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What is an E-tray exercise and how to pass an E tray exercise? Get your answers in our complete guide below to accelerate your assessment centre practice.
The text below provides a full guide to E-tray exercises many employers use in their recruitment, assessment and hiring process.
Our website provides assessment centre practice exercises that can be used to prepare for E tray assessment tests used by top employers in their recruitment processes around the world.
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Not sure if you should practice for your E-tray test? According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD, 2020), around one-third of employers use assessment centres in their application process.
We offer a complete package of assessment centre practice tests to help you prepare for the assessment centre exercises, a part of many recruitment and assessment processes around the globe including the UK and the US.
Continue reading to get answers to the following critical E-tray test questions:
So, without further ado, let’s get started!
An E-tray exercise is a type of assessment that simulates a workplace scenario where you will prioritise, respond, and or organise a series of emails, memos, and documents within a specific timeframe.
An E tray exercise is used to evaluate your ability to:
E-tray Exercise
Source: Freepik
Good to know: The multiple-choice E-tray online assessment questions test your decision-making and problem-solving ability while the open-ended questions test your written communication skills, clarity, professionalism, and ability to convey information concisely.
Now that we’ve covered the key details, let’s dive in to discover more about what happens in an E-tray exercise?
An E-tray exercise is a virtual assessment, which means that it will be on a digital device. This means that you can attend the E-tray online assessment remotely, from your location or in a controlled environment such as an assessment centre.
You can expect the following to happen during an E tray exercise:
Introduction
At the beginning of an E-tray test, you will get an introduction or brief that explains the scenario and your role which would be a manager, consultant, or another professional who handles emails, tasks, or requests.
Situation
You will be given a business situation where you act as if you are in a real-life workplace, often in the middle of a busy day with many tasks requiring your attention.
Simulated Inbox
The core of an E tray online assessment test revolves around a simulated inbox of emails. You will receive some emails or documents from various stakeholders (e.g., clients, colleagues, or senior managers).
Emails
The emails will contain different types of information, such as requests for advice, scheduling tasks, client issues, or team updates. They may also include additional attachments like reports, memos, or financial documents.
Task
Your main task in an E-tray test is to read and understand the content of each email and figure out which tasks are more urgent and important and require immediate responses or need to be scheduled.
Responses
Depending on the format of the E-tray assessment test, you will be required to choose the best possible response to an email or write your responses.
E-tray Assessment
Throughout the E-tray assessment, you will manage several emails and tasks at once within a specific time limit. This requires good multitasking and organisational skills to ensure nothing is overlooked.
Good to know: While E-tray tests may often be on-site as part of an assessment centre, it is important to note that companies have also started conducting virtual assessment centres allowing you to join and complete exercises from anywhere.
Gain a quick insight into why employers use virtual assessment centres in our short video below:
Now that you know what an E-tray online test is and its key facts, let’s move on to find out which employers and industries tend to use it more.
Many different industries use E-tray tests as part of their recruitment processes, and are most commonly used for roles such as human resources, customer service, and graduate-level roles. Some key industries that use E tray tests are:
Some global companies that are known to have used Etray exercises as part of their recruitment process include:
Good to know: E tray exercises are suitable for any industry or company that requires employees to carry out decision-making, prioritisation, manage workloads, communicate effectively, and handle stress and pressure within their role.
So, you may be wondering…
Employers use E-tray exercises for several reasons, primarily to simulate real-world tasks that a candidate might encounter on the job. Below are some of the key reasons why employers include Etray tests in their recruitment process:
Since many employers from different industries tend to use Etray exercises in their hiring process, what do they look for? Read on to find out.
Customer Service E-tray Test
Employers use E-tray exercises to examine a variety of skills, abilities, and competencies to evaluate your potential performance in a given role, such as:
Company Fit
Employers use Etray tests to determine if you align with the company values and ethics. They want to know if you would fit well in the organisation and the role.
Time Management
Employers assess how well you manage your time, especially when faced with multiple tasks or emails that require attention. You must show that you can allocate your time wisely to ensure all tasks are completed within the time limit.
Prioritisation
A key part of an E-tray online test is determining which tasks or emails are most important. Employers are looking for candidates who can quickly assess the urgency and importance of tasks and decide which to address first.
Decision-Making
Employers want to see how well you can make decisions. You need to demonstrate logical thinking and sound judgement by making decisions that align with company values and objectives.
Handling Pressure
This is important for many roles as you will have to handle pressure while maintaining a high level of performance. Employers want a candidate who will be able to handle the pressure of the role and remain focused.
Written Communication Skills
In E-tray tests, you’ll need to write emails and respond to messages. Employers look at how well you structure your responses, your clarity and your ability to communicate concisely and professionally.
Problem-Solving Ability
Employers want to see how you approach and resolve complex problems. You may be presented with conflicting priorities or challenging situations, and how you choose to tackle these issues will be in consideration.
Collaboration and Stakeholder Management
E tray online tests often involve interactions with different stakeholders (clients, managers, or colleagues). Employers assess your ability to manage relationships effectively.
Professionalism and Tone
When responding to emails or making decisions, employers expect you to maintain a professional tone that reflects the organisation’s values.
Whether reviewed by recruiters or scored remotely by automation, Etray tests score you against predetermined criteria, the scores are then compared to a benchmark based on skills, experience level, knowledge, and abilities.
Did you know? E-tray exercises are often confused with in-tray exercises but these two tests differ significantly in how they test workplace skills and their format.
Read on to understand how these two recruitment exercises differ from one another.
The main difference between an E-tray exercise and an In-tray exercise is simply that E-trays are digital-based simulations while in-trays are traditional and conducted in person. The key differences are highlighted in the table below:
E-tray Online Assessment
Now that you know the key differences between an E-tray exercise and an in-tray, let’s check out an example E tray question and answer.
You are the manager of a marketing department at a technology company, you are currently in charge of overseeing the new software product launch in the US in 3 months.
You expect to receive a variety of emails today from different departments including the: public relations, product development and sales teams with concerns and input regarding this launch.
In this exercise, you have the following:
You have 1 hour to review and respond to these emails, prioritise the tasks based on relevance and urgency, make decisions and complete any necessary tasks to ensure that the product launch is successful and all departments are working together seamlessly.
Looking for more E tray exercise practice?
As we come to a close on this article, don’t miss our top tips to help ace your next E-tray assessment test.
Consider our carefully curated quality tips below to help you prepare and pass your upcoming E-tray exercise:
Bonus E-tray Test Tip: You should demonstrate your ability to prioritise and manage your workload, meet deadlines, and effectively lead and collaborate with other departments to ensure the task is successful.
And with this, we have covered everything you need to know about E tray online tests.
Before you go, don’t miss even more answers to key frequently asked questions about E-tray assessment tests below!
An E-tray online test primarily tests skills such as organisation, prioritisation, decision-making, and communication. However, it’s important to research the company and understand its values and goals, as this can guide your decision-making process.
An E-tray exercise simulates the types of tasks and electronic communication that a candidate would face in their day-to-day work. It aims to provide employers with an understanding of how a candidate would perform in a similar role.
Common mistakes to avoid include:
The length of an E-tray online assessment test varies, but it typically lasts between 60 to 90 minutes. Some E tray online assessment tests may be shorter or longer depending on the company and the complexity of the tasks.
Do you want to pass your E-tray online assessment test the first time? Start your assessment centre exercise practice today with GF, the only aptitude practice test expert providing practice test solutions to over 150 UK universities and their students, and also across Asia and continental Europe. Practice with peace of mind without commitment to a full 100% money-back guarantee if you do not pass your job tests.
Do you want to pass your E-tray online assessment test the first time? Start your assessment centre exercise practice today with GF, the only aptitude practice test expert providing practice test solutions to over 150 UK universities and their students, and also across Asia and continental Europe.
Practice with peace of mind without commitment to a full 100% money-back guarantee if you do not pass your job tests.
Start Preparing Today
