Law firm online assessments: four firms, four different gates

Clifford Chance says only candidates who pass the Watson Glaser test have their form reviewed, and adds an Immersive Online Assessment of about 45 to 60 minutes. Linklaters describes a UK assessment of about an hour with no overall limit but a time-recorded critical reasoning element. A&O Shearman uses an untimed experience, around three-quarters of an hour, mixing judgement, verbal, numerical and two recorded answers. Pinsent Masons describes a blended assessment of situational judgement and video questions.

Only one of them uses the phrase Watson Glaser as a gate on its London pages. That is worth knowing before you buy a Watson Glaser course for a firm that does not use it.

Clifford Chance describes it as covering inferences, assumptions, deductions, interpretation and the evaluation of arguments. Linklaters' Hong Kong page also describes a Watson Glaser online test with a practice version hosted by Pearson. Our verbal reasoning practice is not the same layout, but the discipline of deciding from the text is shared.

Use the verbal reasoning questions page for method and the firm's own practice for format. Clifford Chance says its practice attempts are unlimited and not visible to the firm.

Linklaters says its assessment centre begins with a written case study, followed by a competency interview and a commercial interview. Clifford Chance lists a case study with a written exercise, a joint case study and competency interview with a Partner and Senior Associate, and a group exercise. Pinsent Masons lists a one-to-one interview, a business simulation exercise and a case study.

All three put a case study in the day. Our case study and written tasks guide covers how to practise it.

Clifford Chance's listing gave applications from 7 September to 18 November 2026 with assessments in January 2027. A&O Shearman closed its March 2028 intake on 5 October 2026, before we checked, and holds its assessment days in November. On academic bars, both firms ask for a 2:1, and A&O adds a grade requirement at A-level or equivalent.

Non-law graduates at Clifford Chance need to complete the PGDL before joining, and all future trainees need the SQE. Check each firm's page for the current cycle.

A&O Shearman cautions candidates about outside sites offering free samples of its forms and assessments. Law applicants lean heavily on prep material, so the warning is worth repeating: no outside site can hold a firm's live items.

Use each firm's own practice, then use general reading practice for the underlying skill.