BPP SQE Journey - My current approach to the January 2027 Exam

[Stepzinlaw]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently about to start my SQE preparation course at BPP in September. For context I'm a future trainee on the City Consortium programme and thought it might be helpful to share where I'm at so far to see if anyone has any advice or can take any inspiration from me.

Prior to the course starting in September, my main focus has been the underlying law. I managed to go through and make notes / flashcards on all the underlying law topics however I realised that this wasn't really the most effective way to revise. Instead, I've started using the BPP Hub practice questions to go through every topic and update my notes to fill in any gaps and I've found this to be quite helpful. I also think it's been very good tracking myself so throughout my preparation so far, i've kept a log of the scores I've achieved on different tests and also a document logging all my wrong answers and the correct legal rules and this has been so helpful with applying concepts to actual written MCQ style questions.

I still do plan to implement my flashcards into my revision soon but I feel like so far practice questions and the BPP textbooks/slides for my notes have been the most effective revision style for me to re-understand the underlying law topics and also test my ability to tackle them in sqe style scenarios!

I'll hopefully be updating this as I go to give people a better insight into how its going but if anyone is doing things differently or has any advice for me, I'd love to hear it!

 

[Jaysen]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently about to start my SQE preparation course at BPP in September. For context I'm a future trainee on the City Consortium programme and thought it might be helpful to share where I'm at so far to see if anyone has any advice or can take any inspiration from me.

Prior to the course starting in September, my main focus has been the underlying law. I managed to go through and make notes / flashcards on all the underlying law topics however I realised that this wasn't really the most effective way to revise. Instead, I've started using the BPP Hub practice questions to go through every topic and update my notes to fill in any gaps and I've found this to be quite helpful. I also think it's been very good tracking myself so throughout my preparation so far, i've kept a log of the scores I've achieved on different tests and also a document logging all my wrong answers and the correct legal rules and this has been so helpful with applying concepts to actual written MCQ style questions.

I still do plan to implement my flashcards into my revision soon but I feel like so far practice questions and the BPP textbooks/slides for my notes have been the most effective revision style for me to re-understand the underlying law topics and also test my ability to tackle them in sqe style scenarios!

I'll hopefully be updating this as I go to give people a better insight into how its going but if anyone is doing things differently or has any advice for me, I'd love to hear it!

Best of luck @Stepzinlaw!

I regret leaving questions late, even though everyone told me to start early. So it sounds like you're doing great.

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently about to start my SQE preparation course at BPP in September. For context I'm a future trainee on the City Consortium programme and thought it might be helpful to share where I'm at so far to see if anyone has any advice or can take any inspiration from me.

Prior to the course starting in September, my main focus has been the underlying law. I managed to go through and make notes / flashcards on all the underlying law topics however I realised that this wasn't really the most effective way to revise. Instead, I've started using the BPP Hub practice questions to go through every topic and update my notes to fill in any gaps and I've found this to be quite helpful. I also think it's been very good tracking myself so throughout my preparation so far, i've kept a log of the scores I've achieved on different tests and also a document logging all my wrong answers and the correct legal rules and this has been so helpful with applying concepts to actual written MCQ style questions.

I still do plan to implement my flashcards into my revision soon but I feel like so far practice questions and the BPP textbooks/slides for my notes have been the most effective revision style for me to re-understand the underlying law topics and also test my ability to tackle them in sqe style scenarios!

I'll hopefully be updating this as I go to give people a better insight into how its going but if anyone is doing things differently or has any advice for me, I'd love to hear it!

Hey!

Best of luck with the SQE!

This sounds like a really sensible approach, particularly keeping track of your wrong answers. I did something very similar when I was preparing for the exams earlier this year and I created a spreadsheet logging all of my incorrect answers too.

I found it really useful as it gave me a much clearer picture of which areas I was consistently doing well in and which topics I needed to spend time on, particularly later in my preparation. It meant that when I come to revising later on, I could focus my time on the areas where I was actually losing marks rather than revising everything equally (although it is also important to go over even your stronger areas, as I made this mistake!).

I also think keeping a record of your scores is a great idea! It is easy to feel like you are not making progress when there is so much content to get through and you are constantly learning something new, so having something tangible to look back on sounds like it could be really helpful.

Good luck with starting BPP in September - I'll be interested to follow along and see how your approach develops!

 

[Stepzinlaw]

Hey guys,

So before I started revising the underlying law through the BPP hub with its practice questions and slides, I actually made flashcards on Anki of all the underlying law topics. I've never really been an anki user and actually used to use paper flashcards but realised I probably won't have the time for this.

Normally, the way I like to revise flashcards is by doing them in order, starting again from the beginning if I get one wrong, and continuously going until I get a perfect streak. I'm aware you can't really do this on Anki due to the settings and the way they structure it and I was wondering if anyone knew of any alternatives? I've heard quizlet might be good but not sure if it has this function?

As a sidenote, one thing the SQE is really teaching me is about strategy, I think i've changed mine multiple times now through trial and error, but that's completely fine and I'm learning there's no one correct answer for everyone. You have to find what works for you!

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hey guys,

So before I started revising the underlying law through the BPP hub with its practice questions and slides, I actually made flashcards on Anki of all the underlying law topics. I've never really been an anki user and actually used to use paper flashcards but realised I probably won't have the time for this.

Normally, the way I like to revise flashcards is by doing them in order, starting again from the beginning if I get one wrong, and continuously going until I get a perfect streak. I'm aware you can't really do this on Anki due to the settings and the way they structure it and I was wondering if anyone knew of any alternatives? I've heard quizlet might be good but not sure if it has this function?

As a sidenote, one thing the SQE is really teaching me is about strategy, I think i've changed mine multiple times now through trial and error, but that's completely fine and I'm learning there's no one correct answer for everyone. You have to find what works for you!

Hey!

I completely agree with your point about finding what works for you!

I actually had the same issue with flashcards - I always preferred making paper flashcards and I did this for the first few weeks of my SQE1 prep, but I quickly realised it was taking me far too long (+ my hand was cramping up daily, haha!). I ended up switching to Quizlet in the end, and I found their pro features really helpful (although the free version is still incredibly useful!).

I'm not 100% sure whether Quizlet has the exact function you're looking for, but you can restart a flashcard set midway through and it'll take you back to the beginning, so perhaps you could use it in a way that allows you to work through the cards in order and restart if you get one wrong?

I definitely went through a lot of trial and error with my revision strategy too, and I think that's completely fine - there's no one "right" way to prepare for the SQE! As you said, you just have to find what works best for you

Best of luck with the studying!

 

[Stepzinlaw]

Hey Guys,

Just thought I'd update you on how it's going. So I originally made my notes on a condensed revision guide, but having gone through the BPP materials, I've realised there's quite a bit of information missing at certain points, so I'm having to fill gaps. I think it's better to know as much information as possible rather than simply just focusing on the main concepts so just a heads up to anyone who hasn't got notes on everything yet to also make sure they have all the relevant info. I also think it's helpful to make your notes against the spec so you can ensure you're hitting every point and it's in an order that makes sense.

Starting my prep course next week so looking forward to keeping you guys updated!

 

[Stepzinlaw]

Hey Guys, for anyone who is wondering what an SQE induction looks like, here we go!

I just had my induction for the CCP programme at BPP today, and it was a very good day! I feel like everyone's on the same page and pretty nice, which I think comes with us all having similar aspirations in terms of the SQE exams. BPP seems like a really well-run establishment, and you can tell they take pride in their work!

I feel like there are so many SQE students on the CCP that I've still got so many people to meet, but so far it's looking very promising. The day consisted of some talks around how the programme will run from SQE 1 to SQE 2 to the Plus programme, and we also had some pleasant discussions around AI too. It's really made me excited to study at BPP, and I can't wait to properly get started with the SQE revision sessions next week.

For future reference though, you might want to follow BPP's advice and bring a mini suitcase or some sort of second bag so you aren't struggling running around London with the 15 workbooks they give you! Today was very insightful overall, I didn't realise that we had to also study Solicitors Accounts ourselves too so I'll be making some changes to the study plan I made, but so far looking forward to what comes next!

I'd also love to connect with other SQE students leading into the January exams, as you can never have too many friends, so if anyone's reading this and wants to discuss everything from study plans to SQE prep etc, feel free!

 

[elle.brokovitch]

Hey Guys, for anyone who is wondering what an SQE induction looks like, here we go!

I just had my induction for the CCP programme at BPP today, and it was a very good day! I feel like everyone's on the same page and pretty nice, which I think comes with us all having similar aspirations in terms of the SQE exams. BPP seems like a really well-run establishment, and you can tell they take pride in their work!

I feel like there are so many SQE students on the CCP that I've still got so many people to meet, but so far it's looking very promising. The day consisted of some talks around how the programme will run from SQE 1 to SQE 2 to the Plus programme, and we also had some pleasant discussions around AI too. It's really made me excited to study at BPP, and I can't wait to properly get started with the SQE revision sessions next week.

For future reference though, you might want to follow BPP's advice and bring a mini suitcase or some sort of second bag so you aren't struggling running around London with the 15 workbooks they give you! Today was very insightful overall, I didn't realise that we had to also study Solicitors Accounts ourselves too so I'll be making some changes to the study plan I made, but so far looking forward to what comes next!

I'd also love to connect with other SQE students leading into the January exams, as you can never have too many friends, so if anyone's reading this and wants to discuss everything from study plans to SQE prep etc, feel free!

Hi! I'm due to start the CCP in March, I was just wondering what the course structure is like, do you jump straight into SQE2 after SQE1 etc? Thank you so much in advance!! Excited to read about your journey!

 

[Stepzinlaw]

Hi! I'm due to start the CCP in March, I was just wondering what the course structure is like, do you jump straight into SQE2 after SQE1 etc? Thank you so much in advance!! Excited to read about your journey!

Hey, Yes it's very much you go from SQE1 straight into SQE2 and then into the Plus programme. I've been told there might be a week break in between the two and there also might be a break in between the plus programme and the start of your TC but this is dependent on your firm's start date, and some firms might need you to do inductions a week before so don't rely on that!

I know we should finish content by the end of November I'm pretty sure and I believe we have a consolidation week at some point too! You should also factor in that there's seperate BPP assessments alongside the SQE assessments to form part of your Masters qualification!

I hope that helps and happy to answer any other questions!

 

[Stepzinlaw]

PRE-WEEK 1 Thoughts / Experiences

So I've finally finished my first week of inductions at BPP, and I wanted to touch on my experience so far. I feel like this is the type of information that I never saw online when I was applying so I'm hoping this can help someone out there.

WORK

One thing that you might end up getting told a little prematurely is you actually do have pre-work to do before every workshop that you have in the first week of teaching. The pre-work is expected to take around 2-4 hours per subject, which includes reading, some MCQ practice and also a task where you apply your learning. This is something you should factor into your study plan from early. My approach is trying to stay a week ahead on this so I can focus more on my own revision through flashcards and MCQs, and I'm always prepared in case there is a situation where I'm unable to complete the work in a given week.

FRIENDS

It's been really easy to make friends at BPP so far. It's sort of like freshers week all over again. Everyone seems pretty nice, and you can pretty much talk to anyone whether that's within the CCP cohort or just the wider university and all the other firms that are present at BPP too. Your classes will also be split between different firms as part of the CCP, which I've found to be a much better approach as you can easily build your professional network and you're also just surrounded by a diverse range of personality types.

REVISION

One thing i'm currently doing is getting a clear revision timetable from the outset. The general consensus around most people I've spoken to is they haven't started any form of underlying law or revision and aren't really putting together a concrete plan from Day 1. I'm taking the opposite approach and pairing up my taught subject revision (which consists of both workshop prep + flashcards and MCQ practice) alongside the underlying law. My current plan is to pair up the subects that make the most sense together eg Contract + Business law / property + land law etc. I'm also going to be using Claude to give me recall MCQs on the wrong answers from my BPP SQE MCQs from the day before and making a mixed MCQ test across all topics that week that I will be doing each sunday. This will also be a paper that I can eventually re-do when it gets closer to exam season and it will give me familiarity working across multiple topics at once.

If anyone's got any recommendations or questions, I'd love to hear them!

 

[elle.brokovitch]

Hey, Yes it's very much you go from SQE1 straight into SQE2 and then into the Plus programme. I've been told there might be a week break in between the two and there also might be a break in between the plus programme and the start of your TC but this is dependent on your firm's start date, and some firms might need you to do inductions a week before so don't rely on that!

I know we should finish content by the end of November I'm pretty sure and I believe we have a consolidation week at some point too! You should also factor in that there's seperate BPP assessments alongside the SQE assessments to form part of your Masters qualification!

I hope that helps and happy to answer any other questions!

Hey, Yes it's very much you go from SQE1 straight into SQE2 and then into the Plus programme. I've been told there might be a week break in between the two and there also might be a break in between the plus programme and the start of your TC but this is dependent on your firm's start date, and some firms might need you to do inductions a week before so don't rely on that!

I know we should finish content by the end of November I'm pretty sure and I believe we have a consolidation week at some point too! You should also factor in that there's seperate BPP assessments alongside the SQE assessments to form part of your Masters qualification!

I hope that helps and happy to answer any other questions!

Thank you so much!

 

[Stepzinlaw]

BPP END OF WEEK 1

It's been a very busy and exciting week with lots of changes, so I thought I'd talk through them. For future reference, I think I'm going to be posting these submissions once a week as week summaries so that I'm not annoying you guys, but I'd be happy to answer any questions throughout the week or stay in contact with any current SQE students!

Changes to the SQE

This week there has been some changes to the SQE exam as we've all seen, which are essentially more time and now subject grouping across the 4 sessions.

These changes are definitely exciting, but I'm not sure if they will have a huge impact on my approach. I currently still plan to balance the taught and underlying law subjects across the week in my revision. The one difference I'm making in light of this is on my Sunday mock days (where i do AI made tests based on my wrong answers from BPP questions across the week) - I will now be splitting my mini mocks by the new FLK sessions to reflect the real exam. (I can go into more detail on my proposed study plan if anyone's interested!)

I also have a Gantt chart, which I'm using to track my revision (I've attached a sample screenshot below). It's something I used during A levels and found very helpful, so I'm implementing it into my revision for SQE too. I plan to have covered all topics by the end of our teaching schedule (23rd november), and then I'll have just under 2 months to continuously revise everything and tailor my revision days more towards the FLK session sittings!

ReviseSQE?

I wonder whether it's worth providers like Revisesqe making new resources which split the SQE exam into 4 books - one for each FLK session? I feel like this is the type of resource I'd love to have right now and would pay for. I know that Revisesqe are having a look through the TCLA chat so I'd love to see this incorporated and would be happy to talk more on it if necessary! (@Sue - Revise SQE)

BPP workshops

A key theme I've seen across BPP students is the workshops not being useful. I think they are useful, but I think the prep takes too long. We have to do readings + non-SQE style MCQs and then an apply task before the workshop, and then after the workshop we also have to consolidate (with SQE style MCQs) and complete the pre-work for the next workshop. This is a lot of work, but I don't feel any of it will actually help you REMEMBER the content. It can be quite time-consuming, and I would much rather have the spare time to practice revising the workshop topic through flashcards and MCQs. I think finding the balance across these has been the hardest part about studying at BPP/for the SQE in general, and I know a friend at ULAW is going through similar concerns. In an ideal world, I'd love if the pre-workshop work was to do the reading, study the topic and complete MCQs and then during workshops we would go through the MCQs and do a joint-class apply task - this would be a much more useful structure in my opinion, but unfortunately I'm not in charge!

Regardless though, I have found the BPP materials really useful and the tutors even moreso! So far all of my tutors seem genuinely happy and interested in the subjects they study which definitely makes it more enjoyable. I'm definitely planning to make the most of this going forward.

Devils Advocate

I purchased a month at Devils Advocate and I've found their high-yield notes to be quite useful to understand some topics that may have seemed a little confusing. I like the fact they have subject specific MCQs, but I wish these were split amongst the sub-topics within each subject so I could target my revision even more. If you haven't yet covered all the content within a sub topic then I'm not sure how useful the MCQ section will be at this stage. I will definitely be prioritising the BPP question resources at the moment because BPP offers this, but when I get closer to the exam, I might be looking to try out Devils Advocate and potentially some other providers in more detail (although BPP are offering a wide range of MCQs themselves!).

Mental Health

It's not something many people talk about, but I feel it's necessary for me to personally speak on. The SQE is a really tough exam, and the fear-mongering you see online makes it worse. My one piece of advice will be don't stress yourself out over this. It's okay to have a plan for 1 week and change it because it doesn't work or not stick to the strict work schedule you had as plans come up. I think it's so important to ensure you allow your study plans to remain flexible and don't put too much pressure on yourselves. The SQE is also an amazing opportunity to build your professional network and meet other future trainees, so try to be social and make friends who you can spend those late nights with!

Look after your mental health! I've definitely had times throughout this week where I've felt stressed, shed a couple tears and diverted from my original plans, but going to the pub after a long day with my class or making time for the gym etc have been lifesavers for me! Also, find some new hobbies outside of SQE too. I'm planning on going to a book club for the first time in my life later this month and trying out some new activities, and I think all of you should do the same. This exam doesn't have to take over 24 hours of your life, just stay consistent. Little bits of work, whether its 30 minutes or 3-5 hours each day, will help you to stay afloat!

Think I've rambled on for long enough, but hope this has been useful to somebody. Always happy to answer any questions or connect with anyone who is currently studying or plans to in the future and if you are feeling mentally drained or struggling then let's have a conversation because there's so many of us going through the exact same thing and you aren't alone!