How to Pass SQE1: Complete Study Guide

Introduction

The Solicitors Qualifying Examination Part 1 (SQE1) is the gateway to qualifying as a solicitor in England and Wales. Introduced in September 2021 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), SQE1 replaced the Legal Practice Course (LPC) as the standardised assessment of functioning legal knowledge. It is a demanding exam that tests your ability to apply legal principles to realistic client scenarios across two papers — FLK1 and FLK2 — each containing 180 single best answer multiple-choice questions.

Passing SQE1 requires more than knowing the law. You need to understand how to apply it under timed conditions, across a breadth of subject areas, and in the context of practical legal problems. This guide covers everything you need to know: the exam structure, how to allocate your study time, effective revision strategies, and the common mistakes that trip candidates up.

Understanding the SQE1 Exam Structure

SQE1 is split into two assessments, each sat on consecutive days:

FLK1 — Functioning Legal Knowledge 1

FLK1 covers six practice areas:

• Business Law and Practice — company formation, directors' duties, shareholders' rights, partnership law, insolvency
• Dispute Resolution — civil litigation, the overriding objective, pre-action protocols, trials, enforcement, appeals
• Contract Law — formation, terms, breach, remedies, misrepresentation, frustration
• Tort Law — negligence, occupiers' liability, nuisance, vicarious liability, defamation
• The Legal System of England and Wales — court structure, sources of law, statutory interpretation, the rule of law
• Constitutional and Administrative Law and EU Retained Law — separation of powers, judicial review, human rights, retained EU law

FLK2 — Functioning Legal Knowledge 2

FLK2 covers seven practice areas:

• Property Practice — freehold and leasehold transactions, co-ownership, registered and unregistered land
• Wills and the Administration of Estates — validity of wills, intestacy, personal representatives, distribution
• Solicitors Accounts — SRA Accounts Rules, client money, office money, double-entry bookkeeping
• Land Law — estates, interests, trusts of land, mortgages, easements, covenants
• Trusts — express trusts, resulting trusts, constructive trusts, trustees' duties, breach of trust
• Criminal Law and Practice — offences against the person, theft, fraud, procedure, bail, sentencing
• Ethics and Professional Conduct — SRA Principles, Codes of Conduct, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, undertakings

Exam Format

Each paper consists of 180 single best answer questions. You are given five answer options (A to E) and must select the single best answer. There is no negative marking. Each paper lasts five hours and twenty minutes, divided into two sessions with a break in between. You will encounter standalone questions and clusters of questions based on a common scenario.

How to Allocate Your Study Time

The SQE1 syllabus is vast, and one of the biggest challenges is deciding how to distribute your time across all thirteen subject areas. A common mistake is spending too long on subjects you enjoy while neglecting others.

Prioritise by Weighting and Difficulty

While the SRA does not publish exact weightings for each subject, the balance of questions across FLK1 and FLK2 means that every subject area will feature. Some subjects — such as Business Law and Practice, Property Practice, and Criminal Law and Practice — tend to carry more questions because they cover broader ground.

A sensible approach is to allocate your study time roughly in proportion to the breadth and complexity of each subject area:

• High priority (more questions, broader content): Business Law and Practice, Property Practice, Criminal Law and Practice, Contract Law, Land Law
• Medium priority: Dispute Resolution, Wills and Administration of Estates, Tort Law, Trusts
• Targeted study: Solicitors Accounts, Ethics and Professional Conduct, Constitutional and Administrative Law, Legal System

This does not mean you can ignore any subject. Even smaller areas can contribute enough marks to make the difference between passing and failing.

Build a Study Plan

A realistic study plan works backwards from your exam date. Divide the total study period into phases:

1. Foundation phase (40% of total time): Work through each subject systematically, building a solid understanding of principles and rules. Use a good SQE1 preparation manual and take notes on key concepts.

2. Application phase (35% of total time): Begin practising questions in earnest. Focus on applying your knowledge to scenario-based questions. Identify weak areas and return to your notes to fill gaps.

3. Revision and consolidation phase (25% of total time): Intensive question practice under timed conditions. Review incorrect answers thoroughly. Focus on your weakest subjects.

Key Study Strategies

1. Practise Questions Relentlessly

This is the single most important piece of advice for SQE1. Research across seven meta-analyses and 48,000+ learners confirms that practice testing produces dramatically better retention than passive study. Reading textbooks and watching lectures builds knowledge, but answering exam-style questions under realistic conditions is what transforms that knowledge into exam readiness.

SQE1 questions are designed to test application, not recall. You will rarely be asked to state a legal rule. Instead, you will be presented with a factual scenario and asked to identify the correct legal outcome, the most appropriate advice, or the best course of action. The only way to develop this skill is through extensive practice.

Aim to complete thousands of practice questions across all subject areas before your exam. Track your scores by topic and identify patterns in your weaknesses. Then go back to your study materials, review those specific areas, and practise again.

2. Understand the Law, Do Not Memorise It

SQE1 tests whether you can apply legal principles to new factual scenarios. A question will present a situation you have never seen before and ask you to reason your way to the correct answer using your understanding of the relevant law. If you have memorised rules without understanding the rationale behind them, you will struggle.

For every legal principle you study, make sure you understand:

• When it applies — what are the conditions or requirements?
• How it operates — what is the legal effect?
• What are the exceptions — when does it not apply?
• What is the practical consequence — what does this mean for the client?

3. Use Active Recall and Spaced Repetition

Passive reading is the least effective study method. Instead, use active recall: close your notes and try to explain a concept from memory. Then check whether you were correct. This technique forces your brain to retrieve information, which strengthens long-term retention.

Combine active recall with spaced repetition — revisiting topics at increasing intervals over time. Research confirms that spaced practice outperformed massed study in 259 of 271 comparisons. A topic you studied two weeks ago should be reviewed briefly today to prevent it from fading.

4. Study in Focused Blocks

Research on effective learning consistently shows that focused study sessions of 45 to 90 minutes, with short breaks in between, outperform long marathon sessions. Your concentration drops significantly after about an hour, and continuing to study while fatigued leads to poor retention.

Structure your study week around blocks of focused time. If you have three hours available on an evening, split it into three 50-minute blocks with 10-minute breaks. Use one block for new material, one for practice questions, and one for reviewing incorrect answers.

5. Master the Pervasive Topics

Ethics and professional conduct, and the legal system, permeate all areas of SQE1. Questions on any subject may include an ethical dimension — for example, a property transaction scenario that also tests whether you recognise a conflict of interest. Study ethics early and keep it in mind as you work through every other subject.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Neglecting Certain Subjects

Some candidates spend too long on subjects they find interesting or comfortable, while neglecting areas they find difficult. Your overall score depends on performing adequately across the entire syllabus. Use practice question results to identify weak areas and dedicate additional time to them.

Starting Practice Questions Too Late

Do not wait until you have covered every topic before you begin practising questions. Start practising early, even on subjects you have only partially studied. Early question practice reveals how the exam actually tests knowledge and helps you calibrate the depth of understanding required.

Not Reviewing Incorrect Answers

When you get a practice question wrong, take the time to understand exactly why. Was it a knowledge gap, a misreading of the question, or a failure to apply the correct legal test? Each type of mistake requires a different corrective action. Keeping a log of your errors and the underlying reasons is one of the most effective ways to improve.

Poor Time Management in the Exam

With 180 questions in approximately five hours and twenty minutes, you have roughly 1 minute and 47 seconds per question. Some questions will take 30 seconds; others may take three minutes or more. Practise under timed conditions so you develop a sense of pacing. If a question is taking too long, select your best answer, flag it, and move on.

Changing Answers Without Good Reason

Research on test-taking behaviour shows that first instincts are correct more often than not when you have studied the material. If you change an answer, make sure you have a clear reason — such as realising you misread the question — rather than changing it because another option suddenly looks appealing.

Exam Day Tips

• Read every question carefully. Pay attention to qualifying words such as "most likely", "best", "least", and "except". These words change what the question is asking.
• Answer every question. There is no negative marking. Even an educated guess gives you a 20% chance.
• Use the flagging feature. If you are unsure about a question, flag it and return to it after completing the rest of the paper.
• Manage your energy. Each paper is over five hours long. Bring water and snacks for the break. Pace yourself — this is a marathon, not a sprint.
• Do not dwell on the first paper. FLK1 and FLK2 are sat on consecutive days. After finishing FLK1, resist the temptation to look up answers. Focus on resting and preparing for FLK2.

Start Practising Today

The best time to start practising SQE1 questions is now. Whether you are months away from your exam or just beginning to plan your preparation, regular practice is the single most effective thing you can do to improve your chances of passing.

Sign up for free access to our SQE1 practice question bank and begin building the legal knowledge and exam skills you need to qualify as a solicitor.