TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Afraz Akhtar]

Hiiii, for the skills demonstrated part of this question should I link this skill back to a legal career?

Describe the achievement or accomplishment you are most proud.
Use the space below to explain the steps you took, how the process challenged you and the skills demonstrated.
Max 300 words

Hey @legal18 although you don’t need to, I think it would be beneficial to link it back anyway. Just so that you can solidify your strength as a candidate and show that you understand what it takes to be a trainee. However, save this as a final sentence, so as to not dedicate too much of the word count whilst still being able to tie your answer together.

 

[BealMcAlly]

Can someone clarify if Macfarlanes mostly recruits from their Vac schemes? a friend was telling me about them and now I'm tempted to apply for their DTC.

 

[boots pharmacy]

I actually live for the random usernames. @boots pharmacy is one of my favourites

Thank you. I need medicine after all these apps.

 

[Gottagetthroughthis101]

Can anyone advise if there is a right or wrong way of answering those questions where there is a slider??

 

[AMullin]

Can anyone advise if there is a right or wrong way of answering those questions where there is a slider??

I can definitely confirm there is a wrong way...

 

[R2D2]

Just received my WG report from Linklaters- 72.5% in the test overall and 59% percentile... there goes another PFO

How did you find that out?

 

[shays]

also anyone heard back from. NRF for summer VS post arctic shores? I expect rejection but they could crack on with that

 

[Rosie_Kitten]

Can anyone advise if there is a right or wrong way of answering those questions where there is a slider??

Yes, but from what I understand, it's dependent on the firm and the question. Basically, there are two strategies: 1) wing it, answer honestly and hope that you're a match. 2) figure out exactly what the firm wants by the question and knowledge of the firm, and try figure out where to place it.

I don't have enough experience for 2 (except for obvious questions) so most of the time I just do 1.

 

[trainee4u]

vI think that's still amberjack specific/related, they just expanded the subtraits for each pillar.

Grit: Resilience, hitting your deadlines, completing your work
Creative Force: growth mindset, analysis(I think?) And maybe commercial mindset
Applied intellect: Collaboration and client focused
Digital mindset I'm not sure I can spot it in these subtraits.

Like you say these are a little tailored but the core Amberjack pillars are still there, just more nuanced.

There were 9 questions, and with typically two traits per questions, you'd expect 18 traits total, hence I assume each trait is tested in at least 3 questions, so if you can get 3 correct you get the "good job"

I found:

1: answers were related to collaboration and getting things done.
2. pretty much as question 1.
3: there was a collaborative answer, but I think this was a distractor and this was "problem-solving" (which is the 'digital mindset'), also again GTD.
4. I think this one was business mindset & client-focus
5. client focus & problem solving (digital mindset)
6. client focus & collaboration
7. client-focus & business mindset (I think? the private client was wasting their own money)
8. problem solving (this was a very standard digital mindset question where in any Amberjack you'd get a fail if you didn't breathlessly praise the joys of tech) & collaborate
9. problem-solving & maybe business mindset or collab (how to feedback to your supervisor).


There were LOTS of numerical questions (9), and six verbal ones, so I guess the verbal & numerical is given higher priority than individual SJT answers where you maybe f***ed up one or two ambiguous questions to result in a less-than-perfect score.
I scored numerical - high (IDK how many I got right), verbal ditto, Collab, GTD , APS (digital mindset): high, client-focused: 'some strengths', and business/commercial: 'requires improvement' (I guess this is zero?)

 

[trainee4u]

Can anyone advise if there is a right or wrong way of answering those questions where there is a slider??

There are questions where it's like "I like improving myself" vs "I don't care about improving myself", and I always just choose furthest on those. There are some where I think you want to balance, e.g., it's not obvious to me that you want mega constant change but generally I think you must surely be comfortable in that environment so you have to go that side.

Similarly I'd say "I'm great at making complex concepts simple" at furthest left, but I'd choose "I prefer asking colleagues for their advice when required to learn a new area" over "I prefer to work things out myself" but with the slider closer to the middle.

 

[TCGrad1642]

For those who have done the Clyde and Co test today, how long did it take you to hear back? Kinda nervous Im not sure how i did for the critical reasoning section lol

 

[boots pharmacy]

 

[Adnanlone]

Hey guys , do yall know which firms have a large dtc intake? ( I know Slaughters does, any other firms in the magic/silver circle range)?

 

[Harvey Specter]

Hey guys , do yall know which firms have a large dtc intake? ( I know Slaughters does, any other firms in the magic/silver circle range)?

Idk if the intakes are ‘large’, but there are firms in mind that I think only hire through dtc apps:

Greenberg Traurig (deadline 16 Jan)
King & Spalding (deadline 30 Mar)
Fried Frank (deadline 22 May)
Paul Hastings (30 June)

Firms which I think take a lot of trainees through a dtc route (c20-50%) would be:

Stephenson Harwood (deadline 27 Mar)
Baker McKenzie (deadline 1 Apr)
White & Case (deadline 10 May)

Firms that are in the magic/silver circle that have apps currently open for dtc intakes would be:

BCLP (deadline 31 May)
Macfarlanes (deadline 26 June)

I think all of the MC firms besides Slaughters only open for dtc apps in the autumn (Sept - Dec).​

 

[Gottagetthroughthis101]

There were 9 questions, and with typically two traits per questions, you'd expect 18 traits total, hence I assume each trait is tested in at least 3 questions, so if you can get 3 correct you get the "good job"

I found:

1: answers were related to collaboration and getting things done.
2. pretty much as question 1.
3: there was a collaborative answer, but I think this was a distractor and this was "problem-solving" (which is the 'digital mindset'), also again GTD.
4. I think this one was business mindset & client-focus
5. client focus & problem solving (digital mindset)
6. client focus & collaboration
7. client-focus & business mindset (I think? the private client was wasting their own money)
8. problem solving (this was a very standard digital mindset question where in any Amberjack you'd get a fail if you didn't breathlessly praise the joys of tech) & collaborate
9. problem-solving & maybe business mindset or collab (how to feedback to your supervisor).


There were LOTS of numerical questions (9), and six verbal ones, so I guess the verbal & numerical is given higher priority than individual SJT answers where you maybe f***ed up one or two ambiguous questions to result in a less-than-perfect score.
I scored numerical - high (IDK how many I got right), verbal ditto, Collab, GTD , APS (digital mindset): high, client-focused: 'some strengths', and business/commercial: 'requires improvement' (I guess this is zero?)

My results were so cooked because I thought I’d be strategic and try follow this formula I found to figuring out what strengths they are testing (I didnt know what their specific pillars were). I scored highly on numerical, verbal and the APS aspect but my others were either needs further development or some missed opportunities😭To put it into perspective, I selected- “ask the client to repeat the question again so that you can quickly look at practical law”🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I would have never in a million years selected that but I was not focused on answering authentically. There is my lesson for the application cycle. Good thing it wasnt for a firm I was really really keen on

 

[M_m]

Does anyone know the general type of questions asked for the Reed Smith VI? Can provide insights for Bakers and Osborne Clarke.

 

[justagirl23]

Just received my WG report from Linklaters- 72.5% in the test overall and 59% percentile... there goes another PFO

how do u know what u got overall, i got 66th percentile but not sure how that measures in comparison lol

 

[Gottagetthroughthis101]

how do u know what u got overall, i got 66th percentile but not sure how that measures in comparison lol

I think maybe you look at the amount of questions vs the ones you got right

 

[Gottagetthroughthis101]

how do u know what u got overall, i got 66th percentile but not sure how that measures in comparison lol

I also only see my percentage on the top which says the percentile

 

[BealMcAlly]

how do u know what u got overall, i got 66th percentile but not sure how that measures in comparison lol

You divide your correct answers by the total number of questions..

I got 33 out of 40 correct which is 82.5% and placed in the 88th percentile. I did my test in September though so not sure if I moved down percentile wise as more people applied. It said it was based on 2024, so maybe not.