My experiences of taking SQE1

By Daniel Abel, SQE1 Prep Student at The College of Legal Practice

Day 1 (Thursday):

I arrived at the test centre at 8.20am. At this stage I was incredibly nervous and convinced the day was going to be a disaster but it was helpful speaking to others waiting, as I realised everyone was obviously in the same boat. I scoped out the address the day before having never been to Preston previously, which I'm glad I did as Google Maps took me to the wrong building which had a big sign on the door "This is not the Pearson Vue Test Centre". Thankfully I found it further down the street after a mini panic!

I had no idea if I would be allowed out for lunch, so I took a packed lunch with me just in case.

At the centre I provided two forms of ID, confirmed some security questions and put my belongings in my locker, having to keep hold of my two forms of ID throughout the assessment. I was however, able to keep a bottle of water outside the exam room.

I then had my ID checked again, my glasses checked for cameras and had a photo taken.

Lastly, I had my ID checked one final time and was allocated a workspace.

My desk had:

• A spiral bound wipe clean notepad
• A marker pen
• Ear plugs
• Over ear headphones

I used the headphones as I dislike earplugs.

The examination allows you to take a tutorial before starting, in order to understand the screen and questions layout which I did before beginning.

I started the exam and felt some relief. The questions were provided in a very similar format to that of The College of Legal Practice. I found almost every question had been covered in the content provided by the College.

Once I finished the session, I was able to leave the test centre, so I took my lunch outside to get some fresh air and do a little bit of extra revision on topics that had not come up yet that I thought may appear in session two.

Session two was much harder for me. I think the exam is obviously mentally exhausting. The questions were also on some of my weaker areas!

Overall, FLK1 was extremely tough, but with good studying and plenty of practice questions, it is definitely achievable. My top tip would be: Practice, practice, practice your MCQs. There is definitely a skill to approaching the questions, and you'll find you've retained more than you thought you could in the actual exam.

Day 2 (Monday):

I arrived at the test centre at 8:20am once more. I bought water with me today but decided not to take a packed lunch as there were plenty of shops just up the road from the test centre.

I went through exactly the same process as I did on day one for signing in to the test centre and completed ID checks.

I found the morning session to be ‘easier‘ if I dare use the word, however it was still incredibly tough. I haven’t figured out whether it is that the afternoon papers were necessarily harder, or whether my fatigue kicked in and made it seem much harder.

I used my lunch to switch off and did not want to do any extra revision. I was too tired. I had been living in a hotel in Preston for the last week and just wanted the day to be over. I had some lunch and then went back to the Test Centre and waited to start session two . Once I had finished, I felt a mixed sense of dread and relief. I’m glad the exams are over but the wait for the results will be a long and excruciating one. I managed to convince myself that I had failed FLK2, but sought reassurance from my personal tutor at The College of Legal Practice as it is easier to fret over those few questions I realised I got wrong compared to all the other questions I felt confident with.

Revision Approach:

The gap between FLK1 and FLK2 was welcome. After FLK1, I had the rest of the night off and then dedicated 3 full days to intensive FLK2 revision, which is what I did with FLK1.

My approach to revision was to combine FLK1 and FLK2 practice MCQs until the final week. Then I had 3 intensive days for FLK1, and used the gap between the two exams for my final FLK2 revision.

Conclusion:

Whilst I don't know how I've performed till October, I'm confident I've given it my best shot after a lot of intense studying! I'm hopeful for a pass but I am also glad that I now know what to expect, which is a relief if I do have to resit the exams in January! Everything is down to my memory retention and performance on the day now, so roll on October!

If you would like to get in touch and ask me any questions about the assessment or preparation with the College, you can contact me via LinkedIn.