TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

[EllaClayton]

Hiya Ella, do you remember which platform this was, e.g - topscore, or Byrter ??

I think it was top score!

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Does anyone know how many words are expected if I am given 30 minutes for a written exercise

You won’t be expected to write a number of words. Sometimes you will be given a guideline on what to aim for in terms of how much to write (eg a paragraph, a page of a4) but this can vary a lot from exercise to exercise. Worry more about the quality than quantity of what you write.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Has anyone completed a written exercise as part of a virtual assessment centre? I'm interested in understanding how it's conducted. Do they expect you to work on it by yourself, or do they supervise you through a platform like Teams?
I know it depends but please share your insights with me🥹

Sometimes supervised either formally through someone observing on Teams or some of the assessment centre platforms record you while you take the assessment.

Sometimes you will just get the assessment at a fixed time and be asked to return it within a deadline though with no supervision.

 

[GWJlaw]

I think it was top score!

Thankyou !!

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

When people say they bomb an interview. Is it because of your actual performance? Confidence? Quality of answers? Just seeking how to improve

Candidates are often not the best judgement as they tend to be over critical. They think they “bomb” but that is rarely the case.

 

[GWJlaw]

Hiya @Jessica Booker, with virtual assessment centres and written exercises that require you to write directly into the platform text box and automatically save over a period of time, how would you plan your answer/ make notes on the documents. Would you recommend having a separate word document open to plan before writing in to the text box? Or is the point that you don't have planning time or notes ?

 

[aspiringsolicitor1234]

Does anyone know if OC give out ACs in batches or if that's it?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Hiya @Jessica Booker, with virtual assessment centres and written exercises that require you to write directly into the platform text box and automatically save over a period of time, how would you plan your answer/ make notes on the documents. Would you recommend having a separate word document open to plan before writing in to the text box? Or is the point that you don't have planning time or notes ?

Really depends what works for you and the nature of the assessment.

You might be asked through the instructions given to you to not use other software and then copy and paste your answer in. In that situation, you’d need to type in the platform as you go. But you could potentially use written notes rather than on Word to do this instead.

If you are allowed to copy and paste from another platform you could do this, but I would do an early test of the platform (early on in the exercise timeframe) that this works, as sometimes certain formatting can go a bit funny when transferred to these platforms, and you may lose things like bullet point or italic formatting.

 

[lawstudent0303]

anything from linklaters?

 

[axab23]

anything from linklaters?

I received this email this morning:

Thank you for your application to Linklaters. We are in the process of reviewing applications and will be in contact in the next few weeks to advise of your outcome. In the meantime, please do contact us at trainee.recruitment@linklaters.com if you have any questions.

Thank you for your patience.

Regards,

The Linklaters Team.

 

[GWJlaw]

Really depends what works for you and the nature of the assessment.

You might be asked through the instructions given to you to not use other software and then copy and paste your answer in. In that situation, you’d need to type in the platform as you go. But you could potentially use written notes rather than on Word to do this instead.

If you are allowed to copy and paste from another platform you could do this, but I would do an early test of the platform (early on in the exercise timeframe) that this works, as sometimes certain formatting can go a bit funny when transferred to these platforms, and you may lose things like bullet point or italic formatting.

Thank you for the response, and yes, great point about the formatting I hadn't considered this. Written notes will be a fine alternative, thank you Jessica !!

 

[yeezyee]

For Mayer Brown at an open day they mentioned their test was untimed but that they could see how long we took as grad recruitment. Is this something across recruitment teams? I took the BM test which is also untimed, but i’m typically entitled to extra time, so i’m worried i took longer than a “typical” candidate. Even though it’s mentioned in my application, is it worth emailing to point it out, or is there no point because the test was untimed? @Jessica Booker

 

[JLaw56]

Does anyone know which tests - "Situational Strengths Test" or "Verbal Reasoning Test" - for Mayer Brown are timed?

 

[Deleted member 17013]

Does anyone know which tests - "Situational Strengths Test" or "Verbal Reasoning Test" - for Mayer Brown are timed?

Pretty sure it's just the verbal reasoning. Technically it's untimed but the scoring is based both on accuracy and time taken to complete

 

[hopefultrainee888]

anything from goodwin today?

 

[B.B.]

anything from Cooley?

 

[JLaw56]

Has anyone who applied closer to the deadline heard back from Sidley Austin?

 

[legally.brown]

Has anyone who applied closer to the deadline heard back from Sidley Austin?

One of the grad rec members posted on linkedin saying that she has been getting a lot of queries and they aim to get back to everyone by Feb! She deleted the post tho.
It also mentioned they received over 800 applications! The interview invites I’ve seen so far seem to be candidates who applied before December.

Hopefully we hear back by Feb mid!

 

[vacschemecookie]

Freshfields VS!! I thought I tanked literally every element of it😭. So shocked

Congratulations!!!

 

[pb15]

Has anyone who applied closer to the deadline heard back from Sidley Austin?

I emailed grad rec to ask sometime between early-mid Jan, and she responded saying we will hear back by early feb, so another week or two I think!