SQE Revision: How to Revise Different Topics

Matching Topics to Techniques
Effective SQE revision isn’t one-size-fits-all. Each topic demands a tailored approach, and matching the right technique to the right subject can make a huge difference. You can learn to revise smarter, not harder, by aligning study methods with the specific challenges of each area.

The Myth of Learning Styles
There’s a persistent belief that tailoring your study techniques to your ‘learning style’—visual, auditory, or kinesthetic—makes learning more effective. Yet research, including a comprehensive 2008 study by Harold Pashler, has shown little evidence that this improves results.

The key isn’t matching methods to personal preferences, but aligning strategies with the type of material you’re learning.

  • Use visual representations (diagrams, timelines) for sequences or procedural steps.

  • Use real-world examples for abstract legal principles.

  • Combine multiple methods: reading, writing, speaking, applying, mapping.

What matters is not who you are, but what the material demands.

Understanding vs. Memorisation: When to Switch Gears
The SQE demands both deep legal reasoning and strong factual recall. The trick is knowing when to focus on understanding and when to memorise.

  • Understand conceptual areas (e.g. “consideration” in Contract Law).

  • Memorise fixed rules, deadlines, steps, and calculations (e.g. filing dates, ethical rules).

Rule of Thumb:

  • Understand broad principles → to adapt to new scenarios.

  • Memorise hard data → for precise recall under exam pressure.

Procedural Structuring and Flowcharting
The SQE is not open-book. How you structure your notes affects recall speed and accuracy.

Organise notes in the sequence of real legal practice, not by topic.

Example – Civil Litigation Flow:

  1. Pre-Action Protocol

  2. Claim Form Issued

  3. Particulars of Claim

  4. Defence / Counterclaim

  5. Directions Questionnaire

  6. Case Management Conference

  7. Trial

  8. Judgment / Enforcement

Using Flowcharts for Legal Knowledge
Flowcharts are powerful for procedural areas like Property Practice, Dispute Resolution, and Wills & Intestacy.

  • Build one comprehensive chart per process.

  • Use colour codes for clarity:
    🔴 Red: Time-sensitive steps
    🔵 Blue: Decision points
    🟢 Green: Client communication

Integrate calculations directly into your flowcharts (e.g. Solicitors’ Accounts).

Using Legal Checklists
Checklists are perfect for quick reviews and mental rehearsals.

Example – Exchange & Completion Checklist:
✅ Confirm final contract version with client
✅ Check mortgage funds received
✅ Ensure deposit in client account
✅ Call seller’s solicitor to exchange
✅ Send completion statement to client
✅ Submit SDLT return post-completion

Visual Comparisons – Tables & Charts
Tables simplify distinctions between technical legal concepts.

Example – Business Structures
Sole Trader – Unlimited liability | Income Tax | Minimal regulation
Partnership – Joint/Several | Partners taxed individually | Partnership Act 1890
LLP – Limited | Self-assessment | LLP Regs 2001
Limited Company – Limited | Corporation Tax | Companies Act 2006

Example – Execution Formalities
Contract – 1 signature | No witness | Not necessarily in writing
Deed – Signed + witnessed | Yes | Must be written
Will – Testator + 2 witnesses | Yes (2) | Must be written

These visuals clarify patterns, exceptions, and reduce overload.

Scenario-Based SQE Revision
The SQE tests practical application, not rote theory. Tie every rule to a realistic scenario.

Mini-Scenarios:

  • Offer & Acceptance: Party A offers £10,000 → Party B counters £9,000 → Original offer terminated.

  • Trusts: Aunt Jane leaves money for her dog → Fails as beneficiary isn’t a legal person.

Create a cast of recurring clients and apply new rules to their evolving situations—great for Ethics, Litigation, and Wills.

Linking Legal Concepts & Integrating Approaches
Law isn’t siloed. Build cross-topic links to boost understanding and retention.

  • Compare execution requirements (contracts, deeds, wills).

  • Map relationships between legal actors (e.g. settlor → trustee → beneficiary).

  • Diagram business entity connections (liability, tax, regulation).

These visual and conceptual links build a practical, connected legal mindset.

Integrated Approaches for Complex Subjects

Dispute Resolution

  • Combine flowcharts with scenario-based walkthroughs and key timeline memorisation.

Business Law

  • Use charts to compare structures and apply to client case studies.

Property Practice & Wills

  • Build end-to-end maps of transactions and stage-specific checklists.

Trusts & Solicitors’ Accounts

  • Link relational diagrams with calculation steps and client context.

Ethics

  • Integrate ethical analysis into every scenario—spot conflicts and duties naturally.

Summary

  • Choose methods based on material, not “learning style.”

  • Visuals for processes, examples for abstract rules.

  • Understand concepts, memorise fixed rules.

  • Structure procedural topics as workflows and checklists.

  • Use tables and charts for clarity and comparison.

  • Practise scenario-based application of every rule.

  • Link and integrate topics for a holistic understanding