TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[TheGeek12]

20 minutes ish

How did you find it? I have the feeling that I flopped and flopped hard.

 

[elle woods]

💔 guys I'm actually struggling trying to focus on my mock revision when I know I should be preparing for ACs...how do people balance this??

 

[sagekensuke]

For the third OC question on professional services support programmes, do virtual events and forage simulations count? Or is it okay to just say N/A

 

[Shiv Lawy]

Akin TI! Completed online assessment last week

 

[dednedred]

Has anyone done the Forsters VI yet?

 

[trainee4u]

For the third OC question on professional services support programmes, do virtual events and forage simulations count? Or is it okay to just say N/A

this is for if you are in a group like Aspiring Solicitors or if you have done a placement through something like "10,000 Black Interns".

So no for virtual events, no for Forage simulations, and no for general vacation schemes (although specific diversity ones should be included)

Ask Osborne Clarke Anything!

Hi Patrick (Patrick - Osborne Clarke), I hope you are having a good day! I would like to know if there are any open days and virtual events that I could attend to have better insights and understanding before applying for the Vac Scheme! As an international student who has done most of her...

www.thecorporatelawacademy.com

 

[TheGeek12]

Akin TI! Completed online assessment last week

When did you apply? I haven't gotten an email yet.

 

[Afraz Akhtar]

💔 guys I'm actually struggling trying to focus on my mock revision when I know I should be preparing for ACs...how do people balance this??

@elle woods in the words of Amberjack, through "Applied Intellect, Digital Mindset, Creative Force, and Grit".....

Kidding, its an annoying situation to be in but I'm sure you've got this! I know AC's feel like you need to prepare 24 hours a day, but you don't so don't burn yourself out before you even get to the interview room. Organise your time effectively, and this includes carving out a few hours of your day to take a mental break and recharge, so that each study session/prep session is one that you can go into refreshed.

Good luck!

 

[Harvey Specter]

Mine might be original, I am baking a cake for the first time while preparing my ac answers. 😭

Mine might also be original, I’m playing Mario Kart on Nintendo whilst preparing and practicing for diff interview responses cos it works magic idk how…

 

[Legalfreak212]

Can anyone confirm if the new RPC assessment has a VI or not?

It doesnt

 

[BealMcAlly]

Me checking TCLA an hour after my question and seeing 8 notifications of dislikes on my comment thinking I was being attacked for something I said, only to realize I asked a question whether people had heard back from a firm 😭

I had the same the other day..petition to change what the x means @Jaysen

 

[GSJ]

has anyone had TC for W&C spring/summer or heard after VI

 

[BealMcAlly]

Can anyone confirm if the new RPC assessment has a VI or not?

Just did it, just a cappfinity assessment.

Sjt and critical reasoning test

 

[Jennifer2003]

I have an AC on Wednesday, it's a written exercise followed by an interview with HR and a partner. It's my first one and only one so far. I haven't started prepping yet as I have an exam tomorrow, does anybody have any advice? It feels like I've left it too late!

 

[Afraz Akhtar]

How many ACs is good for a cycle ?

@alphabravocharlie One. I want to say one AC is good for a cycle. They are very competitive, and even getting invited to one is an amazing achievement that shouldn't go unnoticed. Even if you don't manage to convert it, the invite alone is something that speaks to the quality of your applications and prospect of passing numerous stages - which you'll likely do so again.

I know it may feel like if you have one AC, you only have one chance to get a VS/TC as opposed to having a few AC's which gives more chances. However, the ability to convert an AC isn't so heavily reliant on probability as it is performance. So, having one or five won't make much of a difference if you don't perform well in the first instance.

After all, it only takes one.

 

[elle woods]

@Afraz Akhtar

firstly, thank you for your reply earlier! (the amberjack bit was made me giggle in flashbacks)

secondly, I was wondering if you have any advice on working on public speaking skills? Sometimes I find I'm fine with speaking in a room full of people, and other times I start stuttering, tripping over my works/pronunciation, or make 0 grammatical sense haha. (and don't forget the ums!!)

I am always consciously thinking about it whilst speaking but it doesn't seem to help haha. I know practise makes progress, but I swear, I don't seem to be making progress 😂 I also really admire those who sound and come across super articulate! Like they just speak so fancy and I always think "wow I wish I could emulate them!"

Would you have any advice on this? If it's practise, how and what methods in detail would you recommend? Have you ever struggled with this?

 

[Kenomy]

Did anyone apply to Capsticks? Have you heard anything?

 

[Wanda Maximoff]

Hi @Afraz Akhtar How would you recommend approaching curveball questions? Also is there any way to actually prepare for them?

 

[OliviaPope]

Waiting to hear back from Linklaters (TC) applied on the deadline, has anyone had any updates?

 

[ddalki]

Any tips for completing a SJT? Would appreciate any advice as the feedback is never looking good!

Hi! These are my personal two cents, but I’ve gotten pretty good feedback on SJTs so far, and I hope they help. I find that SJTS can often seem a little convoluted, so please just pick and take what works for you. 💕

- Have a clear idea of what traits the law firm wants. Typically, this will be things like resilience, motivation, collaboration, adaptability, personal responsibility etc etc, but the firm websites will often list their desired characteristics. If you keep them in mind, you’ll be able to identify which traits each question is testing for.
- Always read the question/situation carefully, because it’ll give you hints on what to prioritize. For example, let’s say the situation states that you’re swamped, there’s an important deadline coming up soon, and you’re given an opportunity to take on more challenging work. It’s not necessarily good to take that opportunity (unless the option makes it clear that you can get everything done to good quality), because that shows initiative but at the expense of prioritization/commitment/work ethic. This is especially important when two traits conflict (eg leadership vs collaboration).
- If there are two similarly worded options, pick the one that has the best result for the firm. For example, let’s say you’re debating between a) “You’d like to work in a team because you enjoy working with people” and b) “You’d like to work in a team because you think combining everyone’s expertise would get an ideal result”. The better choice would be b, because it shows you’re the ultimate team player. Or something.
- Know what your role is. If it says you’re a trainee, don’t be afraid to notify the higher ups when something goes wrong. Say you’re happy to do menial tasks if required (although you’re always eager to branch out).

Best of luck! 💖