If you’re a neurodiverse student preparing for the SQE, you may already feel that the challenge goes beyond learning large volumes of legal content. The assessment places sustained demands on concentration, requires rapid switching between topics and asks you to navigate ambiguity under time pressure. For many neurodiverse candidates, it often isn’t the law itself that feels most difficult, it can be managing the cognitive load, the energy and focus consistently over long periods of preparation.
Firstly, recent findings from the SRA offer important reassurance. Neurodivergent candidates who receive reasonable adjustments perform at least as well as, and often slightly better than, candidates without adjustments. Neurodiversity is not a barrier to success in the SQE. What matters is having consistent study strategies and support structures that reflect how the exam actually works and how you process information best.
To understand what this looks like in practice, we spoke with Erin Tschiderer, an LLM graduate and trainee solicitor who has passed both SQE1 and SQE2; Kirstie Wise, a Graduate Solicitor Apprentice who sat SQE1 in January 2026; and Dr. Katherine Langley, a College Supervisor and researcher specialising in neurodiversity. Their experiences reflect the patterns many neurodiverse students recognise in themselves, and the practical adjustments that make SQE preparation more manageable, predictable and achievable.
What do neurodiverse students experience when preparing for the SQE?
While every student’s experience is different, several consistent themes emerged.
1. Managing the cognitive load of SQE preparation
SQE study involves absorbing dense material while moving quickly between unfamiliar topics. Neurodiverse students often describe the pace and constant switching as more draining than the content itself.
As Katherine explains, “It’s very rarely about a student’s ability - it’s the cognitive load, the pace and the switching that drains them.”
Fluctuating attention, slower text processing or overfocusing on detail can intensify this load. Kirstie recognised that her challenge wasn’t understanding the law, but sustaining focus through rapid topic changes: “If I don’t reset quickly, things start to feel too big.”
Study tip: Plan your study in small, predefined units. Breaking work into clear, bitesize steps reduces decision fatigue and helps prevent cognitive overload from building. Even planning two or three specific tasks per study block can help you reset and maintain momentum when focus dips.
2. Navigating ambiguity in multiple-choice questions
Single best answer multiple-choice questions (SBAMCQs) as used in SQE, can pose a particular challenge for autistic and dyslexic learners. Students may apply the law accurately, but select responses the exam does not reward.
Katherine often sees this mismatch: “Students give perfectly logical answers, just not the one the exam considers ‘best’. It’s an interpretation gap, not a misunderstanding.”
Erin experienced this during her SQE1 preparation: “I knew the law, but I didn’t understand the exam yet.” Practising MCQs slowly and analysing the examiner’s logic helped her close that gap.
Study tip: Slow your practice down initially. Focus on spotting how questions are framed, paying attention to small wording differences and identifying the examiner’s preferred logic. Over time, this makes ambiguity feel more predictable and far less personal.
3. Preventing overwhelm before it snowballs
Overwhelm often builds quietly for neurodiverse students, before escalating quickly into disengagement.
As Kirstie puts it: “If I fall behind even a little, it suddenly feels huge.”
Katherine sees this pattern regularly: “Disengagement isn’t lack of interest, it’s burnout. A single small task is often enough to restart momentum.” Erin echoed this from her experience working nights, noting that having clear manuals helped because “when you’re exhausted, the last thing you want is to decide what to revise.”
Study tip: Shrink the task until it feels doable. When overwhelm starts to build, focus on the smallest next step; a five-minute task, one question or a single paragraph. The aim is to restart momentum, not complete the whole plan.
4. Studying in ways that align with your strengths
Neurodiverse students often perform best when they adapt study methods to their cognitive strengths rather than forcing themselves into traditional approaches.
Erin reshaped her study into an auditory format: “I recorded every workshop and played them on repeat. Listening helped information settle far better than reading after a night shift.”
Kirstie externalised her thinking: “If I can explain it out loud, even to my dog, that’s when I know I actually understand it.”
Study tip: Use formats that reduce strain - audio, diagrams, colour coding, mind maps or talking material through aloud. For many dyslexic learners in particular, alternative formats can significantly reduce the cognitive load of dense text.
5. Building predictability into your routine
Routine and predictability can significantly reduce cognitive strain, especially for autistic and ADHD learners.
Erin deliberately built a buffer into her schedule: “I always stayed about a week ahead. Something always comes up, and the buffer kept things steady.”
Kirstie found comfort in fixed study windows: “Just knowing when I’m studying helps. The predictability matters.”
Study tip: Create routines that stay steady, even on low energy days. Fixed study times, consistent weekly patterns and realistic buffers reduce anxiety and minimise the mental effort of constantly replanning.
6. Asking for reasonable adjustments early
Many neurodiverse students don’t initially realise what support they’re entitled to, and timing is one of the most important factors in how effective that support will be. Reasonable adjustments are most helpful when they are planned well in advance, rather than requested close to assessment dates.
Erin shared how easy it is to miss this without guidance: “I didn’t know what I could ask for. The College made sure I didn’t miss the deadline.”
Katherine reinforces this point with students regularly: “Adjustments aren’t special treatment. They remove barriers and the earlier you ask, the more effective they are.”
Applying early allows enough time for conversations, evidence review and practical arrangements to be put in place, whether that’s extra time, rest breaks, alternative formats or quieter assessment conditions. Leaving it late can add unnecessary stress at a point when your focus is better spent on preparation.
Study tip: If you think you may be eligible for reasonable adjustments, start the conversation as early as possible, even if you’re unsure.
- If you’re studying at the College, reach out to the Student Services team as soon as possible to discuss reasonable adjustments and ensure support is in place across your studies
- Regarding the SQE assessments, the SRA has recently updated its Reasonable Adjustments policy. Candidates are encouraged to apply for adjustments as early as possible by starting their application well in advance of booking their assessments, as strict deadlines apply and sufficient time is needed to finalise arrangements
The experiences shared by Erin, Kirstie and Katherine point to a clear and consistent message: neurodiverse students succeed in the SQE not by forcing themselves into a standard way of studying, but by understanding how the exam works and adapting their approach to reflect how they learn best.
When study strategies are shaped around cognitive strengths, supported by early conversations about reasonable adjustments and grounded in realistic planning, the SQE becomes far more predictable and manageable. Challenges around focus, pace or overwhelm are not signs that you’re doing something wrong, they are signals to adjust how you study, not how hard you try.
With the right structures in place, informed preparation and the confidence to seek support early, neurodiverse candidates can approach the SQE with greater clarity, steadiness and self‑trust and give themselves the best possible chance to perform at their true level.
Additional resources
The College provides a range of support to help students succeed, from academic guidance to practical study strategies.
If you require reasonable adjustments, it’s important to apply as soon as possible to ensure you get the support you need throughout your studies.