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Sullivan & Cromwell · Online Assessment

Sullivan & Cromwell Online Assessment Prep

Sullivan & Cromwell screens candidates through No test provider - application-package review before any interview. Below: the exact format, what each section tests, and how to practise it in identical conditions until you walk in confident.

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The format

What Sullivan & Cromwell's online assessment actually looks like

There is no online assessment. S&C does not use an aptitude test, situational judgment test or psychometric assessment at any stage. The "assessment" is a traditional, rigorous review of your application package.

Timed sections

Most online assessments split into 3-5 sections, each with its own clock. Speed and accuracy both count.

Adaptive difficulty

Modern formats get harder if you answer correctly, easier if you struggle. Your final score reflects what you can actually do under time pressure.

Pass mark

Sullivan & Cromwell sets a pass mark per test type. Below it, you don't progress regardless of how strong the rest of your application is.

Completion window. Applications open as soon as 1L spring grades release (typically late May to mid-June) and are reviewed on a heavily accelerated, rolling basis.

By division. The same package review applies to the Corporate (General Practice) and Litigation tracks, though the writing sample is scrutinized most for litigation.

Recent changes. S&C now fills the majority of its ~210-220 summer class through pre-OCI direct applications before formal law school OCI cycles begin.

The provider

What Sullivan & Cromwell actually buys

Sullivan & Cromwell configures its own selection of No test provider - application-package review modules. Below: the exact products in the suite, why they were chosen, and what the provider's reputation is across the candidate pool.

Modules in the suite

  • Law school transcript, GPA and class rank
  • One-page US legal resume
  • Law journal / law review and moot court credentials
  • Writing sample (8-12 pages, flawless Bluebooking)
  • Cover letter and faculty references

History at Sullivan & Cromwell. S&C has never used automated testing; the screen relies entirely on credentials, writing and pedigree.

Candidate reputation. Exceptionally selective: thousands of applications reviewed for a summer class of roughly 210-220.

Section breakdown

What each part of the Sullivan & Cromwell assessment tests

Each section has its own format, timer and trap pattern. Worked examples below show exactly what you will see and where candidates drop points.

Transcript, GPA and class rank

What it tests. Raw analytical horsepower; grades in core 1L doctrinal classes (Contracts, Torts, Civil Procedure, Property) weigh heaviest.

Common traps. A C or B- in a core foundational class can sink an otherwise strong GPA.

How to handle it. Place comfortably within the top percentiles of your school's curve; a high grade in a demanding black-letter class beats an A in an unranked seminar.

Resume (US legal format)

What it tests. Attention to detail and an unblemished trajectory.

Common traps. A single typo or inconsistent margin is an immediate rejection.

How to handle it. Lead with education; use active verbs (drafted, analyzed, structured) and quantify scope.

Law review / journal and moot court

What it tests. Legal research, Bluebooking and oral advocacy.

How to handle it. Flagship law review is heavily weighted, especially outside the top six schools; emphasize an editorial board position or published note. Moot court matters for litigation candidates.

Writing sample

What it tests. Logical IRAC/CRAC structure, engagement with competing authority, and flawless Bluebook citation.

Common traps. Passive voice, emotional rhetoric, unresolved legal issues, and sloppy citations.

How to handle it. Submit a clean, tightly edited self-contained section with an explanatory cover page; redact client details and get authorization for real documents.

Pass mark

How Sullivan & Cromwell scores the assessment

S&C applies a strict, tier-based academic matrix that trades institutional pedigree against class rank with predictable consistency.

Competitive percentile thresholds

  • Top 6 (Yale, Stanford, Harvard, Chicago, Columbia, NYU). Top 30-35% (3.65+ at a top-three school, 3.75+ otherwise)
  • Top 7-14 (Penn, UVA, Berkeley, Michigan, Duke, Cornell, Northwestern, Georgetown). Top 15-20%; 3.85+ or upward trend with a major journal
  • Strong regional / Tier 1 (Fordham, BC, BU, UT Austin, Vanderbilt, UCLA, USC). Top 5-10%, Order of the Coif preferred
  • Outside Top 50 / regional. Top 1-2% (ranked 1st-3rd) plus networking or a partner recommendation

Methodology. The transcript is the single most important factor; the writing sample verifies that your analytical skills match your grades.

Score visibility. There are no scores; the package is reviewed by the Recruiting Committee of partners and senior associates.

How to practise

Drill Sullivan & Cromwell's exact format

Same provider, same section structure, same time pressure. With a scored report after every test so you can fix the weakest section before the real one.

  • No test provider - application-package review-calibrated practice. Not a generic stand-in. The exact provider and section structure Sullivan & Cromwell 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.

Why candidates fail

How candidates lose Sullivan & Cromwell's assessment

Specific failure patterns documented across past applicants. Most are avoidable with structured preparation.

  1. 1

    Grade drop in key doctrinal courses

    A strong overall GPA can still be cut if the transcript shows a weak grade in Contracts or Civil Procedure.

  2. 2

    Resume formatting errors

    A single typo, inconsistent margins or mismatched bullets causes immediate rejection.

  3. 3

    Late application submission

    Applying late in the pre-OCI cycle after the firm has committed its summer budget and filled slots.

  4. 4

    Generic, template cover letters

    Copying a competitor's name over, or failing to mention the generalist model, is a fast cut.

  5. 5

    Sloppy Bluebook citations

    A misplaced italic or erroneous pinpoint in the writing sample indicates sloppy work habits.

  6. 6

    Passive 1L summer resume

    Showing only shadowing or administrative work without real research, drafting or brief-writing experience.

What works

What separates the candidates who pass

Concrete habits drilled by candidates who clear the cut-off, drawn from applicant accounts and practice patterns.

  • Consistent top-tier grades

    A near-straight-A record across semesters with no weak spots in core 1L classes.

  • Executive board on a flagship law review

    Editor-in-Chief, Articles Editor or Executive Editor on your school's primary law review.

  • A flawless, sophisticated writing sample

    A clean, concise memo that reads like a senior associate's work product.

  • A strong internal sponsor

    An S&C partner or senior associate championing your resume can pull it into the callback pipeline directly.

  • Differentiating credentials

    A federal clerkship track, a STEM/finance/economics degree, high-value foreign-language fluency, or major leadership roles.

From past applicants

How recent Sullivan & Cromwell candidates approached the assessment

Anonymised candidate accounts of how recent applicants approached the Sullivan & Cromwell assessment. Each covers the prep, the experience, and the outcome.

The T14 splitter, 2L (New York)

Prep. Applied directly via the portal in early June with a 3.72 GPA (~top 15%), a clear upward spring trend including an A in Contracts, an international law journal spot and a federal district judge internship.

Experience. S&C bypassed my school's OCI and invited me to a callback within four days. Two transactional partners interrogated my UCC office memo - no test, just how I broke down the statutory language.

Outcome. Offer by phone less than 24 hours after the callback.

The regional standout, 2L (Washington, D.C.)

Prep. At a school ranked in the 30s I finished 1L ranked second with a 3.96 GPA, won two CALI awards and made a staff editor spot on the flagship law review.

Experience. I emailed an S&C litigation partner who had graduated from my school, attaching my transcript, resume and a personal-jurisdiction writing sample; he passed it to the hiring committee. The callback tested my law review note and thinking on my feet.

Outcome. My non-T14 background was never an obstacle because grades and writing proved I could do the work.

Practice strategy

Where to drill the Sullivan & Cromwell format

Because there is no test, "practice" means perfecting your application package and your live interview answers, not drilling aptitude questions.

  • Polish the package

    Proofread the resume to zero errors, tighten the writing sample to 8-12 pages with flawless Bluebooking, and tailor the cover letter to the generalist model and a real S&C matter.

  • Intervyo mock interviews

    Rehearse the live screener and callback conversations - resume defense, why-generalist and commercial-awareness answers - with instant feedback on structure and delivery.

Time investment. Front-load this work so you can submit the moment 1L spring grades release; applying early matters more than any single edit.

Time management

Five moves that protect your score

  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 test provider - application-package review 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.

FAQ

Sullivan & Cromwell Online Assessment questions, answered

No. S&C does not use any automated testing platform, situational judgment test or psychometric assessment at any stage. The application screen relies entirely on your law school transcript, resume, law journal and moot court credentials, writing sample and faculty references, and every interview is a live conversation with an attorney. There is nothing to time or practice against a clock; your effort belongs in the package and in preparing for real dialogue.

The other rounds

The rest of the Sullivan & Cromwell process

Online Assessment is one of four rounds. The Pack covers all four end to end.

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Practise the exact No test provider - application-package review format ahead of time, scored against the Sullivan & Cromwell pass mark. One Pack covers HireVue, online assessments, live interviews and the superday.

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Intervyo is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sullivan & Cromwell, SHL, Pymetrics, Cubiks, AON or any other assessment provider. Test details are sourced from past applicants and published guidance; verify on the firm's careers site before applying. Sector: Commercial Law.

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