LPC oral exams

Is it true that you have to do spoken exams on the LPC if so are these more challenging than normal written exams and do you get to practice

Reply 1

UniofLaw Student

Official Rep

Original post by anisha_khilji

Is it true that you have to do spoken exams on the LPC if so are these more challenging than normal written exams and do you get to practice

Hi Anisha

Great question!

I am currently studying the LPC at the Bristol campus with ULAW and can confirm that you do have to do oral exams during the course. At ULAW, the 2 main oral exams are advocacy and interviewing. They are both part of the 'Introduction to Professional Practice' module and are both assessed on a 'competent' or 'not competent' basis (basically pass or fail).

For me, the thought of the oral exams made them more challenging as I am much more confident with written exams. However, when it came to actually completing the oral exams it was less daunting than I expected. It definitely depends on your strengths as I know a lot of people who find written exams much more difficult than oral. Although some people seem to be naturals at oral exams, they are definitely not my thing (I tend to fumble on my words under pressure!). But with both assessments you get advance document/s which gives you time to prepare for it and practice which really helped me. With interviewing the assessment is based on 2 topics within the Business Law and Practice module and advocacy is based on 1 topic within the Dispute Resolution module so you can narrow down your revision/prep for it.

There is an opportunity to do a mock assessment. This is great practice and you get both oral and written feedback which really helps for the real assessment as it is not too dissimilar. Personally, this was a reassuring opportunity to realise that perhaps I don't fumble on my words too much!

The criteria for each is very clear so as long as you follow the structure that is given to you, you will be hitting the mark scheme. The marks are primarily about the way you present yourself and the structure you follow (the criteria given is very clear too) as opposed to getting the contents of law exactly right (although, of course, you always need to be on the right lines!).

Hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions.

Kate (Student Ambassador)

Reply 2

sophhh14

You have to do oral examinations whether you do the LPC or SQE

Reply 3

anisha_khilji

Thank you soooo much Kate that is such helpful advice !!

Reply 4

17Student17

Yes, they are not too bad and there are mock/practice exams. The SRA (for the LPC) requires the providers to examine interviewing and also advocacy. Interviewing is what you say to a new client, the questions you ask etc and advocacy is doing a court hearing - a simple one such as asking the court for more time to put in an application.