Macfarlanes second stage online assessment

[aspex]

Hi I've been invited to the second stage online assessment at Macfarlanes. Does anyone have any pointers on how to prepare and perform well on the assessment?

 

[takaxkatak]

Hi I've been invited to the second stage online assessment at Macfarlanes. Does anyone have any pointers on how to prepare and perform well on the assessment?

How did that go? Are there any pointers you would give, assuming you had done so already?

 

[Aarav-TESTACCOUNT]

Hi I've been invited to the second stage online assessment at Macfarlanes. Does anyone have any pointers on how to prepare and perform well on the assessment?

Congratulations, that’s a great position to be in!

The most important thing with Macfarlanes’ second stage assessment is to be honest with yourself rather than trying to give the answer you think the firm wants. It’s designed to mirror real trainee scenarios, and they are very good at spotting when someone is forcing a response that doesn’t reflect how they would genuinely work.

A few general pointers that tend to help:

• Read everything carefully and take a moment to understand what’s actually being asked before responding. It’s less about speed and more about judgment.
• Prioritisation matters. Think about what needs doing first, who needs to be informed, and what can wait.
• Be practical and realistic in your responses. They’re looking for sensible decision-making rather than perfect outcomes.
• Don’t be afraid to acknowledge uncertainty or competing considerations as that’s often closer to real life than a neat answer.

Overall, approach it as if you’re stepping into the role and thinking through how you would act in that situation, not how you think a trainee “should” act on paper. If you do that, you’ll come across as far more authentic, which is exactly what the exercise is trying to test.

Best of luck!