An in-basket test or an in-basket exercise is a test used by companies or governments in hiring and promoting employees.
[1] During the test, job applicants receive a number of mails, telephone calls, documents and memos.
They then have a limited period of time to set priorities, organize their working schedule accordingly and respond to mail and phone calls.
As the employee solves these problems, they transfer them to the "out-basket".
In-basket exercises are often part of assessment centers that are comprehensive multi-day assessments involving a variety of simulation exercises and tests, typically used to identify management talent.