From Written Exercises to Group Discussions: What to Expect at a Law Assessment Centre

May 27, 2023

Written By Charlotte Cheshire

Assessment centres, which can last from an afternoon to two days, are often the last step in the hiring process for significant graduate recruiters. Four to eight other applicants will typically be present, but it's crucial to remain focused on your performance rather than comparing yourself to, or fixating on, the performance of others.

What can you expect?

During an assessment centre, you will be asked to undertake a combination of tasks and activities. Your performance during these is used to gauge your suitability for the position. As an assessment centre takes place over many hours, you have more of an opportunity to demonstrate your relevant skills than you would during a conventional face-to-face interview.

Assessment days can be held anywhere. This could include a hotel or training facility, not just the firm's offices. The Covid-19 pandemic saw the majority of assessment centres conducted online. Moving forward, there is an expectation that there will continue to be a mix of in-person and virtual assessment centres. Whether in-person or online, you are likely to encounter tasks such as: group discussions or negotiations, presentations, proofreading, case studies, psychometric tests, written exercises and, if you are applying for a direct application, a partner interview.

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How should you approach assessment centre tasks?

Employers take into account more than simply your job competencies. They also want to ensure you are a good fit for the business. It can be challenging to be examined for such a long time, but the employer will take the length of the day into account.

Given that you have gotten to this point in the recruitment process, you have strong academic backgrounds, psychometric test results that have impressed and a strong written application. Now, assessors will be looking beyond the surface-level achievements that have allowed you to pass the criteria for the role. They will be trying to identify whether you can think analytically, critically and quickly, communicate and negotiate effectively, engage meaningfully, manage your time effectively, and create persuasive points based on commercial awareness.

Your actions are evaluated in relation to competency frameworks by assessors, who are typically a mixture of HR recruiters, associates and partners. Before making a final choice about whether or not to recruit you, they talk over every area of your performance.

The firm will eventually let you know when you can expect to learn whether you've been offered the vacation scheme or training contract. You might learn right away, or it might take a few days. Ask for feedback if you didn't succeed so you can know what you need to improve on for the next assessment day. Don't take a no as a negative. You can often learn much more from the firms that say no to you than the one that does eventually say yes.

Actively work through the areas the recruiters have identified as your weaknesses and aim to rectify these before any further assessment days. It’s also worth doing a personal reflection on how everything went, and how you can improve for next time.

Top Tips for Success

Just like for interviews, preparation for assessment centres is crucial. You should:

- Contact the organisation's graduate recruitment staff before the assessment centre if you have any questions or need additional support to perform at your best.

- Give yourself enough time to finish reading through any pre-provided materials, and think about the type of exercises that could be presented to you in light of the resources provided.

- Review the job description and any other materials the organisation has supplied you to determine the abilities, interests, and experiences they are seeking.

- Practise potential exercises with someone you trust.

- Ensure you are prepared to offer your opinions and ideas by reading the firm's website, social media accounts, and important publications (i.e company plan, financial reports, corporate social responsibility strategy).

- Think back on your initial interview, evaluate your performance, and make a note of any questions or circumstances that you found challenging.

- Examine the firm and its industry's potential, competitors, trends, and history.

- Examine your application form and CV to ensure you can pick out your work experiences and the skills that you developed.

- If you are still a student, you should contact your university's careers and employability office for more information.

- Many offer practice materials, one-on-one coaching, and mock interviews.

- Get plenty of sleep and plan your outfit the night before.

- Aim to get there at least 10 minutes early. If the event is taking place online, ensure that all of your equipment is in working order and that you are familiar with the software being used for the assessment centre. If possible, completing a "dry run" can help reduce the fear that things may go wrong.

Additional advice

Don't focus on, or worry about, the other applicants. Instead, concentrate on highlighting your strongest talents. Encourage others to participate in group discussions. Make sure you understand what is being asked of you during each task and do not be afraid to ask for clarification. Keep going back to the question and draw out the keywords within what you are being asked to do. Centre your points around these buzzwords.

Ensure that you are confident when making points within a group setting. Equally, allow others to speak and respond to other people's points to illustrate that you are an active listener. Some key phrases to help illustrate this include, 'That was a really good point [name], and following on from that I think…' or 'I would agree with you [name], however, it could also be seen as…'

Maintain a friendly and polite demeanour with everyone you meet and remember that you are constantly being assessed. Relax and let your personality shine, as assessors warm to individuality. Join in on conversations, even at "informal" mealtimes, and ask other candidates about their hobbies if you are struggling for conversation. Network with existing employees of the firm, but also connect with others at the assessment centre.

Finally, remember that there is a reason you have been invited to an assessment centre. Regardless of the outcome, you should be confident in your abilities and try to enjoy the experience as much as possible.

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