What’s your background, and why did you decide to do the SQE?

I passed my SQE 1 exams in January 2025 and have recently sat my SQE 2 exams.

My background is in science. I have a PhD in neuroscience and before making the decision to pursue a legal career I worked in research labs in the UK and Germany. Law is a big change, but I was looking for a new challenge and it allows me to apply the same problem-solving skills to a completely different set of problems.

Before studying for the SQE, I completed the PDGL. I found the PDGL to be a great foundation for the SQE. It is a dense course with lots to learn in a short time but it does mean that by the time you start SQE you have been taught most of the content fairly recently.

How did you prepare, and what made the biggest difference in your success?

Revision looks a little different depending one whether it is for SQE 1 or 2.

For SQE 1 it is all about memorising the FLK 1 & 2 knowledge. For every topic area I would start by covering the content. That meant reading through the notes I made during my preparation course and some textbooks.

Then the most important part for me was to make huge posters using that information. I am a visual learner so for me making posters is the most effective way to actually retain the exam content.

Finally I used question banks, including Law Drills, to practice answering MCQs in a set time. First thing every morning I would answer 40 questions. This really helped me track my progress.

For SQE 2 you need to develop soft skills as well as retaining most of the FLK knowledge. To prepare I used a similar combination of question banks, posters and reading. In addition I sat a practice paper every day to develop my soft skills. I found the short form questions on Law Drills helpful as they helped me test my recall in a completely different way to the MCQs- which is essential in SQE 2.

What was the hardest part, and how did you push through it?

The most challenging aspect of the exams for me was the sheer volume of material that the exams can cover. SQE 1 is especially broad, and retaining all the information can feel like an impossible task. My approach was to break it down into more manageable pieces. Months before the exam, I made a revision schedule that assigned every part of the syllabus to a different revision session. That way, I knew everything would be covered in time.

If you had to do it again, what would you do differently?

If I’m being completely honest I probably wouldn’t change much. The preparation for SQE 1 was exhausting but essential. I went into those exams feeling like I had done everything I could do to give myself the best shot of success.

What I would say, however is not to be fazed by the process. There are definitely times in the early preparation stages where the workload is very high and the exams ahead can feel pretty intimidating. It’s important to remember to trust the process. Preparing for these exams doesn’t happen overnight, it takes months of hard work and you’re going to need to pace yourself to get to the finish line.

Any final piece of advice for SQE candidates?

However difficult you may be finding these exams, know that you are not alone and you absolutely can get through them. They are tough, but not impossible. Provided that you commit to the process and put in the work, and it will be many, many hours of work, you can get the pass you need.