Fast Stream E-Tray Exercises (Prioritisation)

Question 1

You arrive Monday morning to find the following in your inbox. Which should you address first? A) An invitation to a team away-day next month. B) A briefing request from your director needed by 10am today. C) A newsletter from a professional body. D) An email from a colleague asking about your weekend.

Accepted Answer

B — the director's briefing due today at 10am

Answer

Deadlines from senior officials take highest priority. The briefing is urgent and important — it must be addressed first.

Question 2

You have four tasks to complete today. Using urgent/important prioritisation, which should be done first? A) Reviewing a draft document due in 3 days. B) Responding to a minister's office query sent an hour ago. C) Filing last week's meeting notes. D) Reading an optional policy update.

Accepted Answer

B — urgent and important: a ministerial query

Answer

A ministerial query is both urgent and important. It has the highest priority in any prioritisation matrix.

Question 3

An e-tray contains: a complaint letter requiring a response within 5 days, a meeting request for next week, a risk alert about a live IT system, and an FYI email with no action required. What is the correct order of priority?

Accepted Answer

Risk alert, complaint letter, meeting request, FYI email

Answer

A live system risk alert could affect operations immediately — it is the most urgent. The complaint has a deadline. The meeting is important but not urgent. The FYI requires no action.

Question 4

Your e-tray contains a complaint from a stakeholder, a request for statistics from the press office needed within the hour, a draft document from a colleague for comment due in two days, and a meeting confirmation. Which do you handle first?

Accepted Answer

Press office statistics request — due within the hour

Answer

The press office request has the nearest, hardest deadline (within the hour) and involves external-facing communications. It must be the immediate priority.

Question 5

You have 90 minutes before an important meeting and four tasks pending. Which task should you defer to after the meeting? A) Prepare talking points for the meeting. B) Email a colleague to confirm a data source. C) Update a tracker that has a weekly deadline. D) Read background papers for the meeting.

Accepted Answer

C — the tracker with a weekly deadline

Answer

The tracker has a weekly deadline — it is important but not time-critical right now. Tasks directly related to the upcoming meeting take priority.

Fast Stream Practice Test

Fast Stream Practice Test

Fast Stream E-Tray Exercises (Prioritisation)