SQE1 Study Planner
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If you are an LLB graduate, you should have studied the seven foundation subjects: Constitutional and Administrative Law (Public Law), Contract Law, Criminal Law, Land Law (Property Law), Legal System of England and Wales, Tort Law and Trusts Law. However, you should be aware that your law degree may not have covered certain SQE topics, such as Public Order Law and the Equality Act 2010.
The five practical subjects, namely Business Law and Practice, Criminal Practice, Dispute Resolution, Property Practice, and Wills and the Administration of Estates, are traditionally content-heavy LPC subjects. You should expect to spend more time studying them, regardless of whether you are a law or non-law graduate.
The four SRA subjects, including Ethics and Professional Conduct, Legal Services, Solicitors Accounts, and Taxation, are specifically included in your SQE curriculum. Most of you may not have studied them, but they are not difficult subjects, except Taxation if you are not good with numbers.
If you are a non-law graduate, you should expect to double or even triple the time law graduates would spend preparing for the SQE. If you are a foreign qualified lawyer or have studied law in another country, you may be familiar with some SQE subjects, but you should be aware that those practical and SRA subjects are specific to England and Wales and may therefore be unfamiliar to you.
Our recommended SQE1 Study Planner is divided into 6 stages, but you are free to tailor the plan to suit your study needs.
Stage 1
Subject | Law Grads | Non-Law Grads |
Legal System of England and Wales Practice Questions |
1 week | 4 weeks |
Constitutional and Administrative Law Practice Questions |
1 week | 4 weeks |
Contract Law Practice Questions |
1 week | 4 weeks |
Stage 2
Subject | Law Grads | Non-Law Grads |
Criminal Law Practice Questions |
1 week | 4 weeks |
Land Law Practice Questions |
1 week | 4 weeks |
Tort Law Practice Questions |
1 week | 4 weeks |
Stage 3
Subject | Law Grads | Non-Law Grads |
Ethics and Professional Conduct Practice Questions |
3 weeks | 4 weeks |
Legal Services Practice Questions |
3 weeks | 4 weeks |
Trusts Law Practice Questions |
1 weeks | 4 weeks |
Stage 4
Subject | Law Grads | Non-Law Grads |
Business Law and Practice Practice Questions |
4 weeks | 6 weeks |
Property Practice Practice Questions |
5 weeks | 7 weeks |
Wills and the Administration of Estates Practice Questions |
4 weeks | 6 weeks |
Stage 5
Subject | Law Grads | Non-Law Grads |
Criminal Practice Practice Questions |
4 weeks | 6 weeks |
Dispute Resolution Practice Questions |
4 weeks | 6 weeks |
Solicitors Accounts Practice Questions |
3 weeks | 5 weeks |
Taxation Practice Questions |
2 weeks | 4 weeks |
Stage 6
Subject | Law Grads | Non-Law Grads |
SQE1 Practice Test |
3 days | 3 days |
SQE1 Mock Exam | 3 days | 3 days |
SQE Flashcards | 1 day | 1 day |
If you are a non-law graduate wishing to enter the legal profession, we recommend spending approximately 1.5 years (or 80 weeks) studying all the SQE subjects. If you are law graduates, the recommended preparation time is around 40 weeks, depending on which SQE subjects you have already covered in your law degree. If you feel unprepared to sit the exam, it is advisable to defer your exam date because the SQE is costly and you are only allowed 3 attempts within a 6-year period to qualify.