How to prepare for SQE1
The short version: practise at the real standard, cover everything, and know where you stand before you book. With the SQE1 pass rate at a record low, how you revise decides the result. Here is a method that matches how the exam actually works.
Start from what SQE1 is
SQE1 is 360 single-best-answer questions across two papers, FLK1 and FLK2, each sat as two 90-question sessions. It is set at the standard of a day-one newly qualified solicitor, and it is standard-set: the pass mark moves with each sitting, so you are clearing a competence bar rather than chasing a fixed score. It is also broad: it draws across all 13 subject areas, so a weak spot anywhere costs you marks.
That shape matters because it tells you what to practise. The exam rewards applying the law to a scenario, quickly, across the whole syllabus. The pass rate fell to 41% in July 2025, and the candidates on the right side of that number are the ones who arrived genuinely ready, not the ones who hoped.
The principle: practise the thing you are tested on
Reading and re-reading notes feels productive and builds familiarity. The trouble is that SQE1 never asks you to recite a topic. It asks you to pick the single best answer in a realistic scenario, under about 1 minute 42 seconds per question. The skill that wins is active recall and application at pace. So the core of good SQE1 revision is doing questions at the real standard, then learning hard from the ones you get wrong.
A method that works
- Map the whole syllabus first. List every area across FLK1 and FLK2 and treat coverage as the goal. Gaps are where marks quietly leak away. The SQE1 syllabus lays all of it out.
- Learn a topic, then immediately test it. Read or revise the topic, then do single-best-answer questions on it the same day. Recall beats recognition, and the questions show you whether you actually understood it.
- Practise at exam pace and in mock conditions. Train at roughly 1.7 minutes a question, and sit full timed papers as two 90-question sessions so the clock and the stamina stop being a surprise on the day.
- Hunt your weak areas and close them. Track accuracy per topic. Spend your time where you are weakest, not where you are already comfortable — that is where the marks are.
- Calibrate your readiness. A score on a handful of topics tells you little. A readiness estimate that weights each area by its share of the paper, and that is tuned against real exam difficulty, tells you whether you would actually pass today.
- Time your prep to the sitting. Work back from your exam date with a steady daily target. A consistent habit covers the breadth reliably; the final weeks are for full mocks and weak-area drilling.
Courses, question banks, and where the work happens
A taught course gives structure and explanation, which helps if you are starting cold. A question bank gives the active practice the exam actually measures. Most people who pass make a verified question bank the engine of their revision and lean on teaching where they need it. For an honest look at the trade-offs, read SQE1 prep compared.
This is the thinking behind Lawdojo. It gives you a bank of verified single-best-answer questions across all 137 topics, full mock papers sat as two timed sessions, a calibrated readiness read so you know your real position, and an AI tutor on every question to explain the ones you get wrong. It is built around the method above — practise at standard, cover everything, know when you are ready.
Common questions
What is the best way to prepare for SQE1?
Practise at the real standard. SQE1 is 360 single-best-answer questions across two papers, set to a day-one solicitor competence level and standard-set each sitting. Reading notes builds knowledge, but the exam tests applying that knowledge to a scenario under time. The candidates who pass tend to cover the whole syllabus, drill single-best-answer questions at exam pace, find their weak topics early, and only book once their readiness says they are there.
How long does it take to revise for SQE1?
Most candidates give it several months of consistent study rather than a short cram, because the syllabus is broad — 13 subject areas across FLK1 and FLK2. A steady daily habit (for example, a set number of questions a day, topic by topic) covers more ground reliably than occasional long sessions, and it builds the exam-pace stamina you need for two 90-question sessions a paper.
Are question banks or courses better for SQE1?
They do different jobs. A course gives structure and teaching; a question bank gives the active practice that the exam actually measures. Many candidates use a bank as the core of their revision because practising single-best-answer questions, at standard and at pace, is the closest thing to the exam itself. See our honest comparison of SQE1 prep options.
How do I know when I am ready to sit SQE1?
When your accuracy sits at or above the competence standard across the whole syllabus, weak areas included, and your coverage is complete. A readiness estimate that weights each area by its share of the paper, and that you can trust because it is calibrated against real exam difficulty, is more useful than a raw percentage on a few topics.
More: the SQE1 guide, the full syllabus, the latest pass rate, and prep options compared.
Independent SQE1 preparation guidance for study — not legal or careers advice. Exam structure and rules are set by the SRA; see the official SQE site for the definitive assessment specification.