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The author, Declan Peters, is a future trainee at A&O Shearman (a Magic Circle law firm) and currently studies on an SQE preparation course. He passed both elements of SQE1 (FLK1 and FLK2) first-time in the January 2025 sitting, scoring in the top quintile (top 20%) in both papers, and individually passing every module across the two exams.
SQE stands for the Solicitors Qualifying Examinations. This is the new route to qualifying as a solicitor (replacing the older LPC, or Legal Practice Course), and is gradually being introduced to the legal sector in England and Wales (although most law firms and sponsoring organisations do now expect the SQE rather than the LPC for future trainees).
The route is made up of two sets of exams – SQE1 and SQE2. This article will focus on the steps to success in your SQE1 exams.
SQE1 is the first of the two sets of exams you will encounter during your SQE studies. For those starting their studies on a full-time SQE preparation course in September (the largest intake in most law schools each year), these exams take place in January (although there are other sittings available throughout the year – check the SRA website for more specific details).
The first thing to note is that SQE1 is notoriously very challenging. You are being assessed at the standard of a day-one qualified solicitor (also known as an NQ in industry terms), whereas the LPC previously assessed candidates at the standard of a day-one trainee solicitor (in other words, without the two years of legal work experience, known officially within the SQE route as Qualifying Work Experience or QWE).
The pass rates have changed slightly with each cohort, though generally around half of students are failing this exam. There are more detailed perspectives you could take on the data, however – and the SRA does publish statistical breakdowns after each sitting. For example, the pass rates tend to be much higher among candidates who achieved a First at undergraduate level, or those on well-known preparation courses such as those offered by BPP or the University of Law.
The content of SQE1 itself is as follows. SQE1 takes place over two days (roughly a week apart), with each day being its own ‘exam’ – FLK1 and FLK2. Different content is assessed within each:
FLK1
FLK2
*Starred topics are those which are considered ‘underlying’ or ‘academic’ law – you are expected to have already covered these during an undergraduate law degree or a conversion course like the PGDL.
In addition to this, ‘professional conduct’ is examined pervasively across both papers.
The style of assessment is pure multiple-choice questions (MCQs) – or perhaps more accurately ‘single best answer questions’ given the fact that multiple options may be technically correct, but one will make the most sense in the client’s situation (e.g. considering speed or cost factors). There are 180 questions in each paper. Both exams are taken in test centres (there are many different centres available) in a closed-book environment (certainly one of the most challenging aspects of the exam). Each day is made up of two halves with a break in-between, with each half taking 2 hours 33 minutes (the total time per day spent within the exam is therefore just over 5 hours).
Many students coming into the SQE are likely to be quite experienced in the ‘humanities’ subjects, and are unlikely to have practiced MCQs extensively before. Understanding a few preliminary points about this style is therefore a necessary first step. First, you might want to think about how process of elimination techniques can help you identify the correct answer even where one does not jump out to you. Second, you might consider how to differentiate between two different technically correct options by thinking about factors that might affect the client’s goals.
Studying for SQE1 is a difficult process. Many students will opt for a preparation course rather than opting for a completely self-study-based approach, since the support given both by tutors and fellow classmates can be invaluable throughout the process. If you are self-studying, explore which resources best suit your learning style, and try to find at least some way to study alongside others (even if informally).
You need to be mindful of the fact that each question is worth only one mark in the exam, and there are hundreds of them across the two days. Do not get caught up spending days trying to understand an incredibly niche concept which might only arise in one or two questions maximum if you are yet to really grasp a key concept which might serve as the foundation for 10 or 15 questions elsewhere
Similarly, remember that you do not need to pass every single module (e.g. Dispute Resolution) – it’s still a pass overall as long as you average a pass within each paper (e.g. FLK1).
You might also apply this thinking to how long you spend on each question – since they are each worth a very minimal amount in the grand scheme of things, it might make more sense to just guess and immediately move on from a question you have no idea on than to waste a few minutes on it just to end up guessing anyway.
Break down your notes into manageable, bitesize chunks. There are many different ways to do this, and it ultimately all comes down to your revision preferences – whether it’s mindmaps, flashcards, or anything else, make sure that the really essential information you need gets broken down concisely into something you are realistically to memorise. Some students like to create mnemonics for certain content which would be hard to commit to memory otherwise.
There is some debate between students over how many practice questions SQE1 candidates should attempt in the build-up to their exams. Some students will run through practice questions constantly, even while the content is very new (somewhat learning the content through MCQs in the first place), while others prefer to focus on content first and attempt questions later. Regardless, neglecting them completely would not be advisable – they can frame content in ways which you were not aware of (or able to predict) based solely on reading content from a textbook.
There are a huge number of marks available for the content you have studied before even starting your SQE preparation – it’s essential to build time into your week from the very start in order to lock in on that content. Bear in mind especially the fact that: (1) this content now needs to be committed to memory (many undergraduate or conversion courses are open book instead), and (2) this content now needs to be memorised to suit an MCQ exam (many undergraduate courses in particular focus on understanding concepts from an essay perspective instead).
The official specification for the SQE exams, while relatively useful, does not go into granular detail. As a result, many law school providers are, within the confines of the specification which does exist, somewhat ‘guessing’ at what the SRA will examine you on. Understand (and try to begrudgingly accept) this in advance and prepare yourself mentally for the fact that you may see a few questions you were not expecting. Some students (though not all, it’s worth noting) also like to practice MCQs from a few different providers as a way to feel more comfortable that they have received exposure to a wide variety of content which could potentially come up – though be careful not to overwhelm yourself by doing so.
There is a fine line here – while it is important to have a support network around you (and discussing shared experiences with other SQE1 students can be incredibly useful), you don’t want to end up in a situation where exam stress becomes an echo chamber. Sometimes, it might be better to take a step away from the law school library, online chat rooms filled with SQE students, or stressful social situations where the only topic of discussion is the dread of your upcoming exams. Use other students for support, by all means, but know when to protect your own headspace too.
While SQE1 preparation courses are incredibly intense, you still need to take time off (in fact, it could be argued that the intensity of the course ironically makes time off even more important). Whether that’s exercise outdoors, other hobbies, or even just spending time with friends and family, protect your sanity throughout the process as much as possible – you need to refresh your mind periodically in order to perform well in these exams.
It’s very easy to feel that you’re ‘behind’ or that the level of uncertainty you feel about the exams must be unique to you. In reality, these are exams which stretch virtually every candidate to their limits academically, and so while you may feel unprepared right up until the exam days, you are likely in a much better position than you realise.
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