Today we talk with Anthony Fairclough, Trainee Solicitor at Capsticks. Anthony passed SQE1 in July 2024 after completing the 20 week SQE1 Prep course with the College, and is currently awaiting his SQE2 results after completing SQE2 Prep.
Why did you choose to study at the College?
“I’ve been working in various legal professional roles for some time now, and Capsticks is where I’m completing my training contract. They partner with The College of Legal Practice to ensure trainees are best placed to pass SQE via SQE1 and SQE2 Prep courses. We receive time off each week to study, and it has worked really well for me.”
What support did you receive from the College?
“Of course it’s down to the individual and what they prefer, but I really appreciated the mix of support and self-led learning styles. I’m quite a motivated person but I really appreciated discussing my learning with colleagues in the firm who were also doing the same course. I also appreciated the online forums that you could jot questions in and get feedback from experts and peers.
I had regular conversations with my personal tutor which were always helpful. Those check-ins, keeping you on top of things, giving feedback, it’s all great external validation that you’re on the right track and are as ready for the exam as you should be.
I found the videos and podcasts great to embed learning, while the seminars which were both live and recorded were really handy around work and life commitments. It also gave a sense of community too.”
What was your SQE1 course experience like?
“I made heavy use of my physical and electronic manuals - I really appreciated that from the College.
Getting your head around the single best answer question format is quite a mental shift - so regular practice of that assessment style from the College was very beneficial. I used the assessment banks every week, and every fortnight you worked on increasingly long real life versions of the assessment. It builds and builds throughout the course so you get more experience of the question types and topics, and so that you develop the stamina required for those 180 question papers.
I also found joining town halls and peer groups to talk it through was beneficial. Often 2 or 3 answers were completely plausible so talking it through with other prep students really helped.”
Can you offer any tips from your SQE1 exam experience?
“I’ve already relied heavily on my memory to get me through assessments, although I had been out of formal education for a while when I started SQE prep. I quickly learned that you really must make yourself time to sit down and work on your course. You can’t rely on memory. Take the notes, take the additional notes, keep on top of it - when you get behind it all piles up!”
Thank you, Anthony, for sharing your experiences with us!