Outlook 2013 (77-423) Interview Questions

Candidates in the Outlook 2013 77-423 exam format email message content using character and paragraph formatting, as well as create or insert graphic elements into messages such as charts, tables, and SmartArt graphics. They can also use the Bcc field to send messages to private recipients.

MS Outlook is Microsoft’s web-based personal information manager and suite of webmail, tasks, calendars, contacts, and other services. MS Outlook has a lot of real-world applications. For example, it can be used as a stand-alone application or integrated with Microsoft Exchange Server and Microsoft SharePoint Server to provide shared mailboxes and calendars, Exchange public folders, SharePoint lists, and meeting schedules to multiple users in an organization.

Microsoft has also released mobile applications for popular mobile platforms such as iOS and Android in order to maximize its use. Using MVS or Microsoft Visual Studio, developers create their own custom software that interacts with Outlook and Office components. Furthermore, almost all Outlook data can be synchronized to Outlook Mobile via Windows Phone devices.

Since Microsoft is a major brand in the technology world, and many users still use MS Outlook as an email application, there are many competitive job openings with interview questions based on various aspects of MS Outlook.

So, here is a list of common questions about the fundamentals of Microsoft Outlook that may be asked in an interview for any position or designation.

1. Can you explain what is IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) ?

IMAP stands for Internet Message Access Protocol, and it is a standard protocol for accessing e-mail from a local server.

2. What is the POP3 protocol?

POP3, or Post Office Protocol 3, is a protocol that allows users to use mailboxes and download messages to their computers in a simple manner. It allows users to download emails from the mail server to the local server and read them even when they are not connected to the internet.

3. What is the SMTP protocol?

The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) allows you to send emails but not receive them; it acts as a Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) to deliver your email to the recipient’s mail server.

4. Can you explain how to make an e-mail signature in Outlook?

In order to create an e-mail signature in Outlook, follow these steps:

To configure an e-mail signature in Outlook
OPTIONS can be found in the TOOLS section of the main menu.
Navigate to the MAIL FORMAT tab and select signature.
Click NEW under the signature tab.
Enter the desired name for the new signature and then click OK.
Under “EDIT SIGNATURE,” type your desired text, then click OK and OK again.

5. Can you tell me what’s new in Outlook 2013?

The new feature in Outlook 2013 is:

Message preview in the message list: You can figure out what message to read and what to ignore from the message list itself, as there is a brief description of mail on the mailing list.
Inline replies allow for faster responses: With a single click, you can respond to the email sender and act as a real-time chat.

6. How do you use Outlook to access your AOL e-mail account?

To set up an AOL e-mail account in Outlook, go to the main menu and select tools, then account settings.
Navigate to the e-mail tab and then click NEW.
Select Microsoft Exchange, POP3, IMAP, or HTTP and then click Next.
Enter your full AOL e-mail address and your name.
After that, make sure internet E-mail is selected by clicking next.
Click next once more.
Now, under account type, select IMAP.
In the incoming mail server field, enter “imap.aol.com.”
Enter “smtp.aol.com” as the outgoing mail server (SMTP).
Enter your AOL screen name as the user name, followed by your AOL password.
Go to the outgoing server tab by tapping on more settings.
Check the “My outgoing server” (SMTP) request authentication box.
Now, select the “Advanced” tab and, under server port numbers, enter “587” for the outgoing server (SMTP).

7. What is the shortcut for undeleting a message in Outlook?

To delete a message in Outlook, use the keyboard shortcut Cntrl+Z.

8. Could you please explain how to automatically deleted messages in Outlook?

To automatically purge deleted messages in Outlook, follow these steps.

Open the folder in the IMAP account that you want to automate purging.
Select – Edit ->
From the main menu, select Purge ->Purge Options.
Check the Purge items when switching folders while online box.
Click the OK button.

9. What is the shortcut for switching between tasks and mail-in Outlook 2013?

Ctrl+4 is a shortcut for switching to tasks.
Ctrl+1 is a shortcut for switching to mail.

10. How do you disable in-line reply in the reading panel in Outlook 2013?

Outlook 2013 allows you to write your reply to the email directly in the reading panel, which is known as “in line reply.” To disable inline reply, enable the option for regular message editor window rather than inline reply.

Open replies and forwards in a new window by going to File -> Options -> Mail -> Replies and Forwards.

11. How do I block a specific email address in Outlook.com?

In order to do so, you must add the e-mail address of the unwanted sender to your Outlook.com list.

In the Outlook.com toolbar, click the settings button.
More mail settings can be found in the menu.
Under the option to prevent junk e-mail, click the safe and blocked senders link.
Select Blocked Senders.
Now enter the unwanted e-mail address that needs to be blocked.

12. Mention how to change the mail format in Microsoft Outlook.

To change the format of your emails in Outlook, follow these steps.
Select Tools from the main menu.
It will open a window; from the window, select Options.
It will open a new window with mail setup and mail format options — select Mail Format.
Scroll down to find a different format and select the one you want, such as rich text, plain text, or HTML.
Click the OK button.

13. How do you manage junk mail in Microsoft Outlook?

Navigate to the main menu, then to the tools option, and then to the “options” tab.
It will open a window with the options “Junk E-mail” and “E-mail options” under the preferences tab.
If you select the “junk e-mail” option, a new window will open.
In this window, you can select an option and check the box next to it, such as “permanently delete suspected junk emails” or “disable links and other functionality in phishing messages.”
Finally, press the “Apply” button and then the “OK” button.

14. Describe the shortcut in MS Outlook 2013 for moving on to the next message.

To move on to the next message in MS Outlook 2013, press Cntrl+Period.

15. Describe how to manage archive settings in Microsoft Outlook.

To manage the archive settings in Microsoft Outlook,

Select tools from the main window.
Then, on the “options” tab, you’ll see “Spelling” and “Other” options.
Select Auto-Archive from the “Other” tab.
It will open a window with all of your options, such as running auto-archive, prompting before auto-archive runs, deleting expired items, archiving or deleting old items, and so on.
When you’ve finished configuring the options and settings, click OK.

16. How do you set up recurring meetings in Microsoft Outlook?

To make a request for a recurring meeting:

Tap on the NEW option in the main window, then click the arrow to the right of the NEW button and select Meeting Request.
Select options and then recurrence.
Choose the type of information you want from the drop-down menu and then click OK.
Enter the recipient’s email address and then press the send button.

17. Define Outlook.

Microsoft Outlook is a software program that integrates your e-mail, calendar, meetings/appointments, contacts, address book, and tasks. The server is Exchange, and the client is Outlook, which is installed on each user’s workstation.

18. How do I empty my trash can and remove deleted items?

Tools > Options > “Other” Tab > Select “Empty the Deleted Items folder if it exists.”

When you delete an email, it is moved to the Deleted Items folder, which is similar to your trash in Eudora. The main distinction is that once you empty your deleted items, they are recoverable for 14 days. Anything deleted after 14 days is no longer recoverable.

19. What exactly is the IMAP protocol?

IMAP stands for Internet Message Access Protocol. It is a standard client/server protocol for using or accessing email services from the user’s local server. The Internet server receives and stores the email for the user. Because this protocol only requires a small amount of data transfer, it can be used over a slow data connection, such as a modem. Only when the user requests it is an email downloaded from the server.

20. Define the POP3 protocol.

POP3 is an abbreviation for Post Office Protocol 3. It is a protocol that allows users to use mailboxes and download messages to their computers in a simple manner. It allows users to download emails from the mail server to the local server and read them even when they are not connected to the internet.

21. Explain the SMTP protocol.

The acronym SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. It is an Internet protocol that is used for email transmission. It is the protocol that is widely used today because it uses the store and forward process and collaborates with MTA (Mail Transfer Agent) to deliver the email to the recipient email server.

22. What distinguishes MS Outlook from MS Outlook Express?

Despite the fact that both are Microsoft email clients, MS Outlook is more advanced than the Express version. The most significant difference is that MS Outlook supports integration with MS Exchange Server, allowing the user complete integration of email, calendars, and contacts. However, if the user only requires a basic email and the functions associated with it, Outlook Express is likely to be sufficient.

23. What does PST stand for? What information can be found in PST files?

PST is an abbreviation for Personal Storage Table, which is a Microsoft Outlook personal folder file. The storage limit for a user’s.pst file in Outlook is 2 GB. It is a proprietary open file format used to store copies of messages, calendar events, and other items within Microsoft software such as Microsoft Exchange Client, Windows Messaging, and Microsoft Outlook.

24. What is the purpose of cache mode when the configuration is an Exchange Server Client?

Cached Mode improves the user’s experience when using an Exchange account. The cached mode saves a copy of the user’s mailbox on the computer. This copy saved on the device allows quick access to the user’s data and is frequently synced with the server that runs MS Exchange.

25. How does one set up recurring meetings in Microsoft Outlook?

Creating recurring meetings in Microsoft Outlook is a breeze. To accomplish this, the user must select ‘New’ from the options in the main window. Options are displayed after clicking the right arrow and selecting ‘Meeting Request’ from the drop-down menu. The user must select ‘Recurrence’ from the list of options and then select the type of details from the list of options. When the user is finished, he or she can click ‘OK.’ The only thing left to do is enter the recipient’s email address and hit send.

26. What is the procedure for mechanically purging deleted messages in MS Outlook?

To automatically purge deleted emails in Outlook, the user must first open the folder in the IMAP account that will be used for automation purging. Purge options can be selected from the main menu, and then ‘Purge’->’Edit’ to ensure the purging of items when ‘online’ is checked.

27. How do I block a specific email address in Outlook.com?