SQE Articles
Real insights from someone who has been through it. Strategy, mindset, and the practical tactics that actually work when you are preparing for SQE 1.
What Studying for SQE 1 Taught Me About Real Preparation
When I started SQE 1, I thought covering the syllabus meant I was preparing properly. If I read everything, made solid notes, and stayed consistent, I would be ready. That assumption was wrong.
Read articleHow long did you study?
I am often asked how long I took to prepare for SQE 1. Candidates usually expect one definite answer: one month, three months, six months. In practice, time alone does not reflect how someone actually studied.
Read articleNotes That Actually Help You Pass
Most SQE candidates take extensive notes. They summarise manuals, highlight heavily, and rewrite large sections in their own words. By the end, they have pages of material that look thorough.
Read articleDepth Over Variety: Why Focused Learning Works Better
When preparing for SQE 1, one of the main difficulties is how unfocused learning can become over time.
Read articleHow SQE2 Preparation Is Different: What I Had to Change
I sat for SQE2 in July 2025. I assumed the preparation would be similar to SQE 1. I was wrong. SQE2 is not SQE1 with essays. It is a different exam testing different things.
Read articleNavigating Through Exam Week
Two principles governed my approach to exam week.
Read articleHow to Build Your Wrong Questions Bank: A Step-by-Step System
Here is exactly how I tracked my mistakes during SQE 1 prep - the system that helped me pass on my first attempt. Includes a free downloadable template.
Read articleWhy Your Mock Scores Do Not Predict Your Real Score
You scored 58% on your last mock. You are panicking. That means you will fail the real exam, right? Wrong. Your mock score means almost nothing about what you will score on exam day.
Read articleThe Wrong Questions Bank: Why Tracking Mistakes Changes Everything
Most candidates do practice questions. They get some right, some wrong. They move on. That is not a system. That is just spinning your wheels.
Read articleThe Practice Question Plateau: When You are Doing 100 Questions But Not Improving
You are doing the work. Thirty questions a night. Full mocks on weekends. Hundreds of questions logged. But your score is not moving. This is the practice question plateau. And it feels like you are running in place.
Read articleHow I Passed SQE 1 on My First Attempt: The Strategy That Worked
When I sat down to study for SQE 1, I knew I had to be strategic. With a full-time job and limited study time, I could not afford to waste hours on topics that would not significantly impact my exam performance. This is the exact approach I used to pass in September 2024.
Read articleHow I Balanced SQE Prep with a Full-Time Job: The System That Worked
When I started preparing for SQE 1, I was working full-time. Most days, I finished work exhausted. The idea of studying after that felt unrealistic. I did not study more hours than anyone else. I simply learned to make the hours I had count.
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