Burges Salmon Assessment Centre, SJT, Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Test & Interview Process Online Preparation – 2024

What Is Burges Salmon?

Burges Salmon is an independent law firm based in Bristol, England. The firm has more than 900 employees and more than 340 lawyers. Since 1841, the firm has been providing a wide range of services to clients in various industries, including:

• Banking and Finance
• Corporate
• Real Estate Services
• Construction and Engineering
• Education
• Healthcare
• Energy and Utilities
• Infrastructure

The firm strives to provide the best proposition for its clients and people.

Working at Burges Salmon

Burges Salmon works to create an inclusive environment for its employees. Six main qualities are at the heart of the firm’s culture that all employees possess:

• Commitment
• Quality
• Fairness
• Respect
• Ambition
• Collaboration

Job seekers looking for a role at Burges Salmon should showcase these values throughout the recruitment process.

Online Application

Burges Salmon has openings for individuals at all points in their careers, from lawyers and business professionals to apprenticeships and trainee programs. The application process for the firm begins in October and takes several months to complete.

Before beginning the process, you want to make sure you have the qualities that the firm is looking for, such as:

• Common sense
• Drive
• Resilience
• Good judgement
• Ability to work in a team
• 2:1 degree

You can look for vacancies on the company website and apply for any role that you are well suited for. The application form will ask about your personal details, educational background, and employment history. You will want to have all transcripts accessible to note any relevant information.

You will also be able to upload a current CV and cover letter. Ensure your CV is tailored to the position you are applying for and that your cover letter provides additional information, such as why you want a job at Burges Salmon.

It is important to note that the firm uses a blind recruiting process, meaning all personal details are removed from applications. The initial screening is based on merit and qualifications alone.

Situational Judgement Test

In addition to your application, you will also be asked to take two psychometric exams. These will give the hiring team a better idea of your skills and personality.

The first test will be a situational judgment test (SJT). This personality exam assesses your values, decision-making skills, and commercial awareness. During this exam, you will receive several simulated workplace scenarios similar to what you may encounter during your role at Burges Salmon. You will be asked to answer 20 multiple-choice questions about the situations. You must identify the most and least effective response choices from a given list.

Before completing this exam, it is essential to research the company and its values. The firm wants employees who embody company values and behave according to their ideals. So be sure to use that information to guide your responses on this test.

Verbal Reasoning Test

You must also take a verbal reasoning exam during the application process. This test will assess your ability to read and understand written text. You will receive several passages and answer multiple-choice questions, such as whether statements are true or false based on the information.

In addition to reading comprehension, you will need to use logic and critical thinking skills to answer the questions on this exam. Be sure to read all passages and questions carefully to select the best answer for each question.

Assessment Centre

Candidates who do well during the assessments and pass the initial qualifications screening will be invited to participate in an assessment centre day. However, only about 10% of applicants make it to this stage, so you will need to do as well as possible on the exams to qualify.

The assessment centre is a day-long event where Burges Salmon will bring several candidates together to complete activities and meet partners and associates at their Bristol office. During this event, they will examine your skills and personality to see if you are a good fit for the firm.

• Group Exercise – You will need to complete a group exercise during the assessment centre day. This will be a collaborative task that you complete with other candidates. Your small group will receive a simulated scenario based on current events and industry trends. You must then work together to complete a task or respond to an issue. Since collaboration is a crucial value for the firm, you will want to use this activity to show the hiring team how well you work with others. Therefore, it is essential to showcase leadership skills during this exercise, voice your opinions, and be respectful of others.
• Written Exercise – You will also complete a written exercise during the assessment centre day. The topic of this activity will be the same as the group exercise, but you will be able to expand on the subject and provide your own input. This is a great time to demonstrate your understanding of the material, written communication skills, and ability to form and defend a sound argument.

Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Test

The last exam that Burges Salmon has their candidates take is the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Test. This 30-minute, multiple-choice test consists of 40 questions divided into five subject areas:

• Recognizing assumptions
• Drawing inferences
• Interpretation
• Deduction
• Evaluating arguments

You will need to read through various passages and statements to answer questions about the information, such as if a statement is true or false, if an assumption can be made, or if a conclusion logically follows the information.

The skills assessed on this exam are critical for your success in the legal profession, so you must do well to show the hiring team that you are qualified for the position.

Interview

The last stage of the recruitment process is the final interview during the assessment centre day. This will be with a senior lawyer, partner, or director at the firm and will focus on your career motivations. They already believe you are qualified for the position at this point in the process. They want to ensure you have the drive and motivation to do well at the firm.

Questions in this interview may relate to Burgess Salmon or the industry in general. So be sure to research the firm thoroughly and stay up-to-date on current events that may get brought up during the conversation.

You will also want to use this time to ask any remaining questions that you may have about the role or the company.

How to Prepare for the Burges Salmon Assessment?

Burges Salmon has clear business goals for their firm and will only entertain qualified job seekers in their pre-employment process. Because they require assessment tests during the application process, doing well on these exams is crucial to passing the initial screening.

Online practice tests are the best way to prepare for these exams and show the hiring team that you are qualified for the position. In addition, the practice exams will allow you to practice your timing, answer questions representative of what is on the actual test, and provide answer solutions.

You can find practice tests for all the exams you will encounter during the hiring process at Burges Salmon, including the critical thinking exam you will take during the assessment centre.

Those who take the time to prepare for these exams receive higher scores than those who do not study. Doing well on all these exams is the best way to stand out from the other candidates and show the hiring team that you are the best candidate for the position, so be sure to give yourself adequate time to prepare.