Administrative assistant test: what employers check and how to prepare

There is no single admin assistant test. Employers choose from a publisher’s modules, so two jobs with the same title can have different tests. These are the areas publishers list for this role.

Office assessments are short and timed. Criteria’s Microsoft Suite assessment, for example, gives 10 minutes each for Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Some tests are multiple choice. Others are simulations, where you complete tasks in a copy of the program on screen.

In a simulation you have to know where things are, so reading about a feature is not enough. Practice by doing the task yourself, and try the keyboard route too, because it is often quicker than searching the ribbon against a timer.

General Excel tests for admin roles cover tables, managing data, and basic to intermediate formulas. Advanced versions add complex formulas, reports and charts. eSkill’s Excel simulation lists six areas: customizing spreadsheets, editing, formatting, functions, managing workbooks and managing worksheets.

Word tasks are usually about formatting a document: styles, line spacing, headers and footers, tables and tables of contents. PowerPoint tasks are about adding and arranging slides and objects. Outlook questions are usually about mail, calendar and meeting tasks, so review these in the version you use at work.

Ask the recruiter which provider and which programs are included, and which version of Office. Then practice the tasks with a timer, starting with the program the job uses most.