  must  demonstrate  an  adequate                  questions are written so that second language speakers 
                                                                                           ability  to  work with the kinds of texts they are           with  a  strong  command  of  the  required  United  Nations 
                                                                                           likely to encounter in such jobs.                            working languages are not disadvantaged. Also, after the 
                            As  a  fundamental  principle  of  this                                                                                     test has been administered but before it has been scored, 
                            new  approach,  staff  members  are                                                       
                                                                            Why is there an Analytical Reasoning test part?                             each question is checked using advanced psychometric 
                            expected  to  be  mobile  within  and                                                                                       methods to ensure its fairness, reliability, and validity. 
                            across  a  wide  range  of  related  job                                                                                                                    
                                                                                              Ask people who work in POLNET and they will 
                            families, also known as a job network.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                              tell you that solving problems using logic, data, 
                            The GAT has been developed, with                                                                                          Top tips: How can I improve my test performance? 
                                                                                              and/or common sense is an important part of                                               
                            that  principle  in  mind,  to  assess                            their  jobs.  Those  who  wish  to  be  effective  in                                     
                            general abilities for a wide variety of                                                                                                                     
                            potential  job  network-relevant  tasks                           POLNET must demonstrate an adequate ability                                               
                                                                                              to  solve  job  network-relevant  problems  by 
                            and/or situations.                                                                                                             Take the sample test before the actual test. It will 
                                                                                              applying  reason  and  logic  to  information                                             
                                                                                                                                                            help you become familiar with the testing platform 
                                                                                              presented  as  research  findings,  data,  and                                            
                                                                                                                                                            and the test format. 
    What kind of test is the GAT?                                                             reported evidence.                                           Take the test on a laptop or desktop computer and 
                                                                                                                                                            not a small mobile device.  
     It is an internet-based multiple-choice test                                              
                                                                           Why is there a Social Reasoning test part?                                      Take the test in a quiet environment, with minimal 
     consisting of three test parts, available in                                                                      
              both English and French.                                                                                                                      disruptions and distractions. 
                                                                              Effectively  working,  interacting,  and  engaging                           Select an answer even if you are not sure it is correct 
                                                                              with  people  from  a  variety  of   different                                (no points are deducted for incorrect answers). 
                The GAT is approximately two-hours long. You can              backgrounds  in  a  work  environment  is  a 
                complete each test part separately within the 48-             fundamental part of every job in POLNET. There                               Use online dictionaries to search for terms that you 
                                 hour test window.                            is  no  position  in  POLNET  where  United  Nations                          need help understanding. 
                                                                              Staff would not be expected to interact with a                               Use only the information presented to you in the 
                     1. Textual Reasoning                                     colleague, a manager, a client, etc.                                          question to answer it. 
                                                                                                                                                           Rest well before beginning the test and take breaks 
                                                                              No prior, or specific, United Nations knowledge is necessary                  between test parts. 
                     2. Analytical Reasoning                                  to be successful in this test. This is done to ensure, pursuant to           Flag questions that you find too time consuming and 
                                                                              General  Assembly  resolution  68/265,  that  every  applicant,               return to them if time remains. 
                      3. Social Reasoning                                     internal or external, is given an equal and fair chance.