TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2026-27

[alanshore]

HSFK email saying passed the assessment

Any tips? Haven't done a HSFK assesment before.

 

[NM23x]

Any tips? Haven't done a HSFK assesment before.

Yes, time and accuracy is taken into account, so be accurate but dont take too long choosing your answers and approach the test as a collaborative, highly capable trainee who prioritises the firm's clients. also show resilience in the SJT and applied intellect.

 

[thedonnabrief]

Hi, is anyone still waiting on these firms to send the 1st stage assessment?

Dechert - Applied 7th Sep
Hogan - Applied 9th Sep
Dentons - Applied 9th Sep
Reed Smith - Applied 13th Sep

 

[anon78365222111]

Hi, is anyone still waiting on these firms to send the 1st stage assessment?

Dechert - Applied 7th Sep
Hogan - Applied 9th Sep
Dentons - Applied 9th Sep
Reed Smith - Applied 13th Sep

All but HL, I also don’t think anyone got RS

 

[marshmallow]

Hey, please could you point me towards where it says graduates are welcome to apply. I wanted to apply there but iirc the website says students and those studying for a post-graduate degree

you’re right its really confusing, under ‘how to apply’ it says penultimate students and postgrad students, but under eligibility it then says: ‘While S&C expects most of its applicants to be penultimate-year law students and final-year non-law students, graduates and postgraduates are also eligible.’

 

[lauramw36]

Hi, is anyone still waiting on these firms to send the 1st stage assessment?

Dechert - Applied 7th Sep
Hogan - Applied 9th Sep
Dentons - Applied 9th Sep
Reed Smith - Applied 13th Sep

I didn't apply for the first two but I'm still waiting to hear from RS and Dentons. Hopefully hear some good news today!

 

[avgcower]

Jones Day PFO. Applied last Wednesday.

Was this for the winter vac scheme? I applied last tuesday and still haven't heard.

 

[KH7192]

Hi, did anyone who completed the Ashurst Perkins Coie Cappfinity online assessment receive any confirmation email after?

No I did not and I've emailed the firm to ask about this — usually with other firms you get a confirmation email and when you try to re-enter the assessment website it tells you you've already completed it but nothing from APC after taking their assessment.

 

[rrr]

No I did not and I've emailed the firm to ask about this — usually with other firms you get a confirmation email and when you try to re-enter the assessment website it tells you you've already completed it but nothing from APC after taking their assessment.

The confirmation comes with the feedback which is not immediate. You have to wait for it:
"Thank you for completing the Ashurst Perkins Coie Online Assessment.

To help you understand your top two behavioural skills and one area for development, we have created a feedback report for you.

Thanks,

Ashurst Perkins Coie Early Careers Team"

 

[KH7192]

I've just completed ashurst stage 1 online assessment, but i haven't had any confirmation email that its completed and when i click on the link again it's still available to complete from the start with nothing recorded? does this mean i didnt complete it properly has anyone else had this?

exactly the same here, seems like a common issue as a few others are saying the same

 

[Futuretrainee002]

exactly the same here, seems like a common issue as a few others are saying the same

Its not an issue at all, they say in the assessment email that the report takes a few days to receive and that it will not be sent immediately. They also don’t send confirmation of completion immediately its how they’ve done it for the past few cycles.

 

[Topdog0073]

Latham said on email after applying for vac scheme that they’ll send through assessment and i have 3 days from today to do it. It’s been 2 hours and it hasn’t come through. Has this happened to anyone else?

 

[TCchaser]

Latham said on email after applying for vac scheme that they’ll send through assessment and i have 3 days from today to do it. It’s been 2 hours and it hasn’t come through. Has this happened to anyone else?

I think someone mentioned to log into AllHires, and you can see the assessments on there

 

[Topdog0073]

I think someone mentioned to log into AllHires, and you can see the assessments on there

I don't think they are using allhires this year and that I don't think that's the case for the new platform.

 

[tabashtabash]

Hi I just got an invite to macfarlanes stage 2 - does anyone have any insights on what it's like?

 

[Topdog0073]

Hi I just got an invite to macfarlanes stage 2 - does anyone have any insights on what it's like?

from what I remember last year, standard video interview stuff - don't remember what else. Just know why them, why law, etc.

 

[help]

Can anyone share insights into Macfarlanes' stage 2 assessment and video interview? I can help with Milbank stage 1 and 2 and Mayer Brown stage 1.

 

[s4ndy]

Has anyone received an application update after Macfarlanes' winter vac scheme stage 2 assessment?

 

[Angel1093]

Hi I just got an invite to macfarlanes stage 2 - does anyone have any insights on what it's like?

Hiya! As someone who completed the Stage 2 assessment last year, I have a couple of tips, although I can't promise these will remain entirely applicable to you now as they may have changed the format of the assessment since then.

From what I recall, the second stage assessment was a blended assessment that combined written answers and video interview responses for highly specific scenarios. In other words it was essentially a job simulation where you'd have multiple questions and answer formats all pertaining to various legal issues / requests from a client or a senior at the firm.

It didn't require any pre-existing technical knowledge as all the information we needed was provided in the form of some resources for us to read before beginning the questions. These were things like emails, briefs, or research documents with some facts about a particular industry.

One key thing to note is that it may feel quite time pressured. When you begin the assessment you may see an initial short message that asks you to fully read the resources before proceeding to the questions. This is because the questions are quite particular and require you to have had a solid grasp on the resources that you were just shown. I remember being thrown off because I proceeded to the video interview questions before fully annotating the resource, and then the question asked me to include various points from the resource which I hadn't actually understood or comprehended.

You'll only have a brief period of 1-2 minutes (if even that -- sometimes firms can also just give you 30 seconds) of prep time before it starts recording your video response, so I wasn't able to answer properly as I hadn't noted the facts from the resource down. This meant all my prep time was spent scanning the resource as best I could but I ultimately wasn't really able to plan my answer and so when the recording began I was essential just improvising. Given my own experience, I would really recommend you take your time completing the assessment and ensure you annotate everything before proceeding to begin the round of questions for that scenario.

Beyond that I would advise to prepare as usual, which means understanding how best to approach written responses (keeping things well structured, brief, and signposted -- aka the conventional advice for a written exercise) whilst also preparing the basics of Why this firm and Why you for the video interview responses. You can find specific advice pertaining to both of these points if you go to the TCLA Wiki page here, which has advice for both written exercises and video interviews more broadly.

I hope that helps! Best of luck with the assessment, just keep your head up and remain calm

 

[Amz2006]

Hi all. I just wanted to see if anyone had heard from these vacation schemes (all Winter)
Sidley Austin- nothing from inital application
Macflaranes- nothing since 2nd stage interview
Ashurst Perkins Coie- nothing since first test.