Microsoft Outlook Test
A Microsoft Outlook test can help you hire the right employees, based on their skills and abilities to use the Microsoft Outlook emailing platform.
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What is a Microsoft Outlook test?
Microsoft Outlook is a program from the Microsoft Office Suite allowing users to send and receive emails and schedule meetings.
When recruiting employees who will be working predominantly with Microsoft Outlook in their role, you want to be confident that they are competent and confident users. Roles for which excellent use of Microsoft Outlook is essential might include receptionists, personal assistants, those that work in customer service and so on.
The Microsoft Outlook test is a standardised digital test which will give recruiters confidence that they will not be caught out by hiring a candidate who is unable to carry out basic and advanced tasks using Microsoft Outlook.
Why is a Microsoft Outlook test so important when hiring?
By asking all candidates to complete the Microsoft Outlook test at the start of the recruitment process, recruiters can avoid the issue of trying to evaluate skills by considering CVs and interviews. Recruiters gain data-led insights and can then confidently choose which candidates to take forward to interview.
Using a Microsoft Outlook test can speed up the recruitment process, and it can also be done in conjunction with other appropriate tests. For example, if a role requires both Microsoft Outlook and using another type of software, both tests can be used. This reduces the time spent carrying out interviews as only those that reach the desired level at the test go forward to the interview.
Using a Microsoft Outlook test also removes any unconscious bias from the relevant phase of recruitment as the test is online and the answers to the questions are either right or wrong.
The Microsoft Outlook test can be designed to reflect the role in question and whether the candidate is required to have basic, intermediate or advanced knowledge. The Microsoft Outlook tests include tasks such as sending and scheduling emails, scheduling meetings, emailing the candidates who have accepted a meeting request and so on.
How to assess Microsoft Outlook skills using our test
Our Microsoft Outlook test asks a variety of questions that vary in difficulty level. Candidates proficient in the Microsoft Outlook platform should be able to answer most of the questions correctly.
The Microsoft Outlook test provides valuable insight into what a candidate knows and understands. The test is structured using multiple-choice questions: a familiar format for most test-takers, that allows instant and objective scoring.
As well as the correct answer, there are typically 2–4 distractors, representing common misconceptions and mistakes. This helps make the test more challenging, so a candidate's ability can be measured more accurately.
Test scores are provided to the user and can be compared to other test-takers in your talent pool, to see how they perform relative to each other.
Each test has been thoroughly reviewed to ensure accuracy and validity in line with industry standards. It has been written, examined and edited by Microsoft Outlook experts and psychometric professionals. A diverse sample of job seekers has also reviewed it to check for any issues including sensitivity, face validity, fairness and accessibility.
This test is continually monitored so our team can optimize performance and regularly assess fairness issues.
About the test author
Developed by our team of I/O psychologists, psychometricians and subject matter experts, our assessments provide reliable, valid and impartial results. They strictly follow industry best practices and stay on the leading edge of innovations to have job seekers’ unique profiles, abilities and knowledge accurately evaluated while minimising bias. They draw on years of research and cutting-edge predictive analytics to create assessments that provide valuable insights into performance, retention, culture fit and more.
Microsoft Outlook Test FAQs
What roles should I use a Microsoft Outlook test for?
Any role that will use Microsoft Outlook for core work tasks is suitable for using the Microsoft Outlook test during the recruitment process. In particular, these might be roles that rely solely on Microsoft Outlook such as receptionists and personal assistants, virtual assistants or executive assistants as well as those working in customer service roles.
Is the Microsoft Outlook test difficult?
The Microsoft Outlook test is not difficult to understand or complete. Using a multiple-choice format is easy to use but can also be easy to select an inaccurate answer. With only one correct answer, the additional response options are intended to distract the test taker from the correct choice.
What other skills are required for Microsoft Outlook?
Candidates will require basic literacy and numeracy skills to manage Microsoft Outlook and will often sit alongside the other programs in the MS Office suite including data input, analysis, visualisation, presentation and communication.
Are there formal certificates for Microsoft Outlook?
Candidates are able to sit a Microsoft exam to become a Microsoft Office Specialist. Tasks include preparing and formatting emails, scheduling emails and setting up individual contact groups.