“No pain, no gain.”

At The College of Legal Practice we’d love to tell you that the SQE assessments are simple. Straightforward. A breeze. But while students certainly find them absorbing and exciting, ultimately, they’re tough. Perhaps the toughest exams you’ll ever take. The bottom line is, they need to be. After all, the SQE is the central assessment process that ensures new solicitors in England and Wales are qualified to a high standard—ready to support real clients and uphold the very legal system that our countries are built upon.

So, what does all this mean for you? Well, we think it’s important that you know the full extent of what you’re committing to before you begin. And there’s no better way to find out about an experience than hearing from the people who’ve been through it themselves. That’s why we’ve asked some of our most recent students to tell us what they really thought about their SQE journey—warts and all. So, let’s dig in.

1. The prep courses are time-intensive but make use of the resources available

According to many of our students, the prep courses are some of the toughest commitments that they’ve ever attempted. This is partly because of the large number of skills and knowledge that the courses require you to master, but also because of the nature of post-grad studying.

Lots of students opt to take a part-time course because they also have work or family duties that they must remain responsible for. This type of course enables them to continue working or caring alongside their study, but it also means they need to dedicate many of their evenings, weekends, and other periods of leisure time to revision. Some will also have to set aside time during the day to remotely attend live seminars and information sessions. For the duration of the course, you may need to accept that you won’t have nearly as much free time for yourself as you did before. 

“Managing work around the course is intense, and anyone going into it needs to know they must commit a certain number of hours to their studying each week. Me and my personal tutor worked on a study plan to fit it all into my very busy life.” – Ben, LLM student, passed the SQE with the College

“You’ll have your own pastoral support and dedicated person to speak to about your overall personal challenges and that, for me, was unmatched. When I compared the College to other providers, none were able to provide that level of guidance or support. The exams are very intense and so having that level of guidance up until the day you sit the exams was key to my success.” Ruth Ekon, passed SQE2 with the College

2. The onus to learn is on you

“The way SQE prep is set up is perfect for SQE1. The SQE is a very independent exam - and the course is set up in the same way” Matt Cleary, LLM student, passed the SQE with the College

As part of our prep courses, The College of Legal Practice creates study timetables for each week with clear deadlines, and schedules them regular catch ups with their supervisors to help them structure and improve their studies. But ultimately, the student themselves are responsible for keeping up with the courses’ progression and staying on top of their workload. If you can stay on track with the timetable you will have a higher chance of success.

Flexible, remote, and part-time studying offers students a large amount of freedom. But, in practice, this isn’t always for everyone. Without robust supervision, some people find it tough to remain as organised and proactive as is required to keep on track. Similarly, the SQE is not a course you can cram. There’s such a large breadth of material that you must work systematically from the start to make sure you can cover everything you need for the exams. If you’re looking to successfully qualify as a solicitor via the SQE, you’ll need to be strict with your time, and book out blocks of your day to focus on the course, from the moment you begin.

“Time management is really important. When no one is holding you accountable, it can be easy to lose track of where you’re up to, so it’s important to remember the end goal.” Erin, LLM student who passed the SQE with the College

“The style of a single best answer as part of the MCQs was a really alien format coming from my undergraduate studies. To help me prepare as much as possible, I worked through all of the College’s MCQ questions on the platform”, Courtney Wilbor, passed the SQE with the College

"I really carefully considered the exemplars provided by the College to inform me of how I needed to answer SQE questions" - Georgina Fawcett, passed SQE2 with the College

3. The SQE exams are uniquely tough

“I’ll always be upfront about the exams, you need to make sure that you are mentally prepared for SQE1, because 5 hours, 180 questions on 13 different topics of the law is a daunting prospect, so nerve wracking, but such a nice feeling of accomplishment when you get them done and also when you get your results.” Sophie Azzopardi, passed the SQE with the College.

Full qualification via the SQE is split into two stages: SQE1 and SQE2. The assessments for SQE1 are long and intense, as they cover several areas of law. You need to complete four exams over two days, lasting five hours each day.

The structure of the questions may feel new and different, too. Each question is multiple choice, but not as you know it. Instead of selecting the one correct answer from the remaining incorrect ones, your task is to choose the ‘single best answer’. In other words, every multiple-choice answer for each question can theoretically be correct, and it’s up to you to pick the answer that you feel is most appropriate for each scenario. It’s this style of questioning that makes the SQE1 assessment so tricky. You can’t simply learn facts and figures and regurgitate them in the exam—you need to be able to apply the legal principle you have learn, like a real solicitor.

However, some students find the SQE2 assessment even tougher. SQE2 tests your oral and written legal skills across 16 assessment ‘stations’ or exercises, from advocacy to legal research. You’ll need to read a huge amount of material, to effectively demonstrate your legal skills in the context of five practice areas, all in a relatively short space of time, and there are no answers to choose from. Not only does the SQE2 assess you on specific legal skills, but it also incorporates much of your SQE1 learning, too. Passing your SQE1 will be a relief—but your hard work will continue.

“The SQE1 is a tough exam but the College's course built me up well to be able to pass it. By having a day one focus on MCQ questions plus lots of additional resources I felt I was progressing week by week with the College - Matt Cleary, LLM student who passed the SQE with the College

“SQE2 is even more challenging. My routine changed as I had to add in revision sessions for SQE1 knowledge, on top of learning the new SQE2 skills and doing the assessments. This doesn’t simply involve rereading; you have to make sure you’re comfortable with your knowledge in order to be able to apply it. Having a basis of work experience definitely helped me feel less daunted by some of the tasks.” – Emma, who passed the SQE with the College

4. However, all your hard prep work pays off

“As soon as I sat down to take the real SQE1 exam, I felt relieved, as it was so similar to The College of Legal Practice’s mock assessments.” - Dan, LLM student who passed the SQE with the College

Technically, you aren’t required to take a prep course to sit the SQE assessments. However, almost everyone already studying for and working in the legal professions will recommend that you do. After all, specialist SQE prep courses are the only sure-fire way of accessing all the up-to-date knowledge and materials that you need to be able to pass. 

On programmes like The College of Legal Practice’s SQE courses, you receive everything you need to be successful, from online learning materials to one-to-one support from a professional supervisor. Plus, you practice so many multiple-choice questions and tests that once you reach the assessments, they feel familiar and feasible rather than daunting. Everything is laser-focused on supporting you to succeed. 

“The support has been brilliant from the College, too. Even though the course is completely online it’s very interactive and you get a lot of support. You get assigned your own supervisor and they’re brilliant for both keeping you on track and assessing your progression.” Tamana, passed SQE2 with the College

5. Finally, what are our students’ top SQE tips?

• “Making a study plan is key to keeping up with both studying and outside commitments like work and socialising. Writing a to-do list, and including one or two things you’ve already completed, gives you the motivation to keep progressing.”- Dan, LLM student, passed the SQE with the College

• “I think time management is my biggest tip for those considering this route. It’s doable, but you need to take it seriously and plan well. It’s also important to remember that with SQE2, it’s not just legal knowledge - it’s about using legal skills that apply your knowledge, and this requires a different learning style” Tamana, passed the SQE with the College“Planning and engagement is key. I would be at every session I could. Doing the practice was great but getting the advice in the feedback sessions was crucial – as, coming from a LPC background, I didn’t have the immediacy of completing SQE1 and having the knowledge fresh. Focus on your strengths. Remember, when you are communicating, you're communicating with people - focus on that. Focus on, you know, being a good communicator and giving good advice as a base level.  ” Ruth Ekong, passed SQE2 with the College 

• One piece of advice I’d give is to let people around you know that you’re doing this course and that you’re on this SQE journey so that they can respect you’ll be putting a lot of time and energy into it. Let your manager know what you’re doing if you’re working - they may offer flexibility so that you, for example, can attend an info session during your working day.” - Georgina Fawcett, SQE2 Student

• “Be organised. Be ready to give it everything you have. It’s your qualification, it’s your future, and you’re in control of it.” Emma, passed the SQE with the College

• “SQE is an intense assessment, so choosing the right provider is very important to support you on your SQE journey.” – Ben, passed the SQE with the College Ready to begin your own SQE journey with The College of Legal Practice? Explore our SQE1 and SQE2 prep courses today.

Ready to begin your own SQE journey with The College of Legal Practice? Explore our SQE1 and SQE2 prep courses today.