Top 10 Study Tips on Prepping for Your SQE Exams

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When it comes to studying for the SQE, it demands a focused approach to preparation. From understanding the exam structure to sharpening your practical skills, the right strategy can make all the difference. In this blog, we'll share 10 essential study tips to help you prepare effectively and boost your chances of passing the SQE exams.

1. Don't waste time on tasks that don't work

Avoid typical tasks that make us feel busy but actually achieve little, such as:

  • Reading and rereading notes
  • Highlighting texts
  • Sticky tabs on pages
  • Typing up or copying out notes
  • Repotting the house plants

2. ​Create learning/revision ads:

  • Mind maps
  • Tables
  • Flowcharts
  • Mnemonics
  • Flashcards
  • Post-it notes
  • Quizzes

3. Mix it up to make it stick:

  • Use a variety of aids for the same topic - it reinforces learning
  • Interleave subjects (aka "distributed learning"): it makes learning more permanent
  • Spaced repetition is a fantastic retrieval practice to build the brain's "muscle memory". /That's what [http://Your Intuitive Study Assistant and Coach (ISAAC) | BARBRI SQE Prep - YouTube]BARBRI's Personalised Study Plan (PSP) is based on. 
  • If you are finding the prospect of revising a subject overwhelming, pick 3 mini areas within that subject and focus on those first. Then work outwards from there.

4. Gamify your learning:

  • Inject some fun!
  • Set goals, tick them off and reward yourself. It builds your confidence!
  • Try to improve your own scores
  • Get a study buddy or join study groups, and test each other
  • Think of it as a challenge or a quest, not a chore.
  • Consider a learning provider who has online learning platform and personalised study plan, with dashboards of what you've achieved so far.

5. Keep practising:

  • The SRA has published sample questions on their websites, have a go!
  • Get as much practice as you can. BARBRI offers SQE1 prep course students 3,000+ practice MCQs, plus mock exams for SQE2 prep course students.
  • Once you've gone through all the practice questions, reset them and do them again - this time against the clock.
  • For SQE1, ensure you understand Single Best Answer questions: all answers could potentially be correct, but given the context in the question, only one will be the best answer. Understand why it's the best answer, and why the other options are not the best.

  • Getting started is often the hardest part! Or getting back into it when you've had a few days' break. Just jumping in helps you to get back into the flow quickly.

6. Create a revision timetable:

  • Start early: plan across weeks, not days

  • Little and often: It keeps your mind clear to form new memories. Doing 2 hours of productive study is far better than sitting in front of your desk for 8 hours, convincing yourself you are studying because you are surrounded by books.

  • Be realistic: overreaching sets you up to fail

  • Set a timer so you build in spaced breaks: eg 20/40 minutes revision, 5-10 minutes break, 20/40 minutes revision, and so on

  • Build in me-time

  • Build in flex for when life takes over

7. Consider your study space:

  • Tro to ensure you aren't disturbed. Choose a quiet space, let housemates and family know you're studying, use noise-cancelling headphones or listen to study music if you need help in blocking out external noises, and switch off all notifications.
  • Keep your workspace tidy so it doesn't distract you
  • Change it up. Study in different spaces.
  • You can do quite a bit of learning on the go by for instance listening to or watching shorter online videos.

8. Take control of your self-talk:

  • Stay motivated
  • Stay positive
  • Defeat procrastination
  • Reward yourself when you reach a goal
  • Be kind to yourself
  • Avoid negative voices
  • If it's getting on top of you, take a break
  • Reach out if you need help. You don’t need to have a specific question to make an appointment with your BARBRI learning coach. Just having a chat can make you feel more motivated to keep going.

9. Look after yourself:

  • Build in and use me-time wisely
  • Socialise, listen to music, read books, enjoy your creativity
  • Do regular exercise
  • Consider meditation or yoga 
  • Get into good sleeping habits
  • Focus on healthy eating and your nutrition
  • Drink water

10. Minimise stress the day before and on exam day:

  • Don't study!
  • Exercise
  • Enjoy yourself
  • Read off-screen
  • Sleep well.
  • Don’t aim for perfection, no-one ever gets 100% in this exam.

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