@Abbie Whitlock seconding this. I feel like with written exercising it is all about being concise maybe? I'm not quite sure how to go about preparing though.
@FutureTraineeMaybe
With written exercises, it's usually not so much the content that you can prepare for but the skills you need to pass them. This includes attention to detail, time management, structure, and overall technique.
Although these are all skills you no doubt have in different capacities, the challenge comes from having to use them all interchangeably at heightened pressure.
I can't say much for preparation other than practice, but please use the following tips during a practise WE and try to make yourself comfortable with doing this :
1. Plan effectively
With limited time, you may feel the need to rush into answering, but caveat some time to plan your approach. For some, this comes from skimming the question(s) first and then reading through the document(s) provided, so that they can highlight or take note of relevant details, and for others, this may come from planning out one-minute skeletons of what they're going to say for each question.
Research has actually shown that skeleton planning your answers, actually improves the consistency, writing, and speed of your answers - so I think its one to consider.
Additionally, the planning doesn't just apply to the writing, it applies to time allocation - so, how much time you're going to spend reading, planning, writing, and proofreading.
2. Understand your audience
In the rush of everything, you may forget who your audience is. This is important to bare in mind as it guides the depth and length of your answer(s). For example, for an internal memo you may only need to write a few bullet points but for a client letter you may need to write a lot.
I've seen candidates write essays for memo's, and unfortunately, as detailed as they were, the marks just were not available to give and it cut into the amount of time that was required elsewhere. Don't make the same mistake, and take your audience into account.
FYI: A very useful post here -
https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/ac-written-exercises.3638/post-72204
3. PROOFREAD!
Often forgotten, but the surest way to pick up any last minute marks. Save a few minutes at the end to proofread your answers, and make sure that spelling, punctuation and grammar are correct. Although it's not the end of the world, the process can get quite competitive, so you need to pick up as many marks as possible and this is the easiest way.
P.S. Depends on the firms, but sometimes, especially when you have limited time left and there is one last question that you failed to answer, provide your skeleton plan if you can. They may disregard it, however, it could be useful for them to see your thinking/planning (just in case)
