Hey!
Congratulations on being invited to the Farrer AC, that is fantastic news!
The group activity in my assessment centre involved being split into teams and you receive a scenario that you will discuss (almost in a debate-like setting). On the firms' website, an example scenario they have outlined is: "Should everyone be able to enjoy protection from media intrusion into their private life, or are there categories of individuals / circumstances where one’s reasonable expectation of privacy must fall away?"
Your team will be assigned either "for" or "against" this question, and you have 20 minutes to prepare your argument (without Google) before debating for 20 minutes with another team. The aim is reach a joint decision!
Therefore, I would say that the level of commercial awareness required is relatively low, and you are assessed more on how you engage with your team to form your argument and how you then relay this during the discussion portion. Whilst my topic was not the one listed above, it was very accessible and something that you would have an understanding of from day-to-day life. The firm has also listed on their website what candidates will be assessed on as:
- General early impressions - engaged in the process, good understanding of the task
- People management - demonstrates ability to bring others into the discussion rather than just taking charge
- Oral communication - able to explain and express ideas clearly and concisely
- Contribution - added to the quality of the discussion whether helping to reinforce, clarify or broaden views and issues (looking more for content quality of the contribution rather than speaking a lot)
- Teamwork - demonstrated respect for others' views and opinions, healthy contribution rather than combative competition; able to listen to others
Based on the above, I would focus on making sure that you construct a clear argument and try to display the above traits when interacting with others. What worked well for my team (in which 3 out of 4 of us received a VS offer!) was identifying one point within the topic that we felt confident discussing and each taking the lead on that. This meant we could each share our strongest arguments, but also add additional thoughts and build on each other's points where relevant. This approach allowed us to demonstrate our thinking clearly, whilst also showing that we could listen, collaborate, and support the team's overall contributions.
I hope that assists - wishing you the best of luck with the AC!
