Mastering The Watson Glaser Test For Linklaters

Recruitment At Linklaters

Linklaters offers an exciting opportunity to develop an successful career path in commercial law for applicants who can efficiently and intelligently help their client’s businesses to succeed. The firm’s projects cover banking and finance, corporate, energy and infrastructure, commercial real estate, investment, litigation, tax and other related disciplines.

With more than 100 years of history, this prestigious global firm searches for people with critical intellect and an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset. Their training is highly appealing if you’re looking for a dynamic and stimulating work environment.

Overview Of The Watson Glaser Test

Due to the nature of the firm and the need for applicants who can process important information under pressure, Linklaters’ recruitment process includes the Watson Glaser Test, a multiple-option test designed to measure the candidate’s reasoning and analytical and logical thinking.

The best consulting and law firms use this test, each having its own specific version. It consists of a set of questions organised into five groups: Interference, Recognition of assumptions, Deductions, Interpretation and Evaluation of Arguments. In every section, applicants are encouraged to create solutions to specific problems.

Preparing for this time-limited test requires practice for each section to become familiar with the situations presented, simulations to improve your timing in solving them, and video or study guides to fully work on your weak points and get the best score possible.

Watson Glaser Test For Linklaters

The application process for Linklaters in London for undergraduates or postgraduates is the following:

1. Online application (30 min. form)
2. Online assessment: not timed with six scenarios. The Capp Online assessment doesn’t require previous preparation.
3. The critical thinking test (Watson Glaser test, 15 pages long)
4. Interview day

After proving your academic skills,  the third part of the recruitment process at Linklaters is to take the Watson Glaser test, a worldwide known critical thinking test, which will measure your reaction to various scenarios and evaluate their solution proposals.

Linklaters use the test for vacation schemes, summer internships, training contracts, and even candidates for lawyer and associate positions.

What To Expect

Candidates for Linklaters have a 5-day deadline from the date of their online application to complete the Watson Glaser online test. They can only be taken once per academic year.

The specific version of the Watson Glaser for Linklaters consists of 40 questions to answer in 30 minutes, all drawn from a large bank, making every test different. 

If you decide to apply, you must answer the five subsections explained below. From every subsection, you’ll be provided with a scenario and then a list of options to see which solution is best. The subsections are:

1. Make correct inferences: In this first section, each exercise includes a series of facts which can be regarded as true, but the main goal is to decide its degree of truth or falsity (True, False, Insufficient Data). After each statement of fact, you must examine the different inferences presented separately to make the right decision. 
2. Recognise assumptions: You will be presented with a series of ​​statements followed by several proposed assumptions; judging every assumption separately, you need to decide with a “Yes” or “No” if the assumption is taken for granted.
3. Deductions: The influence of prejudices and judgment will be tested in this section. As an applicant, you’ll be given a series of statements (considered true without exception) followed by suggested conclusions; from those, you’ll have to judge whether each conclusion necessarily follows or not.
4. Interpretations: A short paragraph with information and corresponding suggested conclusions is given. Using those facts, you must use your judgment to decide if the proposed conclusion follows beyond reasonable doubt. 
5. Evaluation of arguments: Discerning the strength of arguments is measured in this section. You’ll be provided with various arguments, all regarded as true; the task is to decide how strong or weak the argument is.

How Can You Prepare For It?

Linklaters provides some support materials to prepare for the Watson Glaser test and strongly recommends practising for the test. We suggest Job Test Prep as a site to practice; they have various packages that include simulators and study guides which you can use to practice even during three months.

Here at The Lawyer Portal, we also offer several resources, including sample questions and free practice tests. 

But first, before using a study guide and simulators, you’ll need to understand the test structure and, from that, identify which areas you need to work on the most.

The core aim of the test is to measure your critical thinking and to try activities involving deduction: puzzles, riddles, and logical reasoning problems will sharpen your abilities to propose solutions on the test. 

Other essential parts of the Watson-Glaser test include arguments, assumptions, and conclusions, which you can quickly identify through sample tests and by reading articles, journals, or academic papers and summarising their main points.

Practising via sample tests is essential to improve your speed and accuracy, allowing you to review your answers to understand where you went wrong and learn from your mistakes. Ensure you’re in a quiet space and don’t overthink; the only information you need is provided on the test; no specific extra information is required.

Strengthen your ability to recognise the test patterns, draw conclusions, and evaluate arguments logically.

Aside from preparing for this test and having the most complete application, Linklaters provides you with several resources to stand out in your process and show how motivated you are. 

A 4- 5 hour job simulator programme is available; guided by prerecorded videos, you’re challenged with different tasks to complete, from email drafting to business development, internal communication or project management. This will earn you a certificate that’ll make your CV more visible in the recruitment process. 

What Score Do I Need?

Every firm has its version of the test, so there’ll likely be variations between the measurement of the results from one to another.

Linklaters takes on the highest scorers (results above 75%). It’s an essential part of your application process, and your results are directly compared with other candidates, so you should always be aiming to gett the highest possible. 

There are no penalties for wrong answers. At the same time, every subsection is evaluated separately. You’ll add points for every correct answer; the cumulative correct answers across all subsections will make your total score.  

Key Takeaways

• Linklaters provides a diverse, inclusive and international environment and looks for candidates with a mindset framework that spans four axes: empathy, divergent thinking, an entrepreneurial outlook and social and emotional intelligence. 
• Critical thinking and strong intellect are two essential qualities required by this top international firm; both are evaluated through the Watson Glaser test, and a high score on the test will make you a promising applicant when applying for a training contract at Linklaters. 
• The firm aims to be open and provide an enjoyable experience through their selection process; candidates can approach Linklater to talk and ask any questions before applying.

To keep their reputation and prestige, Linklaters search for excellent and motivated applicants who can stay ahead and adapt to evolving environments; the main goal is to help their clients meet their business goals successfully.