Study Techniques for SQE1: How to Revise Smarter, Not Harder

Introduction

The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE1) is unlike any law exam that most students will have encountered before. Whether you come from a traditional law degree, a conversion course, or a non-law background, the scale, breadth and style of SQE1 can feel overwhelming.

With 360 single best answer (SBA) questions spread across two assessments (FLK1 and FLK2), candidates are tested on a vast amount of functioning legal knowledge and, crucially, their ability to apply that knowledge to realistic scenarios. The challenge is not simply knowing the law. The challenge is recalling it accurately, applying it quickly and selecting the best answer under significant time pressure.

Many students respond by reading textbooks repeatedly, highlighting pages or creating endless notes. Unfortunately, these approaches are often inefficient and lead to disappointment on exam day.

In this article, we will explore the most effective study techniques for SQE1, drawing on evidence-based learning principles and the demands of the examination itself. If you are preparing for SQE1, these strategies can help you maximise retention, improve exam performance and make your revision time far more productive.

Understanding the SQE1 Challenge

Before discussing study techniques, it is important to understand what makes SQE1 different.

The examination tests what the Solicitors Regulation Authority calls "functioning legal knowledge". This means candidates must be able to use the law in context rather than simply recite legal rules. Questions typically involve realistic factual scenarios where several answer options appear plausible, but only one is the best answer.

As a result, successful candidates need three things:

1. Strong legal knowledge.

2. The ability to apply legal principles.

3. Effective exam technique.

   
   

A good revision strategy must develop all three.

Technique 1: Active Recall

If you only adopt one study technique for SQE1, make it active recall.

Active recall involves forcing your brain to retrieve information from memory rather than simply re-reading it. Every time you recall information, the memory becomes stronger and easier to access in future.

Poor Revision

Many students revise like this:

• Read a chapter on contract law.

• Highlight important sections.

• Read the chapter again a week later.

  
  

This feels productive because the material becomes familiar. However, familiarity is not the same as learning.

Better Revision

Instead:

• Read the material once.

• Close the book.

• Write down everything you can remember.

• Compare your answer against the source.

• Identify what you forgot.

This approach feels harder because it exposes gaps in knowledge, but that difficulty is precisely why it is effective.

Practical Example

Suppose you are studying consideration in contract law. Rather than repeatedly reading the textbook, ask yourself:

• What is consideration?

• What are the key rules?

• What are the exceptions?

  
  

Write your answers from memory before checking them. This process mirrors the mental retrieval required during the SQE1 examination.

Technique 2: Spaced Repetition

One of the biggest mistakes candidates make is learning a topic once and then moving on.

Research consistently shows that information is forgotten rapidly unless it is reviewed at increasing intervals.

Spaced repetition combats this problem.

How it Works

Imagine you study adverse possession today.

Instead of reviewing it only before the exam, revisit it:

• 1 day later

• 3 days later

• 1 week later

• 2 weeks later

• 4 weeks later

• 1 month later

  
  

Each review strengthens the memory and reduces forgetting. Certain applications can help you with this. Anki, for example, is an excellent flashcard application that automates active recall and pairs it with spaced repetition, showing you cards just as you are about to forget them to maximize long-term retention. It really is very much recommended for SQE 1 revision.

Why it Matters for SQE 1

The SQE syllabus is enormous.

You might study criminal law in January but not sit the examination until July.

Without systematic review, much of that knowledge will disappear.

Spaced repetition ensures topics remain accessible months later.

Technique 3: Question-Based Learning

Many candidates delay question practice until they feel they "know enough law".

This is a mistake.

Question practice should begin early and continue throughout your preparation.

Why Questions Matter

SQE1 does not test legal knowledge in isolation. It tests the application of legal knowledge in context.

For example, reading about promissory estoppel is different from identifying promissory estoppel within a fact pattern. In other words, the sooner you begin answering questions, the sooner you learn how the law appears in examination scenarios.

Start Untimed

Initially:

• Focus on understanding.

• Ignore the clock.

• Analyse every answer carefully.

Move onto Timed Practice

Once accuracy improves, introduce time pressure. Regular timed practice helps develop:

• Reading speed.

• Decision-making speed.

• Confidence under pressure.

Technique 4: Maintain an Error Log

An error log may be the most underrated SQE1 revision tool. Whenever you answer a question incorrectly, record:

• Subject area.

• Topic.

• Your chosen answer.

• Correct answer.

• Why you got it wrong.

• What rule you need to remember.

Example

Topic: Consideration

Mistake: Believed part-payment of a debt discharged the entire obligation.

Correct Rule: Part-payment generally does not satisfy the whole debt unless an exception applies.

Benefits

Over time patterns emerge.

You may discover:

• A recurring misunderstanding.

• Particular weak subjects.

• Repeated errors in exam technique.

  
  

Technique 5: Use One-Page Revision Sheets

Many candidates accumulate hundreds of pages of notes.

Unfortunately, large note collections rarely improve performance.

For SQE1, concise summaries are usually more effective.

Why One-Page Sheets Work

They force you to:

• Distil information.

• Identify key principles.

• Focus on examinable material.

  
  

The process of creating the sheet is itself a learning exercise.

What to Include

A one-page revision sheet should contain:

• Core rules.

• Key exceptions.

• Processes.

• Diagrams.

• Memory triggers.

The goal is not to reproduce a textbook. The goal is to create a rapid-review resource. This is particularly effective for subjects such as:

• Contract law.

• Constitutional law.

• Legal system.

• Criminal procedure.

Technique 6: Interleaving

Most students revise in blocks. For example:

• Monday: Contract Law.

• Tuesday: Tort.

• Wednesday: Land Law.

  
  

Although convenient, this can create an illusion of mastery. Interleaving involves mixing subjects together.

Example

A revision session might include:

• Contract law questions.

• Two trusts questions.

• Three criminal law questions.

• Several ethics questions.

  
  

This more closely reflects the demands of SQE1.

Technique 7: Feynman Technique

One of the fastest ways to reveal gaps in knowledge is to explain a topic aloud. This is sometimes called the "Feynman Technique".

How to Do It

Choose a legal concept.

Explain it as though teaching a new student.

If you struggle to explain the topic clearly, your understanding may be incomplete.

The Rule

If you cannot teach it simply, you probably do not understand it fully. This technique is particularly useful for complex SQE1 topics because it exposes confusion that passive reading often hides.

Technique 8: Focus on Weaknesses

Many students spend too much time revising topics they already know. Why? Because it feels comfortable. The problem is that improvement occurs at the edge of your competence, not within your comfort zone.

Honest Self-Assessment

Every week identify:

• Three strongest subjects.

• Three weakest subjects.

  
  

Allocate more time to weaker topics.

The 70/30 Principle

A useful approach is:

• 70% of revision time on weak areas.

• 30% on maintaining stronger areas.

  
  

The aim is to increase your minimum level of performance across all subjects. Remember that SQE1 rewards breadth as well as depth.

Technique 9: The Art of Eliminating Answers

Successful candidates often reach the correct answer by eliminating incorrect choices rather than identifying the correct answer immediately. We discuss this in more detail here.

Sometimes the objective is not to find the perfect answer. Instead, it is to identify the answer that is better than the alternatives. This subtle distinction is often critical in SQE1.

Technique 10: Look After Yourself

Many students underestimate the physical demands of SQE1 preparation. Burnout destroys productivity. Make sure you protect yourself (and your performance) through:

• Regular sleep.

• Exercise.

• Study breaks.

• Healthy eating.

• Time away from revision.

Studying for twelve exhausted hours is rarely as effective as studying for six focused hours.

Final Thoughts

SQE1 is a demanding examination, but success is not determined by intelligence alone. More often, it is determined by study strategy.

The strongest candidates do not simply work harder. They work smarter.

They use active recall rather than passive reading. They revisit material through spaced repetition. They complete large volumes of practice questions. They analyse mistakes, target weaknesses and develop exam technique alongside legal knowledge.

If you adopt the strategies discussed in this article, you will not only retain more information but also become more effective at applying that information under exam conditions.

Remember that SQE1 is ultimately a test of functioning legal knowledge. Your goal is not merely to know the law. Your goal is to use it quickly, accurately and confidently when faced with realistic legal problems.