Success in the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) depends not only on hard work but on how effectively you retain what you study. This guide explores how memory functions and presents practical, evidence-based methods—like active recall, spaced repetition, and interleaving—to strengthen long-term memory and recall under exam pressure.

The Forgetting Curve

Psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus found that after a single learning session, people forget up to 90% of what they learn within a month, with most forgetting occurring in the first two days. For SQE1 candidates, this means that the first 24–48 hours after studying are crucial for review and reinforcement.

How Memory Works: Encoding, Storage, and Retrieval

Think of learning as packing a backpack:

• Encoding – putting information into your memory

• Storage – keeping it there over time

• Retrieval – finding and using it when needed

However, unless you revisit what you’ve stored, your brain retains only a small fraction of it. Regular self-testing is therefore essential to strengthen retrieval pathways.

Types of Memory

Different types of memory serve different purposes:

• Declarative (conscious)

  • Semantic memory: facts, legal definitions, and principles (e.g. elements of negligence).

  • Episodic memory: personal experiences (e.g. recalling where you learned a concept).

• Procedural (unconscious)

  • Skills and habits, such as case analysis or document drafting.

Tailor your study technique to the memory type—flashcards for semantic recall, and practice questions for procedural understanding.

Spaced Repetition and Active Recall

To counteract forgetting, use spaced repetition—testing yourself on material at increasing intervals. This encourages your brain to retrieve information just as it’s fading, which strengthens long-term memory.

Example: study contract remedies, test yourself the next day, then three days later, then a week after that. Tools like Anki, Quizlet, or Brainscape can automate this schedule by adjusting review timing based on your performance.

Expanding Retrieval

In expanding retrieval, the intervals between review sessions grow longer as recall improves. For example, when studying employment law: test yourself after one day, then three, then seven, and so on. Retrieving information when it’s almost forgotten demands effort—and that effort consolidates learning.

Managing Cognitive Load

Cognitive Load Theory explains that working memory can only hold around four items at once. To prevent overload:

• Pre-train with foundational ideas before tackling complex doctrines.

• Use multimodal learning—combine visual and verbal input (e.g. watch a video while sketching a timeline).

• Avoid split attention—integrate diagrams with explanations so you don’t have to look between separate sources.

Chunking Information

Chunking means grouping related details into single, meaningful units. This reduces mental strain and helps retention.
For example, remembering the phrase “Roy G Biv” instantly recalls all seven colours of the rainbow. In SQE study, chunking can simplify topics like company law structures or trust classifications into easier-to-handle blocks.

Mnemonics

Mnemonics turn complex legal lists into memorable phrases or acronyms.

Examples:

• Judicial review grounds → “Incredibly Irrational Purple Hippo” (Illegality, Irrationality, Procedural impropriety, Human rights proportionality).

• Trustee duties → PAIR: Protect assets, Act impartially, Invest prudently, and exercise Reasonable care.

Creating your own mnemonics works best—it forces active engagement and makes the memory more personal and durable.

Elaborative Encoding and Memory Palaces

Elaborative encoding links abstract ideas to familiar images or places. The Mind Palace technique uses a known location, such as your home, to store information spatially.

Example: to memorise the order of creditors in insolvency, you might picture:

• Fixed charge holders in the living room

• Liquidation expenses at the kitchen table

• Preferential creditors in the hallway

• Floating charge holders upstairs

• Unsecured creditors in the garage

• Shareholders outside in the garden

Vivid, location-based imagery makes information easier to retrieve.

Interleaving and Variation

Instead of studying one subject in long blocks (known as blocked practice), mix topics within your study sessions—a method called interleaving. Research shows this can improve recall by around 40%.

It works because it forces your brain to switch between ideas, prevents false confidence, and mirrors the random question order in the SQE. For example, study Contract Law remedies in the morning, Negligent Misstatement in the afternoon, and Misrepresentation later in the day.

Varying Your Study Environment

Research led by psychologist Robert Bjork in 1978 found that students who studied the same material in two different rooms remembered more than those who stayed in one. Changing locations—between home, library, and café—enriches memory cues, making knowledge more robust and flexible.

Key Takeaways

• Most forgetting happens within 48 hours—review early.

• Spaced repetition with active recall builds long-term retention.

• Manage cognitive load by chunking and integrating learning materials.

• Use mnemonics and memory palaces for abstract or list-based topics.

• Interleave subjects to boost flexibility and understanding.

• Vary your environment to strengthen contextual memory.

Effective memory for the SQE isn’t about studying longer—it’s about studying smarter, using strategies that align with how the brain truly learns.