In-tray exercises are now a core feature of modern assessment centres, designed to reveal how effectively you can prioritise, analyse information and make decisions when the pressure is on.
These exercises mirror the realities of a busy workday -competing deadlines, unexpected challenges and the constant need to communicate clearly while staying organised.
While in-tray exercises require you to put pen to paper, the e-tray exercise requires you to follow an email-based format. Both usually involve selecting an answer from a number of multiple-choice options, as well as being asked to justify your decisions. How do you make sure that you are successful with your next in-tray/e-tray exercise? Follow these five expert tips:
Clear preparation
Preparation is key. The nature of in-tray exercises makes them unique compared to other forms of interview you may have faced. Speak to your Careers Advisor and see if they have any mock in-tray exercises that they can give you to practice. Along with e-tray exercises, you can readily access them online. Speak to other professionals within your network who have hands-on experience of this type of assessment. Finally, look up the company you’re applying to: what do they prioritise?
Read all of the information carefully
Most in-tray/e-tray exercises last between 1-2 hours, so it can be tempting to just ‘skim’ the information and spend more time on the decision-making and justification. However employers are also looking for someone with attention to detail, so be sure to spend enough time on reading the information properly! Look out for subtle hints and underlying themes that lie within the text which could help you to justify your decisions later on. Make notes as you go along for easy referral when you come to write up your response.
Categorise and Prioritise Tasks
In-tray/e-tray exercises are designed to test your ability to distinguish between what’s urgent and what’s important. Not everything can be done first - and that’s the point. A strong approach is to group tasks into categories such as:
- Urgent and important (act immediately)
- Important but not urgent (plan and schedule)
- Urgent but less important (delegate or respond briefly)
- Neither urgent nor important (defer or decline)
This showcases structured thinking and mirrors the decision making expected in dynamic, multitasking environments, where you’re constantly adapting to what comes next.
Show Your Working, Not Just Your Answers
One of the biggest misconceptions about in-tray/e-tray exercises is that assessors only care about the final decisions. In reality, they’re deeply interested in your thought process.
Make your reasoning clear:
- Why did you prioritise one task over another?
- What assumptions did you make?
- How did you balance risk, time and impact?
Being transparent about your thought process demonstrates maturity, self-awareness and strategic judgement.
Manage your time while maintaining accuracy
Time will pass quickly in an in‑tray exercise. As it is designed to assess how well you cope under pressure, allocate your time carefully across the tasks and keep an eye on the clock. However, avoid rushing simply to complete more tasks. Accuracy and attention to detail are just as important, so it is better to complete a few tasks thoroughly than many tasks incorrectly. When presenting your decisions, always give clear and justified reasons for why you prioritised one task over another.
Mastering in-tray/e-tray exercises isn’t just about performing well in an assessment - it’s about developing the skills needed for effective modern management. Prioritising tasks, communicating clearly, staying calm under pressure and justifying decisions all reflect the realities of day‑to‑day leadership. Treating each exercise as an opportunity to demonstrate these abilities strengthens both your assessment performance and your overall management capability.
We don’t have assessment centres or use AI in the recruitment process at Enterprise Mobility. Our hiring process is built around real conversations with real people, so you can be yourself and show what you bring. Interested in joining our team? Take a look at our Graduate Management Trainee job and Placement opportunities and start a conversation with us today!
