Sam, the board meets at 10 and I still don't have this month's operations figures. Can you send the summary by 9:45 at the latest?
Urgent is not the same as important
Each action is a quadrant of the Eisenhower matrix. Green numbers match the assessor; amber ones are half right (one axis correct); red ones are on the wrong diagonal.
What an in-tray exercise measures, in short
An in-tray (or e-tray) exercise simulates a busy inbox. You read a batch of emails, memos and requests and decide how to handle each under time pressure. It measures prioritising, delegation, judgement and written communication, and is a staple of assessment centres for graduate and management roles.
This practice version is our own scenario, scored against our key on two axes: urgency and importance. Real exercises often add written replies, scheduling, and new emails arriving mid-task, and keys reflect each employer's priorities.
By What's Your IQ · Reviewed 4 Oct 2026- Format
- 10 emails, one action each
- Scoring
- 2 for a match, 1 if one axis is right; 20 max
- Measures
- Prioritising, delegation, judgement
- Used in
- Assessment centres, management and civil service selection
- Frederiksen, N., Saunders, D. R., & Wand, B. (1957). The in-basket test. Psychological Monographs, 71(9), 1–28.
- Bray, D. W., Campbell, R. J., & Grant, D. L. (1974). Formative years in business: A long-term AT&T study of managerial lives. Wiley.
- Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 habits of highly effective people. Free Press.