Trainee solicitor Matthew Smith explains how
Once I finished my law degree, I was eager to start working in a firm to gain some practical experience after three years of study. In 2021, I began working at a personal injury firm. After some time as a paralegal, I progressed to become a trainee solicitor.
Since I had not completed the Legal Practice Course (LPC), I needed to pass the Solicitors Qualifying Exams (SQE). As the exams were relatively new I wanted to make sure I understood how they worked and what the preparation for them would look like.
When I researched whether the SQE could be done without a course, every website I visited concluded that it was not realistic — with a link in each to enrol on a course costing thousands.
In my head, I questioned the need: if I could get my hands on the knowledge required why would a weekly lecture be necessary. I quickly learnt that this would be a bigger challenge than I had initially anticipated, especially when working full-time.
When I left the first SQE1 exam in January of this year, I was not feeling hopeful. I think that mindset hindered my motivation for the second exam, which perhaps explains why I performed slightly worse in it. It’s so important not to let how you think you did knock you off balance. I told myself ‘Well, the second exam is paid for — the least I can do is show up.’
Some weeks later, I logged on to my SRA account, finally found the right page — and there it was, I had passed both. I went down to tell my team leader, who had supported me through the process. She was almost as happy as I was. It all suddenly felt worth it.
I think part of the challenge with these exams is they test you on general principles, the exceptions to those principles and when the exceptions themselves don’t apply. Of course, this is reflective of the law itself, so it’s to be expected but that doesn’t make learning it any easier. Revision structured with this in mind would be helpful.
My advice to anyone considering tackling the SQE would be to set a target exam date as soon as possible. I initially thought early on studying would help, but after rescheduling exams, I found the process increasingly prolonged and draining. I don’t think anyone ever really feels ready for these exams, but you likely know more than you think. There is so much content and I do believe you can only retain it all for so long. At some point you just have to take the jump. I remember telling my dad if I don’t take these exams in the next sitting, I never will.
I would suggest if you are struggling with a specific topic, if it just doesn’t make sense to you — move on. The exams test you on a broad range of topics you need to be realistic, how many questions do you think will come up in relation to that specific area.
If you are considering self studying for the SQE without a course I would urge you to make sure you purchase textbooks which focus on the SRA Syllabus, there is too much to learn without you trying to revise anything that is not relevant.
One of the hardest parts, in my view, was not knowing how much I actually knew. With courses you have internal exams which track your progress, give you mocks and predict your likely chances of success. Without a course I had no idea. This led to a lot of doubt in my mind, I didn’t just occasionally wonder if this could even be done; I’d say there was more time spent with this mindset than without.
I’d like to say I had a strict study schedule but if I am being honest I finished my textbooks not long before the first exam, this was with me putting in a lot of effort to get through them. Of course there was a lot of flashcards involved, in fact 6,800 minutes on Quizlet.
To pass without a course you will need a lot of self discipline and motivation, if you think you need a course for this reason then that might be a better option for you. Passing the exams without one is far from a shortcut.
Studying with a full time job was also a challenge I had to face. I got into a habit of getting to the office at 8am for an hour of revision before starting work only for revision to also fill my lunch breaks.
Prior to studying for these exams I had got into a routine of going to the the gym after work most days, I had initially tried to maintain this and rush back to cook, eat and have time to revise however it quickly became too much. There was simply not enough hours in the day. I had to make the sacrifice of keeping the gym to the weekend when I’d have more time. You have to acknowledge that in this phase of your life studying will have to be prioritised, but it won’t be forever.
Motivating myself to open a book of land law when I got home after work wasn’t always easy but I found breaking things into blocks helped; I’d say I’ll just read these chapters or go over this flashcard deck. I’d also try and keep time past 9pm to myself.
Looking ahead to SQE2, I feel more confident in my own approach. I’ve learned to trust my own strategy and focus on what works for me, rather than whats pushed as the ‘standard route’. Throughout further education, it’s easy to compare yourself with others. That mindset will not be helpful throughout the SQE. Your journey will look different to others no matter how you approach these exams so focus on your strategy and what is working for you.
There are no published statistics comparing the performance of self-study candidates with those enrolled on a course, so I can only speak from my experience. I can’t say that self-studying is the right choice for everyone. For some, it will be unrealistic; for others, too big of a financial risk. But I do think it’s important for people to know that self-study can be done with success — and has been done with success.
If you’d like to connect or have any questions about my SQE journey, feel free to reach out via LinkedIn.
Matthew Smith is a trainee solicitor working in personal injury. He has successfully completed SQE1 and is currently preparing to sit SQE2 with the goal of qualifying as a solicitor by the end of 2025.
