Surviving and Thriving in Group Exercises: What to Expect at Law Firm Assessment Centres

Apr 02, 2023

Written By Annika De Lathauwer

So, you have been offered an invitation to attend an assessment centre at a law firm? Congratulations! That means that the firm thinks that you have what it takes to be offered the role. But you cannot slow down now. You have to keep up that momentum and make sure that you can wow them on the day. Below are some suggestions as to what might come up at a law firm’s assessment centre and how best to approach these different situations.

What are assessment centres?

In the legal world, assessment centres are the next step in the recruitment process after applications are submitted. They can also be preceded by tests and interviews, depending on the firm that you are applying to.

At this point in the process firms will have narrowed down the number of candidates to a very small number compared to the number of applications they received. The assessment centre is used by the firm to get to know the candidates more personally and see how they interact.

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How to approach various assessment types

The assessment centre can take place online or in person and its duration can vary from an hour to two days. This will all vary based on the firm that you are applying to.

If the firm does not explicitly tell you what type of tests or interviews will be included, be sure to reach out and ask, so that you can prepare yourself accordingly. Even if they say they cannot tell you any specifics, you can benefit from any information that they can give you and use it to your advantage to be that much more prepared.

Psychometric testing

This can include critical thinking, numerical reasoning tests, personality questionnaires, and, most commonly, verbal reasoning tests. This might be done in conjunction with a similar test taken previously to being invited to the assessment centre, to ensure that your results from the first test were an accurate representation of your capabilities.

To approach this type of test you should utilise online practice tests. Make sure that you understand the structure of the test and how you are expected to approach it. The more practice you do, the more confident you will be when it comes to taking the test. Confidence will also stop you from panicking during the test if you’re running out of time, and overthinking your answers.

Situational Judgement test

You may be asked a series of questions that may occur in the workplace. You will be expected to know how to correctly prioritise tasks and deal with difficult situations.

Use your critical thinking skills to determine which tasks are most important when prioritising them. Make sure that you also have a good grasp of the firm’s values, so that you can align your responses accordingly.

Group exercises

You may be asked to work in a group and sort through tasks or negotiate with one another, so that the assessor can view your teamwork and interaction skills.

Be sure to listen to others and consider their points, while still making yourself heard and ensuring that you are a valuable asset to the group discussion.

Timed written exercise

This may be used to test your legal knowledge or your skills on interpreting information. This will usually be timed. Therefore, be sure to practise writing under timed conditions before sitting this particular assessment.

Make sure to also give yourself time to process the information you are provided with before you start writing, so that you are not making any incorrect assumptions.

Presentations

These will usually last around 15 minutes. You will be asked to speak on a subject and then answer a series of further questions. You may be asked to prepare this in advance or on the day.

If you are given the topic in advance, make sure you know what you are talking about, as you will be expected to have done your research. Research the topic from a range of different perspectives to make your presentation unique.

However, regardless of whether you know the subject in advance or not, practise your public speaking skills beforehand, remembering to maintain eye contact, utilise positive body language (arms uncrossed, smiling) and projecting your voice. Looking up different legal-related topics and preparing a short oral presentation is a great way to practise.

Interviews

Interviews can consist of many different types of questions, such as situation-based scenarios, asking about times that you have demonstrated certain skills, and commercial awareness questions.

To help you prepare for the interview, make sure you know some key facts about the firm, and what makes it stand out from the crowd. It’s also worth thinking about you as an applicant, and what you have to offer. Here, we’ve provided advice on answering the most common interview questions.

Selection & Assessment