Tips on preparing for the SQE1 & SQE2 exams
I have taken both the SQE exams in the last 12 months and I am due to qualify in 2025, so here are my hints and tips on preparing and taking the exams.
What does the SQE1 & SQE2 cover?
There is a full breakdown of what the two exams cover which you can find here.
In summary, SQE1 is made up of two exams which contain 180 multiple choice questions each and SQE2 includes a total of 16 assessments which include a combination of written and oral based tasks.
What’s the best way to prepare for the exams?
Don’t underestimate the exams as they are very challenging. I would advise all future candidates to start their preparation as early as possible. There’s a lot to cover so I have tried my best to break down my preparation tips:
Preparation Course
At Minster Law, I was enrolled onto an online SQE preparation course which was fully funded. It is really important to engage in the course as your legal knowledge is fundamental to passing these exams. I did this by attending all workshops set by the university as well as doing any preparation and reading but also carrying out the consolidation tasks after the workshops.
It is easier said than done but try to stay on top of your notes for each workshop. It’s easy to fall back and it can very quickly build up.
Revision during the preparation course
I found it helpful to revisit the notes that I had made in past workshops even when we had moved on to a different module. For example, if I had completed the Property Law module last term and started Criminal Law this term, I would try my best to read over my Property Law notes. You don’t have a lot of time in the run up to the SQE1 exams to re-learn all the materials so by revisiting past modules throughout your learning, the legal knowledge stays fresh in your mind. I also found that I was able to go through all of my notes a lot quicker this way.
SQE1
Make sure that you go through as many practice multiple choice questions / mock papers as you can and under timed conditions. I can’t stress enough how quickly the time passes when you are sitting these exams so make sure you familiarise yourself with the timings well in advance.
You can find practice questions on the SRA website here. The questions made available are very limited so make the most out of any mock exam papers that you should be given during the preparation course and try to search for others online.
A fellow trainee solicitor was using the SQE revise books as part of her revision, and I highly recommend the practice assessment books. You can find the link to their website here.
SQE2
You can find practice questions on the SRA website here. The same advice applies as above however for the oral assessments especially, it helps to practice these with someone. For example, practice a client interview with someone, face to face if you can, under timed conditions and preferably someone who isn’t a student on your course.
Revision cards
Every student has their own way of revising. What worked for me is condensing my notes onto mini cards which I would carry around with me wherever I went. I would take these with me to read whilst I’m warming up on the treadmill at the gym or on longer car journeys where I’m a passenger. You really have to commit to preparing for these exams and the sacrifices you make in the short term will help you going forward.
Revision structure
Ensure that your notes cover the SRA’s SQE exam specification which you can find here for the SQE1 and here for the SQE2. If you are enrolled onto an SQE preparation course, it is good to read over the SRA’s specification because there are some fundamentals that your course may not cover, as you may be expected to have already learnt this during your undergraduate law degree.
Go through the content and finalise your notes and move onto practicing exam style questions under exam conditions. It is important that you do not leave practicing exam questions too late because that’s where you learn the most.
Revision schedule
- Write down all the topics that you have to cover (or use the SRA’s exam specification as a guide). Next to this, write down approximately how long it would take you to cover off the topics (some are shorter than others)
- Set yourself a realistic target date of when you should complete your notes / core revision
- Work out how many topics you need to complete in a week in order to meet your target date and allocate these to different days of the week
- Note: Try to allocate a day to yourself in the week where you only do light revision or no revision at all if possible to avoid burnout.
Go through the same steps as above to put together a schedule for your practice questions. Make a note of how many past papers you have available and the time it takes you to complete them. Then work out how many papers you need to go through in a week in order to meet your target date.
Updates in law
Make sure you check for any updates in law. The SRA website currently states that “The cut off date for the law upon which candidates are examined in the SQE will be four calendar months prior to the date of the first assessment in an assessment window.”
If you could go back in time, what is one thing you would tell yourself?
I would remind myself to take breaks. The preparation is intense but it’s very easy to burnout especially whilst you are trying to balance studying alongside work and your social life.
Amina Gokalia joined the solicitor apprenticeship scheme in Sept 2022. You can find out more about the scheme and how to apply to our solicitor apprenticeships by visiting our careers hub.
