Assessment Centre Practice
Practise the exercises that make up a real assessment day - e-tray and in-tray inbox tasks, written exercises, presentations, group discussions and role-plays. Every exercise is timed and scored, with AI feedback on your written answers.
The exercises you can practise
Assessment centres combine several exercise types to see how you perform across different, realistic workplace tasks. We cover all six, in 11 scenarios spanning banking, consulting, the civil service, retail and technology.
E-Tray
Digital inbox triage - prioritise emails, documents and decisions under time pressure.
Assesses: Prioritisation, decision-making, written communication and attention to detail.
In-Tray
The classic in-tray: work through a desk of memos, letters and tasks and decide what to action.
Assesses: The classic paper-style equivalent of the e-tray: sorting and actioning a workload.
Written Exercise
Produce a clear, structured written response or report from a brief. Reviewed with AI feedback.
Assesses: Structuring a clear, evidence-based written recommendation from a brief.
Presentation
Plan and structure a short presentation from a brief - content, message and delivery judgement.
Assesses: Structuring a message, audience awareness and persuasion under time pressure.
Group Discussion
Practise effective behaviour in group exercises: contributing, including others and reaching consensus.
Assesses: Contributing, including quieter members, managing time and reaching consensus.
Role-Play
A turn-by-turn scenario with a character - choose how you respond as the situation develops.
Assesses: Composure, empathy and problem-solving through a turn-by-turn conversation.
How it works
- 1
Read your brief
You are given a role, an organisation and reference documents that stay available throughout.
- 2
Work against the clock
Triage an inbox, work through tasks or a role-play. There is more to do than time allows, so prioritise.
- 3
Make your decisions
Choose the most effective action for each item and draft your written responses.
- 4
Get scored feedback
Decisions are scored against an expert key; written answers receive AI feedback against a rubric.
What's included
How is this different from the practice games?
Our practice games are single-skill psychometric tasks (numerical, verbal, logical, situational) that you can replay an unlimited number of times. Assessment centre exercises are job simulations - longer, scenario-based tasks that combine several skills at once.
Because exercises include AI-scored written feedback, and each AI submission has a processing cost, the AI review of your written answers is limited to 3 successful reviews per exercise. The exercise itself stays unlimited - you can replay it as often as you like, your decisions are always scored instantly against an expert key, and after your AI reviews are used up you can keep practising without AI feedback on the writing. You always see how many AI reviews remain before you begin.
Ready for your assessment day?
Sign up free and play the sample e-tray, then unlock the full Assessment Centre section whenever you're ready.
Get started freeFrequently asked questions
What is an e-tray exercise?
An e-tray exercise is a digital job simulation. You take on a role at a fictional organisation and work through a simulated inbox of emails, memos and documents within a time limit, deciding what to prioritise and how to respond. It assesses prioritisation, decision-making, written communication and attention to detail. Our e-tray puts you in exactly that situation: a persistent brief, an inbox, a countdown and decisions to make.
What is the difference between an e-tray and an in-tray exercise?
They test the same thing. An in-tray is the traditional, paper-based version where you sort a physical desk of memos and letters; an e-tray is the digital version delivered on a computer. The skills assessed - prioritisation, judgement and written communication - are identical, which is why we offer both.
Which assessment centre exercises can I practise?
All six of the common formats: e-tray, in-tray, written exercise, presentation, group discussion and role-play. Group, presentation and role-play cannot be genuinely simulated on your own, so we practise the behaviours assessors actually score - as timed, scored scenario decisions plus written tasks - which is how they are best prepared for solo.
How are the exercises scored?
The multiple-choice and decision-based items are scored objectively against an expert answer key that reflects effective workplace behaviour, and you get a per-competency breakdown. Written responses are reviewed by AI against a marking rubric, with a score, strengths and suggested improvements for each answer.
How does the AI feedback on written answers work?
After you submit, your written responses are sent to an AI marker that scores each one against the exercise rubric - for example clarity, use of evidence, handling of risk and professional tone - and returns a short comment, strengths and improvements. It is an educational tool: it is our own automated output and does not replicate any employer’s marking.
How many times can I retry an exercise?
As many times as you like - practice is unlimited. The only limit is the AI review of your written answers, which runs up to 3 times per exercise because each AI-scored submission has a processing cost. A review that fails doesn't count towards that limit. Once you've used your 3 AI reviews you can still keep practising the exercise - your decisions are scored as usual, just without AI feedback on the writing. You're shown how many AI reviews remain before you start.
Are these the exact exercises my employer uses?
No. Employers and their assessment providers use their own bespoke exercises and marking schemes. Ours are independently written to mirror the common formats and the behaviours assessors look for. Practising the format and timing is what transfers - the specific scenario will differ on the day.
Who uses assessment centre exercises?
They are used across graduate schemes and professional hiring in banking, consulting, the civil service, retail and technology, among others. If your assessment day mentions an e-tray, in-tray, written exercise, group exercise, presentation or role-play, this is the practice for it.