Written Exercise

Description

How It Works

You can choose one of six written exercises, each designed to closely simulate a real commercial law firm written exercise.

The exercises are based on actual law firm formats and fact patterns, and test what firms really assess in these tasks. That includes how clearly you write, how well you structure and organise your answer, your attention to detail, your commercial awareness, and how effectively you present advice to a client.

They are suitable for vacation scheme and training contract applications, whether you are preparing in advance or completing a written exercise as part of an assessment centre or during a vacation scheme itself. They are relevant for any commercial law firm that uses a written exercise as part of its recruitment process.

Why written exercises catch candidates out

Most candidates don’t struggle with written exercises because they lack intelligence or commercial awareness.

They struggle because they haven’t practised writing under timed conditions, in the format law firms actually use. As a result, answers are often unclear, poorly structured, or focused on the wrong things — even when the underlying ideas are good.

The best way to improve is not to read more tips, but to sit a realistic practice exercise and see how your writing performs in practice. That’s what these exercises are designed to do.

Option 1: Exercise

If you choose this option, you’ll receive one full written exercise, which you can select from the six available.

You’ll also receive a model answer, along with a written guide explaining how a strong answer is structured, what law firms are looking for, and the common mistakes candidates make in written exercises.

This option is best if you want to understand what a high-quality written exercise answer looks like and practise independently, comparing your own approach to a strong model answer.

Option 2: Exercise + Feedback

This option is designed to replicate a real law firm written exercise as closely as possible.

You’ll be sent a written exercise by email, based on a realistic law firm fact pattern. You then complete the exercise in a 1-hour timed window, just as you would in an assessment centre or on a vacation scheme, and return your answer by email.

Within 1 working day, you’ll receive detailed personalised feedback. This includes a marked-up version of your answer, clear written comments explaining what worked and what didn’t, a model answer, and a score based on marking criteria aligned with what graduate recruitment teams assess in written exercises.

This option is best if you want to know how strong your writing is right now, where you are losing marks, and exactly how to improve for the real thing.

How to choose which written exercise to do

The best way to choose is to start with the format that is most likely to come up at the firm you are applying to.

Some firms are transparent about the type of written exercise they use, either on their website or through candidate experiences. If you have that information, choose the exercise that most closely matches it.

If you don’t, the following guidance will help.

Contract or M&A (recommended starting point)

For most candidates, Contract or M&A is the best place to start.

These formats are the most common across commercial law firms and test a broad range of skills, including clarity of writing, structure, commercial judgment, and the ability to present advice clearly to a client. They are also highly transferable, meaning the skills you practise here will carry over well to other written exercise formats.

If you are unsure which exercise to choose, start with one of these.

Due Diligence

A due diligence exercise is also a solid choice, particularly if you are applying to firms with strong transactional practices.

This format focuses on identifying and prioritising issues, summarising risk, and communicating clearly and concisely — all skills that firms value highly in written exercises.

Finance

Finance exercises tend to be more specific and are best suited if you know the firm places emphasis on finance-heavy work or if you are applying to firms with strong banking or finance practices.

If you are early in your preparation, this is usually better attempted after completing a Contract or M&A exercise.

Technical and SPAG

Technical and SPAG exercises are less commonly used as standalone written exercises at commercial law firms.

They can be useful in certain contexts, but for most candidates they are not the best starting point, as they test a narrower set of skills and are less representative of the written exercises used by many firms.

What you’ll get better at

By completing one of these exercises, you’ll learn how to write clearly and concisely under time pressure, structure your answer logically, present information in a client-friendly way, format your response professionally, and avoid the common mistakes that weaken otherwise strong applications.