Strategies for Exam Day: Sitting the Kaplan SQE1

Preparation for the SQE1 Exam Environment

All the preparation in the world won’t help if exam day goes sideways.

From managing time under pressure to staying calm and focused, your exam-day strategy can be just as important as your revision. In this guide, we cover practical tips to help you perform at your best when it matters most.

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Booking your SQE1 and SQE2

The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) is administered by Kaplan on behalf of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and is offered several times throughout the year. Exams can be taken at a range of Pearson VUE test centres across England and Wales and internationally, and bookings are made through your online SQE account.

It’s important to be aware of the booking window for certain assessment dates, as securing your preferred test centre and date requires early action.

The SQE1 and SQE2 exams have specific assessment date windows. For SQE1, the assessment window typically spans two weeks, while SQE2 is spread across five half-days. Within these periods, you have the flexibility to choose a location and time with the test centre search tool.

These slots can fill up quickly, and booking in good time can make a big difference. Taking your exam at a convenient location helps minimise travel-related stress, allowing you to arrive calm, focused, and ready.

When selecting a test centre, consider practical logistics such as transport links, parking availability and any accessibility needs you may have. These factors all contribute to a smoother experience.

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The Pearson VUE Test Centres for Kaplan SQE Assessment

Staying composed on exam day is just as critical as knowing the law, especially given the intensity of the assessment centre environment and the structure of the SQE1 exam itself. It is important to check the test centre information link for details such as directions, parking, and access considerations.

Kaplan enforces strict check-in procedures: you’ll need two valid forms of ID—a primary photo ID (passport or photocard driving licence) and a secondary form bearing your name and signature (e.g. signed bank card). It is also essential to check available test centres and active Pearson test centres as their availability may vary.

The names must match your registration exactly, or you risk being denied entry and losing your exam fee. You’ll also be photographed, sign electronically, and undergo an eyewear inspection.

These steps can feel intrusive or fluster-inducing, so it helps to mentally visualise the whole process in advance—rehearse how you’ll stay calm, steady your breathing, and maintain focus.

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Controlling Your Mindset

Once inside, shut out distractions. Don’t fixate on other candidates—how fast they’re working, when they finish, or whether they seem confident. Their pace is irrelevant. Focus on what you can control: your mindset and your answers.

Questions appear in a randomised order, so you might hit a run of tough ones. When that happens, avoid spiralling. 

Perform a micro-reset after every question: take a breath, unclench your jaw, and clear your mind before moving to the next. This keeps you mentally steady and prevents one difficult patch from clouding the rest of the exam.

Check in with yourself regularly—ask: 'Am I okay? Am I focused?' If stress creeps in, use grounding techniques like visualisation or short affirmations. Remind yourself of the preparation you’ve put in and that you are capable of handling this.

Most importantly, keep going. It’s easy to feel like the exam is slipping away from you, but it’s never over until it’s over. Many candidates pass even when they’re convinced they’ve failed. Keep answering, stay calm, and trust the work you’ve done.

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Time Management Strategies

When exam day arrives, knowing the law is necessary but not sufficient – you also need a smart strategy for tackling SQE1's demanding format.

The exam consists of single-best-answer multiple-choice questions (MCQs) delivered on a computer, in two long sessions per day. 

You'll face 180 questions in each Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK) paper, with time split into two halves (90 questions in 2 hours 33 minutes, followed by a break, then another 90 questions in 2 hours 33).

In total, SQE1 is about a 10-hour marathon over two days. It's a true test of your mental stamina.

Knowing the content is only half the battle – you also need to master exam technique for SQE1's multiple-choice format. The SQE exam is long and mentally taxing. The following strategies will help you approach the questions efficiently, manage your time, and avoid common traps on exam day.

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Pacing Yourself

Time is tight in SQE1 – roughly 1 minute and 42 seconds per question on average. This means you cannot afford to spend too long on any single question. From the moment the SQE exam starts, keep an eye on the clock and pace yourself. 

A useful guideline is to check your progress every so often; for example, aim to complete about 20 questions in 30 minutes. If, after 30 minutes, you find you've done only 15 questions, you need to speed up slightly; if you've raced through 30, you might slow down a touch to avoid careless mistakes. The key is to maintain a steady rhythm.

One approach is to divide the number of questions by time to set checkpoints, jotting down target times on your exam whiteboard. A top scorer mentioned writing time targets (e.g., 'Q30 by 10:30 am, Q60 by 11:20 am...') to stay on track. 

If you find you're behind at a checkpoint, gently increase your speed a little – perhaps spend 5-10 seconds less per question moving forward to catch up. But do not panic; remember some questions might be shorter/easier and take less than 1.7 minutes, giving you a buffer for longer ones.

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Using the Flag Function

The SQE1 interface has a flagging function – use it. You can mark questions that you found difficult or weren't sure about, and if time permits, at the end of the section, you can return to review them (just be careful to manage the time so that you do get that review opportunity).

One candidate described a helpful system: she split her erasable whiteboard into two columns – one to note down question numbers she had 'no idea' about, and another for those where she had narrowed it down to 2 or 3 options. 

She would answer everything systematically, then, if time remained after reaching the last question, she first revisited the ones with 2–3 options (where a second look could improve her odds) and only if extra time remained would she consider the ones she had no clue on. 

This kind of approach ensures that every question gets at least an attempt, and your time is spent where it can have the most impact.

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Don't Get Stuck

Don’t get stuck: if a question is taking too long, it’s usually better to make your best guess and move on, rather than agonising and wasting precious minutes.

If you’re stuck on a question after, say, 2 minutes, make your best guess, flag it, and move on. You can come back if time permits.

It’s better to give a reasonable shot to all 180 questions than to spend 5-6 minutes on a single brain-teaser and then rush through the last 10 questions with 30 seconds each.

As the SRA advises, you don’t need to get every question right to pass (pass marks have been around 55-60%), so skipping a truly baffling question and returning later is fine.

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Using the Break Wisely

Each 180-question exam is split into two sessions of 90 questions with a break in between. On the break, do what you need to refresh: eat something light, drink water, use the restroom, and most importantly, reset your mind. 

Don't dwell on the first 90 questions during your break – dwelling can increase anxiety. Instead, treat it as half-time in a game: even if the first half went poorly, you can recover in the second. Conversely, if the first half went well, stay focused – overconfidence can trip you in the next session.

Deep breathing exercises or a short walk (if allowed) can help clear your head. Also, be mindful of the time – return promptly to start the next session; being late could cut into your exam time.

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Maintaining Focus and Stamina

Five hours of answering questions is intense. Mental fatigue can set in, especially on Day 2 (FLK2) after doing FLK1 the previous week. Build endurance by doing full-length practice tests in the lead-up to the exam. 

During the real exam, if you notice your concentration dipping (eyes blurring, reading the same sentence thrice), pause for 10 seconds: close your eyes, stretch your neck or hands under the desk, take a deep breath. This micro-break can help reset your focus.

You are allowed to flag questions, so sometimes it might be strategic to skip a particularly long scenario and come back to it when your mind is fresher, rather than slog through it when you're exhausted. Use your best judgment.

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Last-Minute Review Strategy

In the final minutes, if you review flagged questions, trust your preparation. Unless you have a clear reason to change an answer (new information from another question, or a sudden realisation of a rule), avoid changing answers just because ‘it might be wrong.’ 

First instincts are often correct, and random changes can do more harm than good.

If you're truly unsure even after a second look, it's often better to stick with your first guess. Only change if you're convinced the initial choice was incorrect. 

Manage the last few minutes to ensure you answer every question. If you find yourself with a little extra time, quickly review any questions where you were torn between two answers, but do it systematically.

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Approaching Multiple-Choice Questions: Step-by-Step Strategy

Reading the Question Carefully

SQE1's MCQs are single best answer questions – meaning all options might be plausible to some degree, but one is better or more correct than the others. This requires a particular way of reading and answering questions.

Read the question stem carefully. Pay attention to exactly what is being asked. Is it asking for what the solicitor should do next (a common format), or the most likely legal outcome, or perhaps which principle applies? Understanding the call of the question will guide your thinking.

Also look out for words like NOT, EXCEPT, or BEST, which can turn a question on its head. For example, a question might ask 'All of the following are true except…' – if you miss that, you'll pick a wrong answer. Reading carefully upfront can prevent costly mistakes.

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Recognising Patterns

SQE1 MCQs typically present a fact pattern (‘the stem’) followed by a direct question. Make sure you understand exactly what is being asked. Identify the area of law as you read. If the stem is long, some candidates prefer to read the question (last sentence) first before reading the full scenario. 

This can help you zero in on relevant facts when you read the scenario. Decide which approach works for you in practice – but in any case, read all details given, as examiners often include red herrings or key nuances (dates, amounts, relationships) that determine the correct answer.

Under time pressure, a major trap is misreading the call of the question or key facts. Train yourself to slow down for the 5-10 seconds needed to really parse the question. Watch out for negatives (e.g., ‘Which of the following is NOT…’) and compound questions (e.g., ‘Which TWO of the following…’ – though SQE1 usually asks for one best answer, it's good practice in case a question is framed oddly). 

If you realise later you misread a question, try to correct it if time permits. Many silly mistakes can be avoided by careful reading.

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Predicting the Answer

Try to recall the relevant law or principle before looking at the options. After reading the scenario and question, pause and think, ‘What do I know about this?’ If the question describes a contract formation scenario, for instance, recall the rules on offers, invitations to treat, etc., in your mind. 

This way, when you move to the answer choices, you have an idea of what you're looking for (or what the correct answer should roughly say), which helps you spot it and not be tricked by distractors.

Once you understand the question, try to formulate an answer in your head. This is a check against being misled by attractive wrong options. For example, if the question is ‘What is the next step the solicitor should take in this litigation scenario?’ think of the civil procedure step from memory. Then see which option matches.

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The Elimination Strategy

​​If you've followed the earlier strategy and successfully predicted the correct answer before looking at the options, this next step may not be necessary.

But when you're faced with more challenging questions where the correct answer isn't immediately obvious, elimination becomes especially useful.

As you go through the five options, cross out those you are confident are incorrect. Often, you can immediately eliminate one or two choices because they misstate the law (e.g., an answer might claim something clearly false, like ‘a company cannot be a beneficiary of a trust’ – if you know that's legally wrong, eliminate it). 

By removing distractors, you narrow your field of contenders and reduce confusion.

Systematically rule out answers you know are wrong. This improves your odds if you need to guess and helps prevent second-guessing. One top scorer described making a quick table on their erasable whiteboard with columns for A, B, C, D, E and crossing out eliminated options. 

You might not have time to do a detailed table for all 180 questions, but certainly use your scratch paper or whiteboard to jot down letters or notes if it helps. 

If an answer choice contradicts a known rule (e.g., says the Court of Appeal is not bound by Supreme Court decisions, which is false), eliminate it. With practice, you'll often be able to strike out 2 or 3 options quickly, making it easier to focus on the remaining contenders.

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Finding the Best Answer

With (ideally) 2 or 3 options left, decide which one most directly and correctly answers the question. This is where understanding nuance is important. Remember, because it's 'single best answer,' an incorrect option might not be entirely off-base – it might just be incomplete or less appropriate.

For example, suppose a question asks what advice to give a client in a certain situation, and two answer choices contain two different legal arguments the client could make. Both arguments might be legally valid, but perhaps one is stronger or addresses the core issue better. You have to pick the one that is more appropriate given the facts.

Or, in an ethics scenario, options might include various actions a solicitor 'could' take – but perhaps only one action both resolves the issue and aligns with the SRA Principles (making it the best answer). If more than one answer seems correct, compare them side by side for subtle differences. One might have a limitation (‘Do X after obtaining client consent' vs 'Do X immediately’ – maybe consent is the crucial piece). Look for those nuances.

Use the facts provided in the question to guide you: often, every detail in the scenario is there for a reason. If Option A would only be correct if a certain fact were present (but it's not present), whereas Option B fits all the given facts, then Option B is the better answer.

Sometimes you'll read all five options and think, ‘In a way, they all could be right.’ 

This is intentional. In such cases, re-focus on the key issue in the scenario. Ask, 'What is the core problem to solve here?' Then find the option that addresses that core problem directly. The other options, while not outright wrong, likely address tangential issues or make assumptions.

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Common SQE Exam Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Watching for Qualifiers and Absolutes

Words like always, never, must, only if, best, and most likely, can dramatically change an option's correctness. 

Options that use absolutes (‘The solicitor must disclose the information in all circumstances…’) are often (not always) too extreme to be correct, since the law usually has exceptions.

Pay attention to these words both in the question and the answers. They often signal a trap or a key distinguishing factor. Similarly, if the question stem itself says ‘What is the best course of action?’, it implies more than one option might be reasonable, but one is superior – you need to pick the most appropriate one given the facts.

Words like best, most appropriate, first, next in the question are crucial. If a question asks ‘What is the NEXT step the solicitor should take?’, an answer choice might describe a step that is correct, but maybe it's done later in the process, making it wrong as a next step. 

Or ‘What is the FIRST thing you should consider…?’ – here, an answer could be something you'd consider eventually, but not the first priority. Always tailor your answer to the specific phrasing of the question.

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Overthinking the Question

One common pitfall is overthinking the question. Remember that each question is meant to have one clear best answer; don't second-guess yourself into convoluted interpretations. Not every question is a trap. Some are straightforward if you know the law. 

Don't overthink a simple question – if it's asking for a definition or a direct application of a rule and you know it, answer confidently and move on. The exam mix usually has some easy, some medium, and some hard questions. 

Recognise when something is likely intended to be a quick win and take it. Save your mental bandwidth for the tougher ones.

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Legal Red Herrings

Another pitfall is falling for red herrings – extraneous facts in the scenario meant to distract you. A 'red herring' might be an unusual detail that has nothing to do with the legal issue but could send you down the wrong path if you fixate on it.

For example, a question about a contract issue might casually mention that one party was drunk at the time of agreement; that might be irrelevant to the tested point (perhaps the issue is actually about offer and acceptance, not capacity), so if none of the answers relate to intoxication, you should recognise that detail was a red herring and not let it confuse you.

Past candidates have noted the relentless use of red herrings within the MCQs aimed at throwing people off, so it's something to be prepared for. The antidote is to stick to the core facts that determine the legal outcome and the specific question asked.

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Partial Knowledge Trap

MCQs can trick you if you have half-remembered knowledge. An option might cite a case name or legal term that you recognise, causing you to gravitate towards it, but recognition alone doesn't mean it's correct. 

Don't choose an answer just because it 'sounds familiar.' Ensure it actually answers the question.

For example, you might see an answer referencing Donoghue v Stevenson in a negligence question and think ‘I know that case, so this must be right’ – but the option might be stating something incorrect about it. Always verify the content of the option, not just whether you recall the buzzwords.

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Niche Legal Topics

Watch out for extremely niche topics. The SQE1 has been known to include a few very specific questions that even diligent candidates find unfamiliar because prep materials gloss over them. 

If you encounter a question on a point of law you've never heard of (say, an obscure rule in Solicitors' Accounts or a very specific point of tax law), don't panic.

Use general legal reasoning to eliminate nonsense answers and make an educated guess. The truth is, everyone in the SQE assessment is in the same boat for those questions – they are meant to be tough. 

Getting a couple of very niche questions wrong won't derail your chances, as long as you perform well on the core questions. So allocate your time wisely: it's better to accept a bit of uncertainty on a bizarre question than to lose time that you could use to answer easier questions correctly.

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Ethics and Professional Conduct Considerations

Identifying Ethics Issues

Ethics is not a standalone subject in SQE1—it’s woven throughout the entire assessment. Many questions that appear to test black-letter law also carry embedded ethical dimensions. Candidates who focus only on legal correctness without considering professional duties risk missing the best answer.

A common trap is selecting an option that seems legally sound in isolation but would breach a solicitor’s professional obligations. 

For example, a tort or dispute resolution question might include a side detail suggesting a confidentiality concern or potential conflict of interest. If one answer reflects a correct legal step but would violate the SRA Principles—say, by disclosing information improperly or failing to obtain client consent—it is unlikely to be correct. 

The best answer will always be both legally accurate and ethically compliant.

SQE1 expects you to read every scenario with an awareness of your role as a solicitor. That means thinking not only in terms of doctrine, but in terms of duties to the client, the court, and the profession. 

Ask yourself: does this action align with the SRA Code of Conduct? Am I acting with integrity, maintaining confidentiality, and avoiding conflicts? Ethical red flags won’t always be the focus of the question, but they are often there, and spotting them is critical.

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Client-Centred Perspective

Ethical decision-making in the SQE assessment also means maintaining a client-centred perspective. You're not just reciting law; you're advising a client. 

That means considering the client’s objectives and the practical outcome. An option might reflect a valid legal route, but ignore what the client actually wants—speed, privacy, cost-efficiency. 

For instance, if the client wants to resolve a dispute quickly, an answer that suggests litigation, even if legally correct, may not be the best one if another option recommends mediation or negotiation. 

The right answer isn’t just legally possible; it must also make sense in the real-world context of solicitor-client advice.

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Summary: 

1. Use 30-question checkpoints to manage time calmly.
   Write milestones (e.g. Q30 by 10:30 am) on scrap paper to pace yourself naturally and adjust in real time without panic or over-correction.
2. Flag with intent—don’t just mark and hope.
   Split flagged questions by type: total guess vs narrowed-down. Review the narrowed ones first—they’re most likely to yield recoverable marks.
3. Read the question’s last line before the scenario.
   For long stems, reading the final sentence first helps you filter the scenario as you read, catching relevant facts and ignoring bait.
4. Predict the rule or outcome before reading the options.
   Pause after the question stem: what’s the principle or next step? This prevents you from being misled by familiar-sounding wrong answers.
5. Prioritise what a solicitor should do, not just what they can.
   The best answers reflect professional judgement: protecting the client’s interests, managing risk, choosing proportionate action, not just ticking the legal box.
6. Use your scratch paper to actively eliminate.
   Draw an A–E grid or jot quick notes. Even rough markings help prevent second-guessing and clarify thinking when options blur together late in the exam.