Vacation Scheme Assessment Centre Guide: What to Expect & How to Prepare
A vacation scheme assessment centre is often one of the final and most important stages of the law firm application process. Having passed the initial application and online tests, you will now be assessed on how well you can think critically, communicate under pressure and apply your commercial awareness to realistic scenarios. While every law firm assessment centre is different, candidates can expect a combination of case studies, partner interviews, written exercises, presentations and group tasks. In this guide we explain what to expect at a vacation scheme assessment centre, how to prepare for the most common vacation scheme assessment centre exercises and interview questions, and the practical strategies that can help you stand out on the day.
What Is a Vacation Scheme Assessment Centre?
A vacation scheme assessment centre is a stage of the recruitment process in which a law firm assesses candidates through one or more interviews and practical exercises. For many firms, this comes towards the end of the vacation scheme application process, which often includes online assessments such as the Watson Glaser test.
The exercises used on the assessment day can change from one recruitment cycle to another, and some firms do not use an assessment centre at all. You should therefore read the information provided by the particular firm carefully rather than assuming that one firm’s assessment centre will resemble another’s.
An assessment centre generally tests more than just what you know. Firms are interested in seeing how you use information, how you interact with other people and how you approach unfamiliar problems. The exact competencies will differ between firms, but candidates are commonly assessed on areas including:
Commercial awareness
Analytical and critical thinking
Communication
Teamwork
Attention to detail
Judgement and prioritisation
Motivation for commercial law and the particular firm
Resilience and adaptability, and
The ability to understand and respond to a client’s objectives
You do not need to demonstrate all of these qualities in every answer. Assessment centres are deliberately made up of different exercises so that recruiters can build a broader picture of each candidate.
How to Prepare for a Vacation Scheme Assessment Centre
The assessment centre might last a few hours or most of a day. Some take place in the firm’s offices, while others are conducted partly or entirely online. You should receive information about the timing and broad format. A firm may not, however, tell you precisely what an exercise will involve.
Below are some of the most common components.
Vacation Scheme Interviews
An interview is one of the most common features of an assessment centre. Questions generally fall into several broad categories: motivation, competency, commercial awareness and questions about your own experiences or application.
A partner interview can also be deliberately conversational. Do not be surprised if you are asked several follow-up questions, or the interviewer challenges an assumption in your answer. This does not necessarily mean your first answer was wrong. Rather, they may simply want to see whether you can defend a position, consider another perspective or change your mind when presented with better information.
Commercial Case Study Exercises
You may be given a fictional business scenario and a collection of documents to review within a limited period. You could then be asked to discuss your analysis with an interviewer, produce a written response or give a short presentation.
The difficulty is often the volume of information rather than the legal complexity. The more important question is usually: what is the client trying to achieve, and what matters commercially?
For example, if a client is considering acquiring another business, it is not enough simply to identify that a particular issue represents a risk. You should think about how significant that risk is, whether it could affect the client’s objectives and what the client might do about it.
Written Exercises
A written exercise might ask you to draft an email, summarise information, advise a fictional client or produce a short report.
One of the most useful vacation scheme assessment centre tips is to establish the audience and purpose before you start writing. You need to identify the important information, communicate it accurately, use an appropriate tone, and complete the exercise within the allotted time.
Group Exercises
You may be given a problem to solve collectively, asked to rank several options or required to reach a group recommendation within a fixed period.
A common mistake is assuming that you need to speak more than everybody else to stand out.
Strong candidates tend to help the group perform well. This might involve introducing a useful point, building on another candidate’s suggestion, bringing a quieter participant into the discussion, identifying an issue the group has overlooked or reminding everyone that there are five minutes left and a decision is yet to be made.
Presentation
You may be given a short period to prepare a presentation based on a commercial problem or case study.
The time pressure can tempt candidates to include every point they have identified. Usually, a clear and selective presentation is more persuasive.
If you are questioned afterwards, listen carefully and take your time before answering. You do not need to defend your original position at all costs. If an interviewer identifies a factor that genuinely changes your analysis, acknowledging this and adapting your conclusion can demonstrate good judgement.
Assessment Centre Interview Questions
It is impossible to predict every question you might receive. Preparing for an interview should therefore be about developing your thinking rather than memorising a set of perfect answers.
Nevertheless, there are several types of questions you should expect.
Motivation Questions
Typical motivation questions include:
Why do you want to become a commercial solicitor?
Why have you applied to our firm?
Why are you interested in this particular vacation scheme?
Which of our practice areas interest you?
Why our firm rather than one of our competitors?
Listing facts from the firm’s website is unlikely to distinguish you from other candidates. For each point, you should be able to explain what is distinctive about the firm, what evidence supports this and why it matters to you.
It may be that you are drawn to a Freshfields’ distinctive eight-seat training contract to gain a breadth of experience across all practice areas, or a US firm due to their small intake size which facilitates greater responsibility earlier on. Then, link this to a feature about yourself to produce a much more personal answer than simply listing the firm’s practice areas, international offices and awards.
Competency Questions
Competency questions ask you to provide evidence of how you have behaved in previous situations:
Tell me about a time you worked successfully in a team
Tell me about a time you persuaded someone to change their mind
Tell me about a time something did not go according to plan
Tell me about a time you received difficult feedback
Describe a situation in which you had to manage competing priorities
The STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result) can be useful to structure these answers.
You should also be prepared for follow-up questions. An interviewer might ask what you would do differently, what the hardest part was or why you chose one course of action over another.
Commercial Awareness Questions
Knowing what has happened in the news is only the starting point. A law firm is much more interested in whether you can think about why it matters.
You may be asked:
Tell me about a commercial story you have been following
What is currently affecting our clients?
Tell me about a recent transaction that interested you
Which of our practice areas might be affected by this development?
When reading news, always think about what it might mean for a firm’s clients and practice areas. Often, multiple practice areas will need to collaborate to work on a single deal.
Questions About Your Application and CV
Before the assessment centre, reread your application in full. Anything you have included is potentially something an interviewer can ask about.
Do not assume that an experience is too old or insignificant to be discussed. It is also worth thinking about the weaker parts of your application. If there is an example you would struggle to elaborate on, prepare for the possibility that somebody will ask you to do exactly that.
Unexpected or Challenging Questions
Not every question will fit neatly into a category you have prepared.
An interviewer might challenge something you say, introduce new information or ask a question that you simply do not know how to answer immediately. If you genuinely do not know something, it is better to acknowledge this and reason from what you do know.
What Successful Applicants Do Differently
Good assessment centre preparation is targeted. Focus on developing a sufficiently deep understanding of the firm, your own motivations and the commercial environment to respond flexibly.
1. Research the Firm Properly
By the assessment centre stage, knowing that a firm is “international” or “has a strong corporate practice” is unlikely to be enough.
Research:
Its principal practice areas
Important sectors and client types
Recent deals, cases and developments
Major competitors and features that genuinely distinguish it from comparable firms
You do not need an exhaustive answer, but you should have moved beyond information that could apply equally well to twenty other firms. If you are applying to a Magic Circle firm, avoid relying on broad labels. You should be able to explain what distinguishes that firm from the other Magic Circle firms, as well as from leading US and City competitors.
2. Develop Commercial Awareness
Commercial awareness is much easier to develop consistently than to cram the night before an interview.
Follow a manageable number of stories and investigate the ones that are particularly relevant to the firm. Understanding two or three developments properly is generally more useful than memorising ten headlines. For each story, practice explaining it aloud without notes.
Then, ask whether there could be an opposing interpretation, what could happen next, which clients would care and which legal teams might become involved.
Mergers & Acquisitions can be a particularly useful area to follow because major transactions often raise a wide range of commercial issues. A candidate discussing an M&A deal should go beyond identifying the buyer and seller and consider questions such as why the transaction is taking place, how it is being financed, what risks could affect completion, whether regulatory approval may be required and which practice areas of the firm might become involved.
3. Practice Case Studies Under Time Pressure
Reading case study guidance is useful, but it is not a substitute for actually completing one.
Practise reviewing unfamiliar information within a strict time limit. Identify the client’s objective, distinguish important facts from distractions and force yourself to reach a recommendation. Then, explain that recommendation aloud. Understanding a problem and communicating your analysis are two different skills.
4. Complete a Mock Interview
It is difficult to recreate interview pressure by asking yourself questions in your head.
A proper mock interview requires you to formulate answers in real time, respond to follow-up questions and defend your reasoning when challenged. It can also identify habits that are difficult to notice yourself.
5. Prepare Questions for Your Interviewers
Most interviewers end by giving you an opportunity to ask questions.
Avoid asking something simply because you think it sounds impressive. The best questions usually arise from genuine research or curiosity. For example, if you are speaking to a partner, you might ask about a development in their practice area, how client demands are changing or something specific about their career at the firm.
How U2 Tuition Can Support Vacation Scheme Applications
Reaching the assessment centre stage means that a firm has already seen considerable potential in your application. At this point, preparation becomes less about improving an application on paper and more about demonstrating your strengths in person.
At U2 Tuition, our Vacation Scheme and Training Contract Tutoring is tailored to the firm and stage of the recruitment process you are preparing for.
Mock Law Firm Interviews
Our tutors can conduct realistic mock interviews covering motivation, competency and commercial awareness and more challenging partner-style follow-up questions.
Rather than simply providing model answers, the aim is to identify where your own answers can become more specific, convincing and commercially sophisticated.
Commercial Awareness Coaching
If commercial questions are an area of concern, our tutors can help you develop a method for analysing business stories and connecting them to law firms, practice areas and clients.
This is designed to develop the underlying skill rather than give you a list of stories to memorise.
Case Study and Assessment Centre Preparation
You can also practise the analytical and communication skills required for case studies, presentations and other assessment centre exercises.
Where appropriate, preparation can be tailored to the type of firm you are interviewing with and the particular skills it is likely to prioritise.
Vacation Scheme Assessment Centre Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a vacation scheme assessment centre?
A vacation scheme assessment centre is a stage of the recruitment process in which candidates complete interviews and/or practical exercises designed to assess their suitability for a firm’s vacation scheme or training contract. Exercises can include commercial case studies, written tasks, presentations and group discussions.
How much commercial awareness do I need?
You are not expected to know everything happening in the business world. It is generally more useful to understand a smaller number of relevant developments properly and be able to discuss their implications than to memorise a large number of headlines.
What should I wear to a law firm assessment centre?
Unless the firm tells you otherwise, professional business attire is generally the safest choice. If you are unsure, check any guidance provided by graduate recruitment.
How do I stand out in an assessment centre group exercise?
Do not approach the exercise as a competition for airtime. Make useful contributions, listen to other candidates, develop good ideas, keep track of time and help the group reach a conclusion. Effective collaboration is usually more valuable than simply speaking the most.
What happens after a vacation scheme assessment centre?
If you are successful, the firm will usually invite you to join its vacation scheme. The exact next steps and timing vary between firms. At some firms, performance on the vacation scheme itself is then used to determine whether candidates receive a training contract offer.