Things To Know About SQE1
- The SRA indicates that SQE1 candidates must apply their knowledge of English law and demonstrate the competence required of a newly qualified solicitor of England and Wales. SQE1 requires candidates to apply fundamental legal principles to client-based and ethical problems in the form of multiple choice questions (MCQs).
- The MCQs are designed as ‘single best answer’ questions and each MCQ has five possible answers.
- The ‘cut off date’ for new legal developments is 4 months prior to the date of the FLK1 assessment. That means candidates can expect to be tested on the law as it stands 4 months before their first SQE1 exam.
- There is no need to memorize case names, section numbers, tax rates, etc. The only exception is a handful of key rules and precedents that are so well-known in English law that they are used to describe a procedural step, legal principle or area of law. Some examples include ‘Part 36 Offers’ in civil procedure and the ‘Rule in Rylands v. Fletcher’ from case law. You will need to know these common case names and statutory provisions in order to answer certain questions.
Test Day Tips: How to Tackle SQE1 Questions
- Read the questions carefully and always read all 5 potential answers. Even if you quickly spot what you think is the correct option, make sure to review all of the other possibilities. It’s usually the case that two or more answers are worded very similarly and, remember, you want to choose the single ‘best’ answer.
- If the best answer isn’t immediately clear, you should still be able to eliminate several responses that are obviously wrong (there are usually 2 or 3 of these). Eliminate, then look at your remaining options and try to figure out which answer is ‘more correct’ in the context.
- If you find yourself truly stuck on a question, fight the urge to waste additional time on it. Don’t dwell too long on tough questions. Select an answer and move on. The computer-based test allows you to ‘flag’ question numbers as you go. Once you’ve been through all questions, if time remains, you’ll see a menu allowing you to easily revisit/change all the problems you flagged earlier. (You can try out this functionality using the SQE1 exam simulation provided by the SRA/Pearson VUE).
- Time constraints mean that you’ll have just under 2 minutes to spend on each question. Of course, it’s reasonable to expect that some questions will take less time and some will take more (for example, the calculation questions mentioned below). Don’t feel like you need to keep a strict 2 min/Q pace, but do watch the clock. For example, I told myself that I wanted to have half of all questions completed by XX:XX time, in order to finish comfortably, review some responses, etc.
- Some questions, like those for tax law and solicitors’ accounts, will require you to do calculations. Be prepared to spend some extra time on these questions and don’t rush. Having said this, try not to worry too much if the number(s) you get don’t match any of the answers (this happened to me). Pick the answer closest to your calculations and move on. You can come back to the problem again if there’s time at the end.
Additional SQE1 Resources
- The group producing the Revise SQE books has published a helpful post on approaching single best answer MCQs in SQE1. They share a 6-step framework for tackling these types of questions. It’s worth taking a look at.
- In early 2022, England’s SRA hosted a webinar to discuss results and learnings from the initial SQE1 assessment. In it they shared feedback from candidates who sat the first exam. You can find the online session here: SRA Webinar: Insights from first SQE1 Sitting.
- Finally, I’ve also written about all the places you can find practice MCQs. Check out these 2 posts –> SQE1: Sample Questions & Mock Exams (for Free) and SQE1: Sample Questions & Mock Exams (Options for Purchase).
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