Simmons and Simmons Assessment Tests

Careers at Simmons and Simmons

Simmons & Simmons is a global law firm with over 2,500 employees across 23 offices worldwide. The company is headquartered in London, UK and has a rich history dating back to 1896. They provide a range of legal services to clients across a variety of industries including financial institutions, technology, and energy.

Simmons & Simmons offers a range of different job roles across their legal and support teams. They provide opportunities for lawyers at all levels, from trainee solicitors to experienced partners. They also offer a range of non-legal roles, including positions in marketing, HR, finance, and IT.

They are known for their expertise in a number of specialist areas, including financial regulation, intellectual property, technology, media and telecommunications.

Overall, working at Simmons & Simmons provides a challenging and rewarding career in a supportive and inclusive environment.

Simmons and Simmons Online Application

To begin with, you’ll need to complete an online application which requires you to fill out your work experience, and education and answer a few job-specific questions such as your key achievements.

Be sure that all parts of the form are completed, and make sure you check for spelling and grammar errors. It’s also important to highlight transferable skills from your previous work experience that demonstrate your suitability for the role.

You should consider that Simmons and Simmons are looking for you to demonstrate the following competencies during the assessment process:

• Analytical - you’ll need to be able to solve challenging legal problems when working at the law firm. You’ll be expected to have great attention to details and be able to use logical reasoning skills to solve them.
• Adaptive - strong communication is essential when developing relationships with colleagues and clients in the firm. Adaptability and interpersonal skills will therefore be assessed.
• Resilience – Project management is critical for Simmons’ lawyers. You’ll need to demonstrate that you can deliver and have the ability to overcome any challenges you face.
• Business acumen - Business acumen is important for many roles and you’ll need to demonstrate that you’re able to think independently and can come up with creative ideas and solutions.

Make sure these skills are reflected in your application too!

Simmons and Simmons Blended Assessment

The Simmons and Simmons Blended assessment consists of three parts:

• Situational judgment
• Applied intellect (verbal and numerical reasoning)
• Video interview questions

The aim of the blended assessment is to see if your working style fits theirs.

You’ll be asked about your career motivations in law and your understanding of the role. You’ll also be assessed on your ability to draw logical conclusions from verbal and numerical challenges.

Simmons and Simmons Situational judgment test

A Situational Judgment Test (SJT) is used to assess candidates’ decision-making skills in work-related scenarios. SJTs present candidates with a hypothetical situation and ask them to choose the most appropriate course of action from a list of options. The scenarios are designed to simulate real-world situations that candidates are likely to encounter in their roles.

The format of SJTs can vary, but they typically involve multiple-choice questions that ask candidates to rate or rank various options based on their effectiveness or appropriateness. At Simmons & Simmons this section is untimed, so you can take the time to weigh each option properly.

Example questions in an SJT for a law firm might include:

• You have just received a new case file from a colleague who has recently left the firm. The file is incomplete, and you are unsure what information is missing. What do you do?
• You are working on a complex legal matter with a tight deadline. Your supervisor asks you to take on an additional task that is not related to the matter you are working on. What do you do?
• You receive an email from a client asking for an update on their case. You are busy with other work and don’t have time to respond right away. What do you do?

To pass an SJT for a law firm like Simmons’, it is important to read the scenarios carefully and consider all of the options before making a decision. It can be helpful to think about the firm’s values and culture when answering the questions, as they are likely to be looking for candidates who demonstrate a commitment to these values.

Simmons and Simmons Applied Intellect Test

Applied intellect is the firm’s own name for the reasoning part of the blended assessment. Simmons & Simmons describes it as assessing your ability to draw logical conclusions from verbal and numerical challenges, and it names no publisher for it.

One detail is worth knowing before you prepare, because it changes what you should practise for. The firm states that none of its assessments are timed, and that the platform behind them was designed with the support of inclusivity, diversity and neurodiversity specialists. The pressure here is not the clock. It is accuracy and the quality of your reasoning, which is exactly what practice sharpens.

Verbal reasoning questions

Verbal reasoning questions assess your ability to understand and analyse written information. You are given a passage of text and asked a series of questions based on what it says.

Example verbal reasoning questions for a law firm might include:

• Which of the following statements is supported by the information in the passage?
• What is the main argument presented in the passage?
• Which of the following would weaken the author’s argument?

The habit that helps most is answering strictly from the passage rather than from what you already know about the subject. Read carefully, note the key points, and pay close attention to the wording so that you answer the question actually being asked.

Numerical reasoning questions

Numerical reasoning questions ask you to interpret data in tables, graphs and charts, then work out an answer from it. At a commercial firm like Simmons & Simmons, expect figures with a business flavour, such as revenues, fee income, headcount or market share.

Example numerical reasoning questions might include:

• By what percentage did revenue grow between the two years shown?
• Which practice area contributed most to the total?
• If the trend continues, what would the figure be next year?

The arithmetic is rarely the hard part. The work is in reading the right number off the right axis and picking the right operation, so practising with realistic data sets is the quickest route to feeling comfortable.

Simmons and Simmons Video interview

A video interview with Simmons and Simmons is typically conducted via a pre-recorded platform, where candidates are asked a set of questions and are required to provide recorded video responses.

Before the interview, you will need to ensure that your computer is set up with a webcam and microphone. The video interview will begin with an introduction from a member of the Simmons and Simmons recruitment team, explaining the format of the interview and any technical details you need to know.

You will then be presented with a series of pre-recorded questions, which may be a mix of behavioral, competency-based, and technical questions. You will have a set amount of time to record your response to each question (typically twenty minutes)

Examples of Simmons’ video interview questions might include:

• Why commercial law and why Simmons?
• Examples of where you have demonstrated Simmons competencies in the past
• What’s going on in the commercial world and how law firms are impacted? Be prepared to discuss why that interests you.

Be sure to practice a range of interview questions you may be asked and focus on providing clear and concise answers.

Simmons & Simmons assessment center

The Simmons & Simmon assessment centers are typically hosted virtually and are the final part of the recruitment process.

The assessment lasts an entire day - you can expect to be introduced to partners, and associates and you’ll need to take part in several immersive exercises that assess your skills.

You can expect the following tasks throughout the day:

• Case study exercise
• Competency interview
• In-tray exercise

Simmons & Simmons Case study exercise

A case study exercise is a type of assessment used by law firms like Simmons & Simmons to evaluate a candidate’s ability to analyze complex legal issues and provide practical recommendations.

The exercise typically involves a scenario or case study that the candidate needs to analyze and provide recommendations based on the information provided. The case study may involve a range of legal issues, such as contract law, employment law, or intellectual property law.

Examples of case study exercises for a law firm might include:

• Reviewing a contract and identifying any potential legal issues or risks
• Analyzing a dispute between two parties and providing recommendations for resolution
• Advising a client on the potential legal implications of a particular course of action

To succeed in a case study exercise, candidates need to be able to analyze complex legal issues, apply legal principles to practical scenarios, and communicate their recommendations clearly and professionally.

They also need to be able to manage their time effectively, as case study exercises are often timed and may require candidates to complete a set number of tasks within a specific time frame.

Simmons & Simmons Competency interview

A competency interview assesses a candidate’s skills, experience, and suitability for a particular role.

The interview is typically structured around a set of predefined competencies or skills, such as teamwork, problem-solving, communication, and commercial awareness. Candidates are asked a series of questions designed to elicit specific examples of how they have demonstrated these competencies in previous roles or experiences.

Examples of competency interview questions for a law firm might include:

• Can you give an example of a time when you had to work collaboratively with a team to achieve a goal?
• How do you approach solving complex problems or challenges?
• How do you stay up-to-date with industry news and developments?

To succeed in a competency interview, candidates need to be able to provide specific and detailed examples of how they have demonstrated the required competencies in previous roles or experiences. You may wish to use the STAR interview method to structure your answers.

Simmons & Simmons In-tray exercise

An in-tray exercise is a type of assessment used to evaluate a candidate’s ability to prioritize tasks and manage their workload.

The exercise typically involves a simulated work scenario in which the candidate is presented with a set of documents, such as emails, memos, and reports, that they need to prioritize and respond to within a set time frame.

The candidate is expected to make decisions and provide recommendations based on the information provided.

Examples of in-tray exercises for a law firm might include:

• Prioritizing incoming emails from clients and colleagues
• Responding to urgent memos and requests from senior partners
• Reviewing contracts and legal documents to identify issues or areas of concern

To succeed in an in-tray exercise, candidates need to be able to work quickly and accurately under pressure, prioritize tasks effectively, and communicate their decisions clearly and professionally.

Top tips for the Simmons and Simmons assessment

1) Understand the law firm’s competencies & values

Be sure to familiarize yourself with the values and competencies that make a great Simmons and Simmons employee. You should come up with examples of how you’ve demonstrated these.

2) Know your why and motivations to work in law

Make sure you have a well-thought-out answer regarding your motivations for why you want to work for Simmons and in law.

3) Read the instructions carefully

During all exercises and tests, pay close attention to detail in the instructions you are given – if you miss something, you won’t be able to be assessed on it.

4) Practice test questions

For the blended assessment, it is important to practice test questions so you can become familiar with the format.

5) Do your homework

You should research the role so you understand the day-to-day tasks, types of challenges, and decisions you may face.