The TSR Community Awards 2025 are now live >>

SQE - to self study or not...

Hello, I completed the GDL in 2023 with a distinction. I am now looking to qualify as a solicitor via the SQE route. Given the subjects covered by the SQE 1 are very similar to the GDL, I am wondering whether I really need to sign up for an (expensive) SQE prep course, or whether it would be possible to self study... If anyone has completed the GDL and self studied for the SQE, I would love to hear your thoughts and how you prepared for them (what resources did you use). Thank you!

Reply 1

UniofLawstudent3

Official Rep

Original post

by HanaLAW

Hello!

I completed the PGDL this summer and am currently doing a prep course for the SQE1 with the University of Law. I would definitely recommend doing a prep course! About half of the content in the SQE1 syllabus is what you learned in the conversion course (referred to as academic legal knowledge). The prep course only teaches you the other half - the legal practice elements. These are distinct subjects and they cover a huge amount of content. It would very difficult to self-study this in the same timeframe as a prep course.

A key benefit of doing a prep course is the access you get to mock assessments and question banks. There are very few publicly available SQE1-style exam questions you can practice with. At the University of Law, we have 4 practice tests every week (split per legal practice module and incorporating academic law elements you are directed to revise), several mock assessments at different points in the course and access to a question bank with thousands of SBAQ-style questions on every academic legal knowledge and legal practice topic. It tracks your strengths and weaknesses and allows you to create tests isolating or mixing different topics as you wish. This is invaluable whilst you are learning the content and also in the revision phase before the exam, as becoming familiar with the style of the questions is vital for passing the SQE1.

It is not impossible to self-study for the SQE1, but it would be very hard! Recalling your GDL content is only a part of what you need to be able to pass the exams. I hope this is helpful!

Layla
SQE LLM student

Reply 2

Begum1974

Hi I have a management degree and work full time. I wanted a different career path and looking at the SQE prep course. As I have no knowledge of the law concepts / modules. Do you think it would be too difficult to jump straight to the prep courses without any foundation knowledge. I was looking at Barbari and QLTS. Both providers have advised I could go straight to the prep course and I could learn all the foundation concepts from there material. My style of learning is move visual / videos - as just reading books trying to teach yourself i think would be more difficult. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I am so confused. Thanks