u/Glass_Candy741

Just because I've received quite a few DMs asking if you can write a full script for advocacy, I think you can and it shouldn't be a problem.

I understand people are often nervous and feel they'll stumble without a script. I wrote out pretty extensive bullet points that was more or less a script (bar the intro which I knew off by heart).

As long as you aren't reading off it entirely and are still taking time to make eye contact with the Judge, pause and utilise the trial bundle, you can still score well 😄

Hi all,

Considering many are done with their orals (or are set to be done very soon), I thought I would give some general words of advice that apply to both the written and oral exams:

• Please, do not spend ages overthinking your mistakes. You have four months until the results come out, so spending your time thinking about how you failed to fill in a box correctly on Day 2 of Legal Drafting or the fact you made a minor error in law in your attendance note is going to drive you crazy. It's easier said than done, but it's now completely out of your control and you can't change it.
• Don't try and predict your results because you honestly cannot tell. I'm sure when you sat SQE 1 you didn't come out thinking you aced it, and you did. The same applies; when you get your results, I am almost positive you'll have scored 4s or 5s or the exams you thought you were "cooked for". I've said it multiple times, but there's a reason the pass rates sit at the 80% mark because markers tend to be generous.
• Most importantly, ENJOY LIFE AGAIN. If (like many of you sitting now) you started a prep course in September, this is the first time in eight months that your life isn't completely consumed by the SQE. You can be invited out by friends in the evening and not have to say no or feel guilty about not studying. Pursue your hobbies, go on holiday, or just do absolutely nothing because you deserve it. And please, for the love of god, get off this subreddit. If you're on here in June posting about your Day 1 Legal Research from 2 months ago, you need to find a hobby. Put it out of your mind.

WELL DONE! You're one results day away from being done with the SQE forever and one step closer to qualification (or it may make you get there). It's all going to have been worth it in the end.

Back again! I know people have said that they found my previous tips helpful, so with the oral exams starting this week, I thought I would share what helped me do well in mine last year:

Advocacy:

• I really think the key here is just knowing the tests inside out, having an easy to follow structure and delivering with confidence.
• Make sure you speak at a clear and understandable pace because you often end up rushing when you're nervous.
• While I wouldn't say there's time to write a full script, you should be able to write out very detailed submissions if you use the aid of the bundle.
• Nailing the introduction will really help to calm your nerves and gets things off to a great start.
• If you become flustered, don't panic. Ask the DJ if you can have a moment to consider your papers and breathe.
• Not being asked any questions isn't necessarily a bad sign. I was asked no questions at the end of my criminal advocacy and got 5s. Not using the whole 15 minutes is also not a bad sign either. Don't drag it out just to try and fill the time because it's better to be succinct and convincing rather than rambling.

Interview:

• People forget but the attendance note is 75% of the mark here and is where all your law marks come from. Know how you're going to structure it going in.
• The key to the success in the interview (in my eyes) was simply being friendly and confident. Remember that the client is an actor and is likely to be nervous too. Smile when you enter the room but do not shake their hand as you're explicitly told not to do so.
• Ask open questions and things like "is there anything else you would like to discuss today" to try and obtain all the information you need from the client.
• I personally didn't have any difficult clients but if you do, stay calm and don't let it throw you. Stick to trying to get the information.

General pointers:

• REMEMBER BUSINESS CLOTHES. Someone in my oral forgot and couldn't go back home to change and I could tell how stressed it made them. I don't know if it would greatly affect your mark but you just don't want the anxiety it'll cause you.
• Honestly, I found the orals far better than the written exams. They're not as daunting as you think and they're more predictable. Nothing in there came as a huge shock and I left pretty happy with my performances.
• If one didn't go as you hoped, refocus for the remaining exams. People forget that you can afford to fail certain stations, but you can't let that detract from your other performances.
• It sounds weird, but enjoy it. It's honestly far more relaxed than I thought it would be and I found myself actually getting into the interview in a strange way.

If anyone has any specific queries, I can try to answer them, but good luck!

I've had a lot of people on here telling me how helpful my posts have been, which is really appreciated, so I wanted to offer some general advice now the written exams are done:

1. First off, breathe! You're 75% of the way through and you're now potentially only 1 or 2 weeks away from being done with the SQE entirely.
2. Please don't replay every little mistake in your mind. Your brain is wired to remember the things you got wrong and ignore the countless things you got right. The key is they're looking for competence, not a Day 1 standard. The way I think of it is if a Partner would have to redo the entire piece of work, it likely isn't competent. If you made mistakes in the law that could be rectified pretty easily, that doesn't prevent a piece of work from being assessed as competent.
3. They definitely went better than you think. The pass rates hover around 80%, and do you really believe that 80% of people come out of those exams confident they've passed? You simply cannot accurately assess your own performance. I was convinced one of my LWs was a disaster and I got straight 5s. On the other hand, I felt I smashed a CMA and it was awarded a 3.
4. There's still 25% of the exam left. Orals are a lot more predictable and limited in scope. If you prepare well, have a rough script and are confident in yourself, you will do well. A strong performance in the orals could be what you need to obtain a pass mark, so don't be defeatist. You've come this far, so give it one final push.

Best of luck! Happy to answer any specific questions if it's useful!

Another motivational post from me as I have seen people crashing out about yesterday's papers.

First off, they likely went better than you think. You're hyper focusing on the errors in the law you made that likely will not be fatal. Even if you get the law wrong, it can be balanced out by the skills element. Again, if you wrote 800 words and 100 were wrong, then 700 were still right. That's going to count in your favour.

Importantly, you can fail stations and still pass. It's like a boxer who gets battered in Rounds 1 and 2 and still comes back to win the fight. You don't need to get stellar marks in everything. Again, you're likely overestimating how badly you've done.

You're only 25% of the way through, so there's still 75% of the exam left. Refocus, put yesterday out of your mind and treat each exam like a new day.

You've got this!

I know a lot of people found my previous post helpful and I've tried to give some more advice on here recently, but I thought I would offer some final pointers to those sitting SQE 2 writtens this week.

Legal Writing:

• Keep your eye on the time. This one will fly by as you only have 30 minutes.
• Write clearly and concisely. A client won't be familiar with jargon, so avoid it at all costs.
• Structure is really important. Make sure you have an opening paragraph before jumping into the law and utilise subheadings to break your answer down appropriately.

Case and Matter:

• This one is more relaxed time wise (in my opinion) so take some time to plan your answer as it can really make a difference.
• Remember that while the report is going to form the basis for a client meeting or letter, the recipient is a partner, so there's no need to explain everything.
• It is effectively just a major FLK test. If you forget the law, don't worry. I remember getting something pretty wrong and still scored well. You've studied law long enough to give a reasonable stab at the answer.

Legal Research:

• It's quite tight for time and you need to have a plan going in. I would advise having 20-30 minutes of reading and making notes, then 30 minutes to write an answer, but you may want to adjust this slightly.
• Some sources you can immediately tell are not relevant. If you're being asked a criminal question, you can immediately disregard anything talking about negligence.
• The SRA sample is realistic of what to expect. Providers grossly exaggerate the difficultly.

Legal Drafting:

• I know people panic about LD, but I honestly found it the most straightforward of the four. It's unlikely you'll have seen the document before but you're guided well so just need to use your FLK to apply it to the document.
• Everyone drafts in a different style, so as long as you achieve your client's aim, that will be competent drafting.
• Don't stress at all about remembering specific wording of documents. You're not going to be marked down for not putting "at all material times" in a POC say.

You will be so fine. If you've managed to come out the other sideof SQE 1 with a pass, SQE 2 feels a lot more manageable (in my opinion). You know the law better than you think you do. Even if it feels like you're going to forget everything tomorrow, it'll hit you when you're writing.

Make sure you take tonight off and get a good night's sleep. The pass rates are 80% for a reason. You are going to smash it!