Students' experiences of the College's SQE prep courses: what do they really think?
It’s hard to believe that, it has been nearly two years since the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) was introduced. But whilst the route towards a career as a solicitor is fundamentally transforming, at present there aren’t many testimonials or appraisals of the SQE assessment, or indeed preparing for them, that have been shared by real students.
We want this to change. Today, reading ‘reviews’ has become a huge part of the everyday shopping experience. After all, when was the last time you bought even a small product from Amazon without double-checking the ratings from previous purchasers? So, when it comes to a financial and time investment as significant as solicitor qualification, it’s more important than ever to look at real student experiences to decide if the SQE and its prep course are right for you.
That’s why, here at The College of Legal Practice, we interviewed a selection of our students to ask them about the College’s SQE prep courses, their experiences with the College, and how prepared they felt for their all-important assessments. Ready for some home truths? Let’s dive in.
How important is the flexibility of the prep course?
Our students said that the flexibility of the College’s remote, online, part-time courses enables you to balance study with your personal commitments. There are no obligations or commutes—for much of the SQE1 course, for instance, you can come back home after a long day at work, get into your pyjamas, open up your book or portal, and learn at your own pace.
“One of the main things I considered when I looked to start the SQE course was its flexibility, as this is very important when you’re working full-time. Fortunately, The College of Legal Practice allows you to fit your studies around your schedule. Most of the work can be completed on evenings and weekends, but it depends on whatever works best for you. The College also provides you with a structure and a calendar, so you remain on track.” Ben, student at The College of Legal Practice
However, it’s important to remember that while students enjoy a lot of freedom on the College’s prep courses, they still need to remain organised and committed. The courses are demanding learning experiences designed to prepare you for both the intensity of the assessments and life as a solicitor. The breadth of material that students need to learn means that the SQE courses are not programmes that you can cram—you need to work systematically from the beginning.
“The one piece of advice I wish I knew prior to starting the SQE would be to work hard from day one. By starting early, you can work through the materials consistently and at your own pace, rather than rushing in the final few weeks.” Lucas, student at The College of Legal Practice
How did you find the live, one-to-one support?
Our students told us that, unlike many other learning material providers they considered, The College of Legal Practice offers one-to-one supervisor support at a very low cost. This way, you enjoy individual guidance and help from legal experts, tailored to how you prefer to learn, work, and study. Importantly they will help advise you along the way on whether you are ready to take the SQE. Plus, the supervisors are there to support you as a person and help you navigate any work or family commitments, too.
“On the SQE1 prep course, you get a 15-minute catch-up meeting with your personal tutor each week. As supervisors and qualified solicitors, they can offer you the best advice on what you need to do to pass. My tutor was so nice and kind—she not only supervised my work, but offered genuine, personal support throughout the course.” Lucas, student at The College of Legal Practice
“Your tutors help to review your work and progress and advise on whether you’re ready for the SQE exam. They tell you where you’re doing well and where you need to improve, so you’re in the best position to pass.” La’Charn, student at The College of Legal Practice
Alongside individual sessions with your supervisor, students on our SQE prep courses attend live surgeries and ‘town hall’ sessions. Town halls are structured a bit like virtual university seminars, and help you with exam technique and how to orientate yourself for the week of study ahead. They also act as yard sticks, where students can see their peers’ progress—an extra incentive to work hard in your own time. Within practice area surgeries you can ask for advice on areas of law or particular skills that you are finding hard, and how to navigate any tricky course content.
“The town hall meetings help set apart the College. Even though it’s online, you feel like you’re in a classroom with other students, and you can benchmark your progress against theirs and see where you can improve. The town halls begin with a hello, and a summary of the week ahead and current the assessment stage. You’re reminded of your weekly SQE objectives, and you can see how everyone in the class has recently performed.” Lucas, student at The College of Legal Practice
What learning materials are provided—and did you find them useful?
The College’s online portal serves a variety of learning styles, with videos, podcasts, materials like flashcards, drag-and-drop activities, live surgeries, discussion boards, and more. This means you have the freedom to study and revise in the ways in which you prefer—from visual to auditory to reading and writing—helping to boost your individual chances of exam success.
“Having access to physical materials, PDFs, videos, transcripts, and more really helped me. I'm neurodivergent and I learn a lot auditorily rather than by reading, so I recorded the audio of all the videos for each of the modules back-to-back, and then I would listen to them on repeat. So, you can take the materials and find ways to make them work for you.” Erin, student at The College of Legal Practice
However, perhaps the most important learning material is the range of practice multiple-choice questions (MCQs) available for SQE1 and for revision in SQE2. This is due to the highly complex and unfamiliar nature of the SQE assessments.
“For the SQE1 assessment in particular, the structure of the exam questions was different to anything else I’d previously worked on. The questions are multiple-choice but marked by the best answer. So, every possible answer can theoretically be right, and you have to try and pick the best answer for each scenario. This is the trickiest part. It’s not just about learning content and regurgitating it in the exam, but also applying it. I felt very prepared for this thanks to the College’s range of practice MCQs.” Ben, student at The College of Legal Practice
The College of Legal Practice has crafted thousands of practice MCQs for its students, which accurately reflect up-to-date SQE1 exam conditions and contents. When it comes to pre-exam revision, this is the activity that our supervisors recommend prioritising, rather than heavy reading. After all, it so closely mimics the real exam that not only does it bolster your knowledge, but your confidence and belief, too.
“By the time I reached the assessments I felt really calm, like I’d practised so many MCQs that whatever the exam would throw at us, I’d know what to do. I felt prepared and ready.” Emma, student at The College of Legal Practice
How did the learning materials impact your success in the SQE assessments?
The College’s learning materials are laser-focused on helping students to pass the exam. The prep course puts lessons and learnings in a real-life context and makes sure that students are aligned with what the SRA is looking for when they test incoming qualified solicitors which, ultimately, is what the SQE is all about.
“Thanks to the College, I’m now very comfortable with how I present myself in my assessments and the kind of legal thinking that is required to pass and actually thrive in the SQE.” Salma, SQE2 student at The College of Legal Practice
Overall, the College provides you with everything you should need to learn, study, and pass. As the course goes on, you practice more and more assessments, and you grow more comfortable with the work, achieving your ultimate goal feels tangibly closer.
“I’d definitely recommend the College’s SQE prep course as it covered everything I needed to ace the exam. It’s exciting to think that once I’ve completed the course and passed the SQE, I’ll be a qualified solicitor.” Dan, student at The College of Legal Practice
Starting your own SQE journey
Studying on a preparation course is not mandatory before taking the SQE exams. But it’s important to remember that even with a law degree, the SQE is an extremely difficult assessment, requiring both new, comprehensive legal knowledge and the ability to identify and apply it to real-life scenarios.
Our students all agree that the completion of SQE prep courses is a fundamental step on the journey towards becoming a solicitor. So, if qualification is your aim, why not join our students in accessing expert support tailored to helping you achieve a career in law? To explore The College of Legal Practice’s range of part-time and full-time prep courses, and discover the course that’s perfect for you, visit our SQE hub today.
Overall, the College provides you with everything you should need to learn, study, and pass. As the course goes on, you practice more and more assessments, and you grow more comfortable with the work, achieving your ultimate goal feels tangibly closer.