Cravath, Swaine & Moore Online Assessment Prep

History at Cravath, Swaine & Moore. Cravath remains an uncompromisingly traditional meritocracy: screening is determined entirely by the formal application package, not an algorithmic tool.

Candidate reputation. An extreme volume-to-selectivity ratio against a lean global headcount of roughly 500-750 lawyers; reviewers scan a resume in under fifteen seconds.

• No online test (hard paper screen)-calibrated practice. Not a generic stand-in. The exact provider and section structure Cravath, Swaine & Moore uses on the day.
• Adaptive question difficulty. Questions get harder when you nail them, easier when you struggle. Walk away knowing where you actually stand.
• Coaching, not just a score. "You are spending too long on table-data questions" beats "you scored 68%". Specific advice per weak section.
• Percentile benchmarking. Your score compared to the US candidate pool, so you know if 70% is excellent or worrying for that test.

Free practice section, scored. Full report unlocks with the Pack.

1. 1

   Bluebook or typographical errors

   A single typo or mis-formatted citation on a resume or writing sample signals a lack of the perfectionist mindset Cravath demands.

2. 2

   Missing or vague GPA data

   Hiding a weaker GPA by omitting it or giving only a vague percentage causes recruiters to pass the file over immediately.

3. 3

   A generic cover letter

   A letter that never addresses the Cravath System or the firm's specific NY/DC footprint reads as a blast application.

4. 4

   An over-length or co-authored writing sample

   Submitting a 25-page journal note instead of a tight 5-10 page memo, or a co-authored piece, undermines the evaluation of your own ability.

• Explicit alignment with the Cravath System

  Materials and cover letter clearly articulate why you thrive in a structured, lockstep rotational model.

• Flagship Law Review and elite credentials

  A line item confirming a competitive write-on to the primary Law Review, plus top-quartile grades, offsets risk.

• An exceptional, flawless writing sample

  A sample wrestling with a genuinely complex legal issue (federal jurisdiction, complex contractual interpretation) executed without a single error.

• Substantive 1L summer experience

  A federal judicial internship or high-stakes boutique work signals research skill and professional maturity.

• Writing sample and resume review

  Polish a 5-10 page IRAC/CRAC memo with flawless Bluebook citation and a one-page resume with active, quantified bullets; know every line cold.

• Cravath-specific cover letter

  Draft a letter centered on the rotation system and a real matter, stating your department in the first paragraph.

• Intervyo mock screeners

  Because the next gate is a live partner interview, practice defending your writing sample and motivation aloud with instant feedback on clarity and presence.

Time investment. Invest in flawless materials and rehearsed delivery rather than aptitude practice; the writing sample is the single most scrutinized component.

1. 01Set your own clock per question. Divide section time by question count. Move on when you hit your per-question budget, even if you are mid-thought.
2. 02Read the question before the chart. Half the work in numerical is finding the right number in a table. Knowing what you are looking for cuts the time in half.
3. 03Use "Cannot Say" generously. Verbal reasoning rewards strict reading. If the passage does not say it, the answer is "Cannot Say", not your own inference.
4. 04Skip the impossible ones. Most tests do not penalise wrong answers more than skips. If you cannot see it in 20 seconds, flag and move on.
5. 05Practise the exact format, not a generic stand-in. No online test (hard paper screen) has its own rhythm, and a generic reasoning test is not the same. Intervyo's simulation is calibrated to this format, so you rehearse the real thing under real timing rather than a generic aptitude set.