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Deciding which provider t use for SQE prep courses after 9 year legal gap

I have recently started working as a Paralegal at a law firm after 9 years of running my own business as a photographer, however, have always wanted to come back to practising law so finally made the decision to go back into law.

After a lot of research, I have narrowed my options down to the SQE prep courses at either ULaw or Barbri.
I'm leaning towards Barbri because I've heard the support they give is a lot better, especially if you've had a legal gap, whereas with ULaw, it's like being thrown in at the deep end.

However, from my research, I have heard that although Barbri has better support overall and provide personal support plans, they don't prepare you well enough to pass within the first quintile as some topics are missing from the materials they provide, instead aiming for a pass in the 3rd quintile, which is already placing students at a disadvantage. I have also heard that their mocks are a lot easier than the actual exams which is not ideal, giving a false sense of hope.

With ULaw although their admin support is not the best, I have heard that they have extensive materials and mocks are very similar to actual exams.

Is anyone currently studying at either of these and can possibly give their opinion of either provider? Thank you!
Original post
by asra125412
I have recently started working as a Paralegal at a law firm after 9 years of running my own business as a photographer, however, have always wanted to come back to practising law so finally made the decision to go back into law.
After a lot of research, I have narrowed my options down to the SQE prep courses at either ULaw or Barbri.
I'm leaning towards Barbri because I've heard the support they give is a lot better, especially if you've had a legal gap, whereas with ULaw, it's like being thrown in at the deep end.
However, from my research, I have heard that although Barbri has better support overall and provide personal support plans, they don't prepare you well enough to pass within the first quintile as some topics are missing from the materials they provide, instead aiming for a pass in the 3rd quintile, which is already placing students at a disadvantage. I have also heard that their mocks are a lot easier than the actual exams which is not ideal, giving a false sense of hope.
With ULaw although their admin support is not the best, I have heard that they have extensive materials and mocks are very similar to actual exams.
Is anyone currently studying at either of these and can possibly give their opinion of either provider? Thank you!

Hello,

I am a current student doing the SQE(1&2) LLM at ULaw! I would definitely recommend the course. The biggest reason for this would be the question bank it gives you access to. It contains thousands of questions covering every topic on the exams. You can create tests for yourself, varying in length and covering whichever topics you would like to revise and complete. It can be accessed via web browser or on their mobile app. It gives you insights into your performance and weaker areas. Every week on the course there are practice tests for each module. Although the academic legal content is not covered in the class sessions, there are dedicated sections to revise each week which you are then tested on in these weekly assessments.

I have found the textbooks to be excellent tools for revision. They cover every piece of information you need to be able to pass within the first quintile, with plenty of worked examples on trickier topics. I would say that the focus has been on acing the SQE1 exams rather than just about passing - there is a lot of focus on ensuring you understand all the concepts, particularly as this will make the SQE2 portion much easier. The course is definitely intense, but I have found my tutors to be very helpful in explaining anything I need clarification on.

I hope this is helpful! I would recommend attending a virtual or in-person open day to learn more about the course.

Layla
SQE LLM student

Reply 2

Thank you for your reply! I have heard that ULaw material are unmatched and that the app is also very helpful. This has definitely helped. Thank you!

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