Are the video responses based on the materials they give you or is it just a regular interview with motivation/ behavior questions?
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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26
- Thread starter Ram Sabaratnam
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That would be great @Abbie Whitlock. Thank you so muchhh!!!!!!Hello!
There are many different formats a written exercise can take, which can make it challenging to prepare for them all. In the past, I've had to produce reports, legal notes, and memos, among others. However, client emails (and internal emails to supervisors) tend to be some of the most common formats - I've encountered more of those than any other type of document. Developing a good understanding of the appropriate tone and structure for a client email is especially valuable, as it's very likely to feature in a written exercise.
If you'd like, I can go into more detail on how to prepare effectively for that format - just give me a shout! Best of luck!
is the Simmons test timed/ do they take time into consideration? In the email it says 30 mins but it sounds longer than that…
not sure !! none of it had timed elements but not sure if they take time into consideration! pretty sure it took me longer than half an hour and i’m usually quite quick on tests - it’s just bc there’s a mix of sjt and numerical questions which took me a while and then the untimed vi
that's good to know! thank you! also, first the email says we have 10 calendar days then if you scroll down it says 5 day deadline. think i should just complete it today to avoid confusion as today is the fifth day since the invitation. firms harking on about attention to detail but don't practice what they preach ahh
Untimed VI sounds like a double edged sword. How did you find the VI? Predictable?
Up there with the toughest due to the way the time limit is structured - definitely check out their hub!
The unlimited prep was good - I employed @Abbie Whitlock's method of recording before, and I definitely felt I gave stronger answers as a result.
I emailed them to ask and they confirmed we have the 10 days
I would say it feels like quite a hard test to take but you end up doing better than you thought - I would say personally I found it harder than your classic WG but it's a very similar style!
omg you're a life saver thank you for sharing!! i can now officially postpone it until tomorrow for no other reason than my chronic procrastination 😂I emailed them to ask and they confirmed we have the 10 days
I can't seem to find where the recording method was posted - is there any way you could repost it please? I would be super grateful!
@c.t.tc this was what I meant! 👌Hey!
Sure, happy to share how I approached the VI!
In general for video interviews, it's really important to make sure that you are fully answering the question and that any examples that you use actually fit with the question. I used to have a tendency to want to use my strongest example and try and fit it to the question, however, the graduate recruitment team can usually tell and it'll look better to use an example that fits best (even if it is a less 'substantive' experience)
Another main thing I did was practice - it can be very weird to talk to a computer screen, so it really helped me to have a go at answering the most common interview questions in the mirror (even if it felt a little silly!). I had a tendency to ramble in my video interviews, so knowing roughly how long it would take me to cover my main topics was really helpful.
Make sure you also utilise your prep time, as this is really useful to have a clear idea of what you are going to say before you start recording - Reed Smith actually recommend you use the prep time instead of jumping straight into the questions! I would avoid writing a script as this can sound robotic and could reflect badly on your overall performance, but I stuck a post-it note with all the key points I wanted to discuss and used that when practising (and in the recording).
There's a video in the TCLA Law Firm Directory that I watched before my VI that I found was super helpful - I'll link it here. I'd definitely give that a watch, as Rik gives some great advice on what they are looking for and how to approach each aspect of the assessment.
Overall, just answer truthfully and be yourself. I think there's a tendency to think you have to come across as super composed and scripted for a video interview, but this isn't necessarily how you would behave in an actual interview. Take a moment to relax before recording, and try and come across as approachable and friendly - show them your personality and what your strengths are!
I hope that assists
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