How I passed SQE1 while working full time

When did you start and complete SQE1?​

I did the SQE 1 sitting in November 2021

Who was your SQE provider?​

I studied with Barbri

Why did you choose the provider you did?​

I wanted a provider where I could study online and at times of my choosing, so that I could fit in study with my work commitments. I sat the first ever SQE 1 exam so at that time all SQE providers were an unknown quantity, however, having researched the teaching ideology to be used and their track record of providing prep courses for other legal qualifications, I decided that Barbri would be a reasonable choice for me.

What kind of support did your provider offer during the SQE?​

Barbri offered online pre-recorded lecture modules with periodic testing to cement learning and provide regular practice for the exam. The personal study planner tracks the time spent studying, learning progress and test results, indicating if you are behind or in front of schedule, and highlighting subject areas that require more study and practice. Study books were provided in hard copy and online and you had email contact with an assigned tutor if you had any questions that you needed to ask about content. They also offered pre-booked face to face remote sessions or telephone calls with your assigned tutor, ongoing law updates as the course progressed, and assisted in setting up a wats app group for students studying with them so we could support each other through the course. The offering is very much technology based but in being so allows flexibility to a student in how and when they study, while providing a framework to ensure all required study areas and practice tests are completed in adequate time for the exam

Please explain the structure of the SQE programme in your own words​

Because the SQE tests functioning legal knowledge for SQE 1 across multiple subject areas simultaneously Barbri have set up the study programme in much the same way.

For example, if the video lecture and reading on day 1 is on The Legal system of England and Wales, on Day 2 you may be studying Constitutional, Administrative and EU Law, and Day 3 Contract Law. On Day 4 you may find that the set study module is for Tort Law and there is a also a multiple choice test set for The Legal System of England and Wales, meaning there is a gap between testing and when you last studied the subject.

This staggered recall system method of learning is effective and prepares you well for the quick fire simultaneous subject style of the exam itself. The personal study planner will track your test results, and you can easily see your own progress in the subject areas and how you compare with the rest of your SQE group.

The system allows you go back and retake practice tests as many times as you like and so you can work to improve in areas that need attention and in the final week of revision you can practice all the different subject area tests one after another giving you a rolling start into the exam itself. Video lectures and written materials centre on the elements of legal knowledge that you need to pass the exam and do not go into further depth than is needed.

How did you study for SQE1?​

Because my prep course was well organised by my provider, I knew that the time commitment that I would need to give in order to cover the whole course in the 20-week period before each exam was 2.5 hours per day. In this respect Barbri’s personal study planner is invaluable as a tool. As I worked full time, and have a family and household to run, I decided to allocate study time from 9pm – 11.30pm each weekday and 10am – 12.30pm at weekends. This made me somewhat of a social hermit for the 20-week period but as the afternoons and evenings at the weekend were my own, I could skip out without feeling guilty or worrying that I was not on track. Friends and family are generally supportive if you explain to them why you are not available and by allocating study time, and strictly sticking to your time plan, the free time you do have is of better quality.

I found contact with other students through the SQE wats app group comforting, as studying online, particularly if you study late at night, is a little lonely. By discussing our progress, worries, study tips and giving each other our support and encouragement, we became study group friends and those friendships have lasted far longer than the SQE prep did.

Now that you have completed SQE1, what advice would you have for passing the exam?​

I would not recommend doing the SQE without a prep course. Practice questions are key and past papers are not available and the SRA provide limited sample questions on their site. A good prep course will provide you with lots of opportunity to practice and all the resources you need to target your learning to exactly what you need to know for the exam and no more.

Do not be tempted to spend lots of time doing further textbook reading around subjects or studying an area in more depth than is needed. This is about functioning legal knowledge and so the only supporting reading I would recommend is the civil and criminal procedure rules. To pass SQE1 you must be prepared for the speed of it. There is 1.4 minutes to answer each question and so when you study try to do practice tests within the required timeframes needed for the exam from the start. This will ensure that you get through all the questions come exam day, and gradually your accuracy and grades will climb as you learn how to spot correct answers. When approaching each question look at what you are being asked to answer first, and only then look at the given scenario, as it will help you pick out the relevant information as you read first time. You should then read the suggested answers, eliminate any that are obviously wrong and then make your choice between those that are left. If you are unsure of a question do not be tempted to dwell for too long on it. If needed, mark it up so you can drop back onto it at the end, but do not let the time get away from you.

Study a different subject area each day and do more of what you are not good at. While it is reassuring to practice in areas that we are good at, your exam prep is the time to make mistakes and learn, so mistakes are not made in the exam itself . Allocate your daily study time and stick to your plan religiously. The SQE and a prep course are expensive to undertake, and so you must plan to pass it first go.

Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently to study or revise for the exam?​

They say hindsight is a perfect science but looking back I would not have done my study any differently for SQE1, perhaps because I passed both FLK 1 & FLK 2 with a high marks on the first attempt, and was delighted with my results. My choice of SQE provider suited me very well and because I was able to work while studying, I avoided getting into any debt. If I was to do the SQE1 again the only thing, I would change is the amount of sleep I was able to get!

Were you employed alongside the SQE?​

While I was doing the SQE I was employed part time in a legal position for half the week and worked within my own business for the other half of the week, an average weekly full time working commitment of between 45-50 hours per week. The discipline needed to make working and studying possible is not only about strictly allocating time but allocating both work and study tasks within each block of time, so that you keep on top of workloads. Granted doing the SQE while you work will make your days long and impact your sleep and social life, but it is for a limited period and the cost of the SQE being offset by full time earnings takes the stress and debt levels down. If as a personality you are disciplined and determined, then the SQE is quite achievable while working full time, but before a student commits to doing this, they must be very honest with themselves and decide, before they commit, if they can give single-minded focus and discipline for the whole 20 weeks of prep and still have enough in the tank to give the exam their best.

Is there anything else you feel that future SQE students should know?​

When studying for SQE1 make lots of notes for yourself as you will need them for SQE2 revision to be done on top of your SQE2 prep. In this form so far we have very much focused on SQE1 and what it takes to pass that exam. SQE2 is a very different in its style and feel and the prep for SQE 2 needs to be approached differently, because in SQE2 it is also your skills that you are being examined. Both exams are uncomfortable, and, in part, it is a purpose of both exams to test how you perform under pressure, hence, no amount of study will make you feel settled and comfortable in the exam. You should instead look to build knowledge and skills to the point where you are exam confident rather than exam comfortable.

 

[Anisah Shah]

Hi there! Thanks for sharing your experience - I'm also studying with Barbri and was wondering how you feel the practice questions compare to the actual exam questions?