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In-Tray Exercises
Psychometric Success

Version 2.1
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Introduction
The in-tray exercise is a major component of most assessment centres because of the variety of skills, knowledge and attitudes that can be tested. It isvital that you practice this exercise to improve your chances of achieving a maximum score. With practice, you can learn to see which specific in-tray items are testing which of your skills and learn how best to respond to the problems and issues they raise. Remember, if you have not practiced an in-tray exercise before it is easy to be overwhelmed by the amount of material you are expected towork through in the time available. At the very least you should practice working through items and classifying them according to their urgency and importance. You will invariably find that there are one or two ‘major issues’ hidden among the intray items and if you miss these you will struggle to remain a credible candidate. The reason that the in-tray exercise is so widely used is that it allowsthe assessors to see how candidates actually behave during the exercise. This is fundamentally different to an interview in which candidates are predominantly judged on what they say. The behaviour shown during the intray exercise will then be compared to the key behavioural criteria which have been specified for that role. Always remember that in-tray exercises are designed to judge how well youexhibit the required behaviours of the job you are applying for. This is by assessing to what extent you are able to: Exhibit the correct level of knowledge, Display the right type of skills, and Demonstrate the attitudes of the role. Within the human resources industry these are commonly abbreviated to KSA’s – Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes. As a candidate, you can’t afford to leave anything tochance or assumption during in-tray exercise. Your assessor can ONLY give you credit for the knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSA’s) that you exhibit during the exercises. So, ‘if you know it, you have to show it’, to those watching you. If you would like to know more about KSAs and how they relate to job selection and promotion, then this information is available in our eBook ‘Assessment Center’which is available from www.psychometric-success.com In these practice exercises you can make notes on the in-tray items themselves and you should make full use of this opportunity. This will make it easier for you to remember why you made certain decisions and will ensure that you get the most out of the exercise when you read the correct answers and their explanations. From the data you aresupplied with you will be able to extract the necessary information which will form the basis of your decision making during the exercise. During your preparation for the intray exercise it is important keep in mind the Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes your assessors will be looking for you to exhibit. Remember that everything you do must maximise and efficiently use the time you have available.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,6&7#*+8%),!!! »#$%&'()*+,-&.$/&&*$$ »&()00, !38(,:,

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During the in-tray exercise then you will usually be asked to assume a particular role as an employee of a fictitious organisation and to work through a pile of correspondence in your in-tray. The in-tray items will be specifically designed to measure job skills such as:ability to organize and prioritize work; analytical skills; communication with team members and customers; written communication skills; and delegation.

The in-tray exercise is a major component of most assessment centres, not only because of the variety of skills, knowledge and attitudes that can be tested but because this exercise also has considerable ‘face validity’. This means that…