What Studying for SQE 1 Taught Me About Real Preparation

When I started SQE 1, I genuinely thought covering the syllabus was the same as preparing for it. Read everything, make good notes, stay consistent, and you will be fine. I believed that for longer than I should have.

The problem was that reading and organising notes felt like work. It looked like progress. But all I was really doing was getting comfortable with material on the page. The moment I sat down with actual questions, I realised how weak my understanding was. The words were familiar but I could not use them.

If I started again, I would test myself much earlier. Doing questions forces you to retrieve what you have learned, which is how gaps actually surface and how understanding gets reinforced. Reading alone does not do that.

To anyone sitting for exams: do not put off practice questions. They will tell you where you actually stand.