TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Harvey Specter]

Hi @abc124

Our application form does ask for GCSE qualification, each topic, and each grade to be listed, so I suspect it could be an issue you're experiencing accessing the system.

Thanks!

Kirsty

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?​

 

[ACHat8r]

is there a point for applying to BCLP spring now or should I do summer?

 

[TheSlapDotCom]

is there a point for applying to BCLP spring now or should I do summer?

do summer. spring is already sending out AC invites

 

[c.t.tc]

You are joking right.

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.

 

[user55998384]

Is a simmons 6,5,7 test score good?

i got the same - what did you get on the first 2 amberjack grids?

 

[Dannie]

do you need to do the links watson glaser before the deadline as well as the cappfinity or just the cap?

 

[gao8899]

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!

 

[emily3827]

hi!! anyone who's attending the HL WVS pls can u dm me

 

[GiveMeTC2026]

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.

That still feels like 1000 questions.

 

[InterestInPublicLaw]

Hi, does anyone have tips for Arctic Shores assessment, especially the Gowling one? I see there are some discussions but couldn't really see how to navigate it and get a good score. It's my first Arctic Shores assessment and any insights will be appreciated!

 

[InterestInPublicLaw]

For Mishcon's chat based assessment and the SJT, are they to be done after the 28/11 deadline (not together with the initial application)? I'm going to submit it on 27/11 or 28/11 so just wanted to make sure that I dont miss the deadline.

 

[badmintonflyinginsect]

Has someone gotten past the app stage for Skadden in previous years? Please DM! Can give info about Weil/DLA.

 

[letsdothis]

Congrats! Is this for spring or summer?

Thanks! It’s for spring 😊

 

[DavidJC]

Hi, does anyone have tips for Arctic Shores assessment, especially the Gowling one? I see there are some discussions but couldn't really see how to navigate it and get a good score. It's my first Arctic Shores assessment and any insights will be appreciated!

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.

 

[Amgrad]

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 :')

 

[badmintonflyinginsect]

@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?

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

is there a point for applying to BCLP spring now or should I do summer?

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!

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

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!

Hello!

For Q4, you don’t necessarily need a separate example of each skill. With only 200 words, it might be more effective to identify 2-3 key skills / qualities and then use one strong example that demonstrates all of them in action. This allows the graduate recruitment team to see how your skills interact in a real situation, rather than a list of disconnected mini-stories.

For the “next generation of lawyers” part, it helps you frame your answers around qualities that reflect how the legal industry is evolving. Things such as adaptability, commercial awareness, tech-literacy, cross-team collaboration, or the ability to learn quickly tend to resonate as firms are thinking about the future of the profession, not just what lawyers needed 10 years ago.

A good structure to follow could be:

1. Briefly identify the skills you think matter for future lawyers
2. Explain why they matter in the modern legal landscape (with reference to changes in the legal market / profession)
3. Give one concise example of when you have demonstrated those skills

This keeps it clear, focused, and (hopefully!) within the word limit. I hope that helps!

 

[a1024]

what time is the deadline for taylor wessing?

 

[Kirsty Wilkins]

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?​

Hi @Harvey Specter

If you would like to message me privately with the name your application was submitted in I'll take a look at that for you as all the applications I've been reading have GCSE grades inputted, so I just want to ensure there's not something wrong in the system for one or two people. However no, missing GCSE results will not have an impact on your application.

Thanks,

Kirsty