How I Passed SQE 1 on My First Attempt: The Strategy That Worked

I was working full-time, so I could not rely on long study hours. I had to be focused and selective on where my focus should be. This is the exact approach I used to pass in September 2024.

The Reality of SQE 1

SQE 1 is tough. With a 44% pass rate in July 2024, nearly half of candidates do not make it. But here is what I learned: it is not about studying more. It is about studying smarter.

The Winning Strategy: Strategic Focus

1. Know Your Baseline

Once you have completed your foundational learning, take a full practice exam under timed conditions. Just see where you stand.

Why? Because you need to know which topics are your weakness areas. You will probably find 2 or 3 topics where you are scoring lower than others.

2. Focus on Your Weakest Topics First

Most candidates study evenly across all topics.

Try this instead: Identify your weakest topics and allocate more of your study time there. Your strong topics? Maintain them with light review.

Why this works:

• Improving from 30% to 60% in one topic equals 30 marks gain
• Improving from 70% to 80% in one topic equals 10 marks gain
• Same effort, very different returns

3. Practice Questions More Than Lectures

I know this sounds obvious, but most candidates do it backwards. They watch lecture videos, make notes, then realize they cannot answer practice questions.

Here is what actually works:

1. Do a practice question
2. Get it wrong
3. Read the explanation
4. Understand why you got it wrong
5. Repeat with similar questions

This is called spaced repetition and it is backed by learning science. Your brain remembers what it struggled with, not what it passively watched.

4. The Power of Consistency

Many candidates try to cram 20 hours on weekends and burn out. Or they study inconsistently, lots one week, nothing the next.

Consistency beats intensity.

Each day you study, you are actively recalling what you learned yesterday. This strengthens your memory far more than studying once a week.

5. Build Your Wrong Questions Bank

Keep every question you get wrong in one place. Use a notebook, a Google Doc, or a folder with screenshots. Call it "Wrong Questions."

Revisit that pile every week. Try to answer them again without checking the solution first. When you can explain why the right answer is correct, remove it.

That is how you know you are improving. Your wrong pile gets smaller.

When You Hit the Wall

The content is broad, and it is difficult when you score badly in a mock. It happened to me too.

When that happens, step away. Go for a walk. Take the evening off. Do not rewrite your entire study plan at midnight or convince yourself you are going to fail.

One bad mock does not mean you are failing. It has shown you where the gaps are.

Then come back to your wrong questions. Review them properly. You may find that questions which once made no sense now feel manageable.