When I started preparing for the SQE1, I did what I imagine most students do. I searched for free SQE notes, downloaded everything I could find, and convinced myself I was making quick and easy progress.
It seemed sensible. Why spend hundreds of pounds on study materials when there was so much available online for free?
Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that there is a difference between studying and being ready for the SQE.
I wasn’t underprepared… or so I thought
I revised for weeks.
I had notes covering contract, tort and various other topics. I completed practice questions.
By the time I walked into the exam, I genuinely believed I was ready.
Then I failed.
Not by a small margin either.
Looking back, the problem wasn’t that I hadn’t worked hard. The problem was that the resources I relied on simply weren’t designed to prepare someone for the breadth and depth of the SQE1.
Where free SQE notes let me down
They just weren’t complete and up to date.
Most covered the headline topics but skipped over the areas that make the SQE difficult:
- procedural law
- less popular syllabus topics
- application of legal principles
- exceptions and nuances
- links between different areas of FLK1 and FLK2
Some resources were also grossly outdated, while others only gave a very basic overview of a topic.
For example, one topic that really highlighted this for me was the legal system of England and Wales. England and Wales form a single legal jurisdiction, but laws can apply differently in England and Wales because of devolution. That’s the sort of distinction the SQE expects you to understand and apply, rather than simply memorise.
The free resources I used at the time didn’t go into that level of detail.
The biggest problem wasn’t the content
Looking back, I think the biggest issue was structure.
I wasn’t following a complete revision programme.
I was collecting bits of information from different sources and trying to build my own syllabus.
The result was that I never really knew what I hadn’t covered.
That turned revision into guesswork.
What changed when I prepared for my resit
For my upcoming resit, I made two changes.
First, I switched to comprehensive, syllabus-aligned study materials instead of relying primarily on free resources.
Second—and probably more importantly—I stopped using generic flashcards and started making my own.
- Creating my own flashcards forced me to:
- identify exactly what I didn’t understand
- summarise legal principles in my own words
- revisit topics I repeatedly got wrong
- focus revision on my weakest areas
That simple change made a much bigger difference than I expected.
Free isn’t always the cheapest option
At first glance, free notes seem like the sensible financial decision.
But when you consider the cost of the SQE itself, the calculation changes.
The SQE assessments cost thousands of pounds in examination fees alone, before you even factor in preparation materials, travel, or the financial impact of delaying qualification if you need to resit.
In my case, relying too heavily on free resources turned out to be far more expensive than investing in better revision materials would have been.
My advice to anyone preparing for SQE1
I just wouldn’t recommend making them your primary source of revision.
If I could go back and give myself one piece of advice, it would be this:
Use comprehensive, up-to-date materials to cover the full syllabus, and create your own flashcards based on your own mistakes and weak areas.
That’s the lesson I learned the expensive way.
Hopefully, someone else can learn it without having to resit the exam.