Hello!
Congratulations on getting the invite! 🎉 Whilst I haven't completed the Ashurst written exercise, they will usually test your ability to communicate clearly and structure your arguments logically - similar to what you'd do as a trainee when drafting emails or internal notes.
I've outlined some previous tips that I always used when preparing for written exercises below:
- Practice timed writing - pick a 30-45 minute slot, read a short business or news article, and summarise the key points in a structured 1-2 page memo with a clear conclusion summarising your findings.
- Work on prioritisation - pick an article with a lot of information, and practice picking out the 3-4 most important issues rather than trying to summarise and include everything.
- Use a clear structure - this was the main thing that I implemented that helped me score higher on written assessments! Follow a clear structure in your answer, and practice what this would be for each type of document.
- Check clarity - after writing (potentially one of the above), ask yourself if someone with no context to the facts could follow along with the information and your reasoning.
- Proofread under pressure - I would get used to quickly checking grammar and flow, as this is really important in a written exercise! I sometimes struggled with this, as the pressure made me skip parts of my writing, but I found that literally following along with a pen or your finger can make sure you don't miss anything.
- Review sample case studies - I would have a look online and see if there are any free resources that you can have a go at. A true lifesaver during my last cycle was this forum post by Jacob Miller, and I would definitely give it a read!
The main thing that assisted me in written exercises is following a clear structure! I would go through and read all of the materials first, and then go back to pick out the key details. You should be looking for key issues, areas that you will require more information, and anything that you think is important for the client to know.
I would then follow a clear structure in your answer. There are a a few different types of documents that they could test you on - e.g. an email, memo, report, note, etc. I would have a look beforehand at the formatting of each, and have a go at writing them! If you are writing a letter / email to a client, make sure that you aren't including technical terms and writing in way that is easy for them to understand.
I would also try and find ways to showcase that you have the skills that they are looking for in trainees. For example, in one of my previous ACs I was asked to write an email to a supervisor. In this email, I outlined my arguments and recommendation, but I ended it by offering to draft the email / document for the client (e.g. proactivity). This will be dependant on each exercise, but if you can incorporate this in some way, I think it's a great way of standing out!
I hope that assists - best of luck with the written exercise, I'm sure you'll smash it!
