I did one and a half pages but at a Zero Gravity event it was said that up to two pages is fine
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TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26
- Thread starter Ram Sabaratnam
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Depending on where you are, 13k just about covers your rent (maybe even with utilities). Find a flat outside of central but with tube connections. Ideally rent with 1-3 other people - the more roommates the more you spread the cost.
In terms of areas to search, I'd recommend:
- Either end of the northern line (tooting, morden, high barnet, woodside park, colindale)
- Elephant & Castle / Bermondsey
- Angel / Islington
- The west end of the central and elizabeth lines (ealing, ruislip, hounslow)
- Stratford
Obviously depends on budget and vibe tho ofc. I might try to avoid North East London and places like Lewisham, Peckam and Whitechapel.
Defo apply for whatever finance you can get. Might be worth asking your firm if they offer interest-free loans for SQE students (some do). If you have a job rn try saving up as much as you can.
Get a part time job while studying. Waitressing, bartending, paralegaling, retail, anything. If you have experience, try walking in and handing your CV to one of the bars and restaurants around soho, covent garden, camden, brixton or the City - they are often hiring and pay quite well.
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One option might be student accom at least while you do the sqe? I know the unite students in farringdon is around 800 pcm bills included - isn't exactly nice but its budget friendly. There are also lots of facebook groups (eg gals who rent) which are a good place to join/set up a flat share.
Does anyone have any insights to the Addleshaw Goddard critical thinking test? Is it just a mini watson glaser?
I am not sure what you meant by mini, if it's by the number of questions, yes it's short only 24 Questions compared to other WG like Links or CC, but don't get me wrong, the difficulty level is different compared to those. G'luck mate!
Oh ok! I thought it only tested certain sections of the WG hence why I used the term mini. Thank you for replying!
They are slightly different to typical Watson Glaser. I'd recommend doing the practice tests before, they give you a good idea of what to expect!Oh ok! I thought it only tested certain sections of the WG hence why I used the term mini. Thank you for replying!
Hello!
I would suggest having a look at LHA hostels in London. They do single rooms, double, triple and 6 sharing, which are affordable. You can also save costs by going for the self-catered option which allows you to cook for yourself. The catered hostels are almost £150/week higher. All the hostels are located in Zone 1, with excellent transport options too.
Hi, I hope you can give some advice about it. If a firm recruits trainees through both the vacation scheme and the direct training route, is it better to apply to the vacation scheme rather than apply directly to the training contract? Which offers a better probability of getting a training contract from your experience?
Thank you! 🫶 Do you know where to access other practice tests except the one in the email?
I just did the practice ones on the portal provided! Good luck when you get round to it!
I’ve got the Goodwin VI coming up, so if anybody is happy to share any insight on that one, even just the general vibe or focus, I’d really appreciate it.
Hi!
This is a great question! As a general rule of thumb, most firms recruit primarily from their vacation scheme participants. A significant proportion of trainees are recruited this way as it gives the firm a chance to assess candidates over a longer period, in a real working environment, and it also gives candidates more opportunity to demonstrate strengths that might be difficult to convey in an assessment centre. For that reason, if you perform well on the scheme, the conversion rate can be relatively strong (depending on the individual firm).
However, the direct training contract route is still a viable option (and I got my TC through the DTC route!). Firms that offer a direct TC route might do this for a number of reasons (such as to accommodate those who work full time or cannot complete a vacation scheme), and if a candidate is particularly good at interviews or already has legal experience, there is still a good chance of receiving an offer.
I would say that the vacation scheme is likely the experience that offers a better probability of getting a training contract (although I say this generally, as I failed to convert 3 VS' and converted my only DTC application, so there are always exceptions!). However, rather than thinking in terms of probability, it might be more helpful to ask:
- Which route best suits how you perform (e.g. in-person over time vs formal assessments)?
- Are you at the stage where you would benefit from experiencing the firm before committing to a TC there?
- Does the firm openly state that most of its trainees come from the vacation scheme?
TCLA previously had a thread that discussed where firms primarily recruit from, which might be helpful for you to have a look at (though it may be slightly outdated): Where Firms Recruit From.
I would ultimately based your decision on: (1) the amount of candidates a firm takes through the DTC route and, (2) which route you believe you are best suited to (based on your overall skillset, and whether you would benefit from experiencing the firm first-hand).
I hope that assists, and best of luck with your applications (whichever route you choose)!
Is this for TC or VS?I’ve got the Goodwin VI coming up, so if anybody is happy to share any insight on that one, even just the general vibe or focus, I’d really appreciate it.
I've recently completed mine; you have 30s thinking time and 1 min 30s to answer a total of four questions. My advice would be to focus on the main motivational questions (Why Law/Goodwin), also 3 out of 4 questions are pretty much repeats of what your wrote in your application so I wouldn't over prepare as you already have the answers.I’ve got the Goodwin VI coming up, so if anybody is happy to share any insight on that one, even just the general vibe or focus, I’d really appreciate it.
Submitted DTC applications to Hogan Lovells and HFW back in October and haven't heard anything - is it safe to assume PFO?
no hfw do DTC ACs after the summer scheme is over (and AC is the next stage) so don’t expect to hear anything until like june/july unfortunately 😬 dk about HL but i think they may be much sooner
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