Print article
Author
Author
I am a final year Graduate Solicitor Apprentice (Apprentice), currently in my fifth seat doing Private Property and Landed Estates. I recently received my SQE 1 results and fortunately passed. I shared my overall experiences of my SQE journey in a LinkedIn post here.
Upon achieving this milestone, I thought it would be beneficial to outline my top tips for those who are pursuing the GSA route to help them best prepare for the exams while working.
What is a Graduate Solicitor Apprentice
The Graduate Solicitor Apprentice course is a 2–3-year postgraduate programme, which is similar to a traditional training contract, but combines learning with (almost) full time work.
Each Apprentice works 4 days a week and has an allocated ‘study day’ to study for the SQE preparation course.
What is the SQE
The SQE is the newest route to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales. It was introduced to increase accessibility and promote better consistency and higher standards for aspiring solicitors upon qualification.
The SQE is split into two parts:
- SQE1 assesses a candidate’s Functioning Legal Knowledge through two exams each consisting of 180 single best answer questions. Candidates must pass SQE1 before they can book their exams for SQE2.
- SQE2 assesses a candidate’s practical skills across 16 scenario-based assessments, such as advocacy, legal drafting and case & matter analysis.
The Graduate Solicitor Apprenticeship programme is a demanding course that requires a lot of discipline but with the right mindset and work ethic, you can put yourself in the best position to succeed.
1. Communication is key
This programme is still relatively new for many firms. There are many teams in these firms who many never have had Apprentice before and so are unfamiliar with the process. It is important to be upfront about the requirements of your programme and inform your team of your study commitments that you are required to undertake.
You may feel pressure to take up more work as you are only working 4 days a week, but it is more important to ensure that you openly and honestly communicate how much you can realistically take on and still be able to produce high quality work.
The teams you join want you to succeed. Trust that they will work with you to manage your workload so you can effectively balance it with your studies. Work with your team to find out what schedule or process works best for all parties and keep this under review, to make sure it remains fit for purpose.
2. Organisation is vital
The SQE requires a higher level of discipline and diligence than what is expected during your undergraduate degree. It is essentially almost completely independent study. You are provided with weekly reading and tasks to complete related to the reading topic, which is tested at the end of the week.
The level of study and the resources you are expected to review can be overwhelming at the beginning. However, if you take your time and break up your tasks it does become more manageable, and you will find a work routine that works for you.
To track my progress through the various subjects, I created a comprehensive traffic light Excel spreadsheet. It had every examinable topic across the 15 legal subjects and their respective individual units. I then would test myself using mock exams and single best answer questions to see where my level was at for each unit.
If I was scoring over 75% consistently, I would highlight it green and put it to the side. If I was scoring on average 60%, then I would highlight it as yellow for further attention. If I scored anything below that, then I would flag it as red as a priority subject to revise. I continuously did this exercise throughout my programme and in the lead up to my exams until every unit was green. This is a system that worked for me and won’t work for everyone. I would recommend that you put the time in to discover what system works best for you.
3. Be kind to yourself and seek a work/life balance
It is easy to feel like you need to be studying every hour of the day when you are not working to feel productive. However, it is important to remember that the SQE assessment is a marathon not a sprint, especially when as an Apprentice. Compared to a future trainee who would have to do a full time 4-month course for SQE1, your studies as an Apprentice are spread out throughout multiple years. Use this time to effectively plan. You will be provided with a full programme timetable, so you are aware of what you will be learning in advance and can plan accordingly.
Ensure to at least protect one day a week where you fully relax and allow your brain to rest. There is a vast amount of content to not only understand but to also retain. Your long-term memory will be more effective if you ensure to take effective breaks.
I like to say – ‘Rest yourself before you best yourself’. By taking time to enjoy my hobbies like volleyball or playing on my piano, my body can relax and my mind can refresh for when I take up my studies again.
4. Rely on the support systems around you
Due to the independent nature of the course, you may find that you don’t interact with many people. The course is effectively remote, so you don’t really see other students on your course unless you are part of a cohort at your firm. I recommend reaching out to fellow students on your course or others in your network who are studying for the SQE as well and forming study sessions or group chats where you can support each other and provide tips or exchange notes and insight.
This also extends to those more senior than you who have already passed the SQE. I am very grateful for all the trainees in my firm who passed the exams before joining and were able to provide me with valuable insight on how to get through the exams.
Conclusion
While the SQE is still relatively new, with the right mindset and effective preparation, you can confidently tackle these exams and succeed in your apprenticeship. Trust in your abilities as you have already made it this far. You can do this!