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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26
- Thread starter Ram Sabaratnam
- Start date
Hello!
Just to add to the previous answers (which I wholeheartedly agree with!), for a “why you” question, I think firms are mainly wanting to hear three things:
1. Key strengths that matter in a trainee - such as teamwork, communication, attention to detail, resilience. Additionally, I would also try to mention a trait about you that you feel is quite ’unique’ to yourself (although it will never be completely unique) - for example, perhaps you are able to simplify complex information from your time working in a street law project, or you are able to make clear decisions under pressure from a previous management role in a part-time job.
2. Evidence from your past experiences - this is what will make your answer unique! Anyone can say “I’m a good communicator”, but if you can back it up with a specific moment where you proved it, this will make your answer feel more personal and genuine. I’d make sure to keep examples brief, but use them effectively to back up any claims you make.
3. A clear link to what the firm values - show how your strengths outlined above will help you contribute to their firm. This could be their culture, practice areas, client work, innovation, etc. This is where you can show your research into the firm, and that you have an understanding of why you would be a good fit!
Therefore, the general formula I would use is: strength -> short example -> why it matters for that firm
If you do that, you’ll hit what they’re looking for and stand out at the same time
Hi Kirsty,
I submitted my application form recently and the GCSE section asked for the school name and the dates I attended. There was no space to include my GCSE subjects and/or results. Will this have an impact on my application?
I submitted my application form recently and the GCSE section asked for the school name and the dates I attended. There was no space to include my GCSE subjects and/or results. Will this have an impact on my application?
Haha 1000 is probably a bit extreme but it definitely feels quite hefty. The number of questions depends on how you answer them as you go along, so if you give longer answers you’ll get less questions. That being said, I gave quite long answers and was still answering questions for about 2 hours non-stop.
Hi @Abbie Whitlock @Andrei Radu , I was wondering what you thought about this question
Q4 - What skills/qualities are most important for the next generation of lawyers and describe a time where you've demonstrated these. (Max 200 words)
Do you think it's one time for each skill? Or just one example for all the skills? Also, would you have any advice for the 'next generation' part of the q?
Thank you!
Q4 - What skills/qualities are most important for the next generation of lawyers and describe a time where you've demonstrated these. (Max 200 words)
Do you think it's one time for each skill? Or just one example for all the skills? Also, would you have any advice for the 'next generation' part of the q?
Thank you!
That still feels like 1000 questions.
Not done the Gowling one, just the NRF one and a couple other non-law ones in the past.
I would try and make sure you're in a really calm and relaxed environment (difficult with a test, I know!) and really get focussed, especially for the middle two games. These tests are geared towards directly testing your soft skills and the NRF one, from what I understood about the test, in order of games, tested your pattern recognition/problem-solving, attention to detail/focus/ability to perform under pressure (both games in the middle test this in similar but different ways), and emotional intelligence on the basis of recognition of facial cues (I honestly think this one is quite bs but you can find ways of "practising" by looking up facial expressions for different emotions).
Hope this helps, I've never used any practice tests for these so can't recommend any of those, I'm afraid.
Thank you, but it's a bit late, the deadline was 2 hours before you were writing your post :')
@Andrei Radu Hi Andrei! With respect to the UK budget - how do you think the government borrowing that the Budget intends to decrease interacts with cuts in interest rates? What impact does this have on private lending do you think?
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Hello!
I don’t necessarily think that it is too late - even if invites to later rounds have been sent out, it is likely that they will review all applications that have been submitted before the deadline (and there is plenty of chance to still be progressed).
The most important factor is whether you can submit a strong and tailored application - therefore, if you believe you can do that for the spring deadline, I would encourage you to apply if that scheme is more suitable.
However, if you feel you may benefit from some additional time to refine your application (and aren’t too fussed on the particular scheme), I would aim to submit early for the summer scheme.
Best of luck!
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