Assessment Center > In Tray Exercise

If you are asked to do an assessment center in-tray exercise, you may be asked to assume a particular role as an employee of a fictitious company and work through a pile of correspondence in your in-tray. These tests commonly measure job skills such as: ability to organize and prioritize work; analytical skills; communication with team members and customers; written communication skills; and delegation.

Many people find this the most difficult of all of the exercises. Your brief may be something totally unexpected like being told that it is the first day of your new job as deputy head-teacher and given a list of thirty tasks and memos to prioritize and action. You may be given this type of scenario even if you are applying for a job that has nothing to do with education. Don’t make the mistake of worrying about the topic, prioritizing tasks is the thing the assessors are really looking for. Go through each item carefully and systematically mark them with a priority – stating clearly how you’ve ranked them. This enables the assessors to see your thoughts on each item and to get an idea of you organizational method and rationale.

You will be judged on how well you can: handle complex information, determine priorities, make decisions within time limits, display sensitivity to potential problems and communicate clearly. Try to imagine that you are at work doing the described duties, rather than just completing a test, but make sure that the reasons for your actions are clear and documented - even if this is just a note in the margin.