Office Administrative Assistant Tests

What is an administrative assistant aptitude test?

Traditional aptitude tests are often used to probe deeper into a candidate’s skills, and discover where their strengths and weaknesses lie.

In the case of administrative assistants, psychometric tests are used to measure specific skills. For example, verbal reasoning tests for comprehension and communication skills; error checking tests for accuracy skills; or Microsoft Excel tests for software skills.

Potential administrative assistants might also be tested via touch-typing tests, note-taking exercises or proofreading tasks.

What skills do administrative assistants typically need?

Administrative assistants are required to support the smooth running of an office or a senior individual or team’s diaries.

It’s essential, therefore, that you’re naturally organised if you want to become an administrative assistant. You’ll be in charge of sorting everything from travel and reports, to taking meeting notes and ensuring the office is equipped so everyone can do their jobs without issue.

Other requirements of the role include:

Strong communication skills

Administrative assistants usually have to liaise with a range of people of varying seniority levels. Dealing with other people’s requests, problems and questions can be tough, so it’s essential you’re able to remain friendly and professional at all times.

Effective time management

Prioritising tasks, booking meetings and ensuring things run on time are key requirements of the job, so good time management is necessary if you want to succeed.

Confident with a range of software

Whether it’s preparing documents in Microsoft Office, scheduling important events or mastering project management software, successful administrative assistants are able to work quickly and confidently, switching between a range of different office management tools.

Aptitude tests used to assess key skills

Aptitude tests are designed to assess a range of skills depending on the test taken, and to help employers determine who might be the best fit for a job out of a pool of candidates.

Because administrative assistants need various skills, a variety of aptitude tests may be used in the recruitment process These are all covered in the skills sections below.

Accuracy skills

An eye for detail and a proven ability to produce accurate work are important things to showcase if you want to impress an employer looking for an administrative assistant.

To help prepare for the office administration tests, we recommend trying out some error checking tests to see how comfortable you are at spotting mistakes under pressure.

Accuracy skills are also linked to how comfortable you are with numbers and data. It’s likely you’ll be required to do some finance and data interpretation as part of your role as an administrative assistant, so practising numerical reasoning tests is a great way to improve your skills.

Communication skills

To ensure you have the communication skills needed to work effectively with staff of all levels, an employer may assess your reading, writing and general communication as part of the recruitment process.

To get prepared, try out a few verbal reasoning tests to brush up on your reading and comprehension skills.

Or give a writing task a go to ensure you feel comfortable with basic grammar, spelling and punctuation. It’s always worth brushing up on these skills, even if you do feel confident in this area, as you want to excel on the day.

Organisational skills

Organising everything from data to people and office supplies is all part of a day’s work for an administrative assistant.

This part of the test will look at how good you are at juggling multiple priorities and filing information neatly and effectively.

Whether you believe this to be one of your strengths or not, it’s important to practice putting your skills to the test by trying out some data interpretation questions.

These questions are similar to problems that may appear on the office administration tests. They require you to interpret mathematical data and show evidence of strategic decision making.

Software skills

Employers will want to see proof that candidates applying for an administrative assistant role are confident using a variety of different office software programmes. So it’s important to brush up on your skills before the recruitment process gets underway.

First, try out a few Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word tests. Designed to assess your proficiency with the tools available in each programme, these tests are challenging but manageable if you have a good grasp of the Microsoft Office Suite.

The test will help you to see where your strengths and weaknesses lie, and what you need to practice doing in Excel and Word before the big day.

Interpersonal skills

Administrative assistants are often the glue that holds an office together, and as a result it’s important that whoever takes on the role feels comfortable and confident talking to people of all ages and levels of seniority.

Your interpersonal skills will certainly be under scrutiny in both the test and the interview, so it’s important to refresh your memory as to the best and moist professional way to behave in an office. As well as researching the company’s ethos and values, try some situational judgment tests.

These tests ask questions to find out how you’d react to common workplace challenges. And while there may not be a definitive ‘right or wrong’ answer, you’ll be scored according to how well your answers match with the company and employer’s beliefs and values.

Five tips for administrative assistant tests

1) Do your research

Learning as much as you can about the company you’re applying for, and the person you’ll be an assistant for, is really important. It can help you to tailor your answers accordingly, while prioritising the things that appear important to them in your preparation.

2) Practice makes perfect

Taking as many aptitude tests as you can really is the best way you can brush up on your skills before the test. Mix up your practice by roping in a friend to help ask you interview questions, or playing a computer game with a numerical focus.

3) Don’t get tripped up

If you’re struggling to answer any questions on the test, pause, take a breath and have a look again. If it’s multiple choice, try discounting any answers you know to be incorrect, or reading the possible answers before the question to see if the change in your perspective yields anything new.

4) Familiarise yourself with key software

Open up Excel, Word, Outlook, Zoom and any other relevant programmes and have a play around. Could you organise a meeting with multiple people, or get numbers in a column in an Excel sheet to add up? Actually putting yourself through the process is the quickest way to learn.

5) Work on your task management

Being able to juggle and prioritise important tasks effectively is a core part of the role. Try some online prioritisation tasks, or ask a friend or family member to set you a few challenges.

FAQs

What computer skills do administrative assistants need?

Administrative assistants are often called to work on a varied range of projects; sometimes of great strategic significance, sometimes to ensure the smooth running of the office. As a result, it’s important to showcase a broad range of software skills.

Overall, you’ll be expected to be a competent user of Microsoft Office and Google Suite, as well as proficient at working with organisational tools such as calendars and emails, and any project management applications used by the company.

What strengths should admin assistants show?

The key skills you’ll need to showcase to prove you’d be a competent office assistant are: communication, interpersonal, organisation, time management, accuracy and software.

Do admin assistants need good maths?

Yes. A basic grasp of data interpretation and an understanding of financial processes and calculations is important in nearly all administrative assistant roles.

How do I prepare for an administrative interview?

The best way you can prepare for an administrative assistant test and interview is to do your research.

Looking into the values, beliefs and objectives of the company will help you to get a better sense of the type of person they’re going to be looking for. If you can shape your answers to incorporate these values, you’ll set yourself apart from candidates who haven’t prepared as well.

Practising relevant aptitude tests such as numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning and situational judgment will help you to get used to working under pressure, improve your accuracy and instill you with confidence to tackle what’s ahead of you.