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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26
- Thread starter Ram Sabaratnam
- Start date
If anyone wants to chat about the OC AC pls message me xx #nervous x
Congratulations 🎉 please could you confirm if you also received the Clyde survey email that went out today?
Has anyone just had an email from OC changing the task from a case study to a ‘commercial interview’? Eeekkk
Hey I have the virtual ac too but havent got the email, did u book a time for monday? all ive got is a login I dont have the password to
Haven’t received a login yet but I booked mine for the 5th!
Do you know if they’re sending acs in batches? I also applied to spring 😓
looks like Clyde and co pfo then if people are getting ac? Seems a bit contradictory to the aforementioned email
Absolutely not imo. They are still reviewing applications, there is bound to be more than one round of ACs. Probably they sent the email not to worry people seeing that others were getting ACs.
DWF GAMIFIED ASSESSMENT:
Okay ngl this was probably the worst “gamified” assessment ive taken. It is difficult because of how easy the tutorial seems but then its quite the opposite, for those neurodivergent candidates please be on guard as this was hella frustrating and do request extra time. I would much rather a watson glazer ngl
But as promised heres the tasks below
- Net the numbers - quick game where you have the find the numbers which make the biggest numbers possible this net can be moved around but cant be rotated or resized in any way - includes small numbers less than 10 and has many negative numbers
- Link swipe - compare two words and decide whether thier meaning is almost the same almost the opposite or they have another relationship - left arrow almost opposite, down arrow other, right arrowe almost the same
- Shape spinner - rotate the wheel so that each symbol is next to one of the same shape or the same - shading but not both - really confusing so please practice
- Number racer - collect the number that when added together are equal to target number its like tetris but with numbers i recommed looking at the target and calculating before the 5 second timer starts (all games move onto the next turn around 5-6 intervals)
- Pipe puzzle swap the pipe until you have connected the two grey pipes ends only green pipes ends and grey block are fixed in place - most frustrating one genuinely never have raged at a psychometric assessment before
- Word logic - word phrasing ie a tennis is a racket, and a hockey is a stick type phrasing
My first impression of this, not the best. DWF if your reading this i love yall but please change it or remove it for a WG!
Farrer and co pfo
Hopefully they’re still going through the apps! I’ll let you know if I ever hear back hahah
Hi!Does anybody have any advice for how to prepare for a case study at an interview? It’s my first time doing one at an AC and I’m really unsure of what sort of things I should know and what to expect! Any advice would be appreciated
I've previously shared some general advice on how I would prepare for a case study exercise at an AC as part of a post about Reed Smith - I have quoted it below! Hopefully it's a useful starting point for your preparation! I would also encourage you to check out this forum post by Jacob Miller, as I used this in my preparation and found it really helpful!
Best of luck with the AC - I'm sure you'll smash it!
Hi!
Huge congratulations on receiving the AC invite for Reed Smith!!
Whilst I can't share any specifics, I'm happy to share some general tips for case studies, motivational interviews, and proof reading exercises! Across all of the exercises, I would say that structure and clarity are really key. The assessors are usually less focused on you having the "perfect" answer and more on how you approach the task, prioritise issues, and explain your reasoning as you go along.
For the case study, I would absolutely make good use of the preparation time. What helped me was to read through all of the documents first to get a sense of the overall scenario, and then go back over it to familiarise myself with the finer details. If there is anything that is unclear or confusing, I would try to work it out during the prep time so that, if it comes up in the interview discussion, you are able to explain your understanding confidently (or at least explain your thought process in working it out if you are still not 100% sure!). One piece of advice that my mentor gave me that I found really helpful was to become comfortable with what contracts actually look like in practice - i.e. understanding common clauses, what they mean, and the effect they can have (and whether they are favourable / less favourable to your client). I would also try not to overcomplicate it - this is something I really struggled with at first, but if the answer feels like it is relatively straightforward, I would go with your gut! If the interviewers / assessors require more information, they might be able to ask follow-up questions that you can then address.
For the motivational interview, I would make sure that you have researched the firm (which I'm sure you have!) and can clearly articulate why Reed Smith specifically. Think about how your experiences and interests align with the firm's distinctive features (e.g. its sector focus or initiatives like the Professional SQE Placement Year). For example, I linked my previous vacation scheme experience at a firm with shipping expertise to Reed Smith's expertise in the area, as I could explain how my interest in the area had developed and why Reed Smith's practice stood out to me (compared to the other firm). As with any interview, it also helps to prepare a few thoughtful questions to ask at the end - although if any questions naturally arise due to things discussed in the interview, I'd always encourage you to ask those! Importantly (and I know this is the most annoying advice ever), be yourself! They're assessing your fit to the firm as much as motivation and experience, so I'd try to be friendly and match the atmosphere in the room as this really does go a long way.
For the proofreading exercise, I would encourage you to work slowly and methodically. One practical tip that I found helpful was to use your finger to guide yourself through the text and make note of anything that stands out. While I didn't personally do a proofreading exercise at my Reed Smith AC, I have done similar ones elsewhere and always looked for things such as defined terms (and whether they're capitalised consistently), spelling / grammar, and whether dates and deadlines match throughout the document. These are things that you might not necessarily think to check in a proofreading exercise, but are always important in the legal context!
Above all - stay calm, be structured, and try to explain your thinking clearly wherever you can. It sounds silly to say, but I did really enjoy my Reed Smith AC and I felt that the partners and graduate recruitment team wanted me to do well, rather than trying to catch me out.
I'm sure that you will smash it, and best of luck!
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