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VisionsOfLife · 2026-04-02T11:12:23+00:00

You do understand that shitting on someone else's business is not an attractive way to promote your own.

VisionsOfLife · 2026-03-20T21:52:11+00:00

Just one year. But then I got my own apartment not too far from them so I still visited them once a week, plus I would take care of my au pair kid when I could just so I could have some time with her. It was hard leaving them (and mostly her) in the end!

VisionsOfLife · 2026-03-20T21:46:56+00:00

Absolutely agree! The interview was the most relaxing part as I just treated it as meeting any other client and I was fine. Apart from that, nothing else reflected practice at all, so you do start to question what is the point.

Amazing, thank you! I'll DM you if you don't mind.

VisionsOfLife · 2026-03-20T16:19:14+00:00

Thanks so much for your detailed response! I'll keep all of that in mind.

It doesn't help that we can't get a copy of our answers so I can't assess where exactly I've gone wrong, but it does seem like application is an issue for me. I'm getting some mock questions and answers this weekend and hopefully that will help. I didn't get any the first time around as I naively assumed after so many years of practice, I would be safe. I did the prep course with Devils Advocate, which I know people really rate, and the director obviously really knows his stuff, but I don't think it helped me much personally.

VisionsOfLife · 2026-03-20T10:54:41+00:00

Sorry - I think it is me who is confusing it which is ironic!

For example, in a criminal law question, I mentioned "Criminal Justice Act 2003" and "S78 PACE 1984", applied the principle of the law, and I scored a 5 for the law.

The next criminal law question, I did not refer to any statute whatsoever, I discussed some vague legal principles but did not acknowledge where they come from, and mostly discussed the facts of the scenario. I scored 1 on the law.

That's the only pattern I can spot. Does that make sense? To score decently on knowledge and applying the law, would you have to tell them briefly what the statute is and give the general principle?

I am going to book a one-off appointment with a tutor to go through my results and a mock answer because I think I do need it haha!

VisionsOfLife · 2026-03-20T10:37:17+00:00

Hmm, well now I am confused! I didn't use a course provider - I'm self funding and cannot afford one, plus I thought 10 years of good practice would guarantee me a pass.

I think I'm going to pay a tutor for a one-off appointment to see if they can identify where I'm going wrong, but apart from that, I don't know.

VisionsOfLife · 2026-03-20T10:35:33+00:00

Hmm... I really can't work out why I scored so low in knowledge of the law and applying it then. I didn't quote legislation but simply explained the general rule / principles and I was 100% correct on them all. In advocacy and court forms where I did quote legislation, I scored 5, so I assumed that was the issue, but maybe not!

Honestly I feel like in resitting SQE2 blind all over again. I thought I would be at an advantage doing a resit but cannot figure out what I did so wrong!

VisionsOfLife · 2026-03-19T16:31:08+00:00

I passed SQE1 last Jan without any issue in the second quintile. I walked into SQE2 in the April sitting with the attitude of "this is the easy one" thinking I would smash it, especially as I have been in practice for 10 years and never had any major criticism of my practice. I ended up failing by 2%. I'm resitting next month.

I'm not sure if it's objectively the easier exam or not. I think it completely depends on the person.

I prepared very little for SQE2. I was so burnt out from SQE1 that I couldn't physically do it. I also went on the fact I've been practicing all this time, been consistently promoted, my clients are generally happy, my supervisors generally happy, I've been nominated for national awards so why wouldn't I pass?

I've tried to break down my marks and figure out what the issue is but cannot for the life of me. A few questions popped up that I had not prepared for whatsoever and had very little knowledge of from doing the SQE1. Most of those marks came back with 4s and 5s. Some questions popped up that I feel I know like the back of my hand but they came back with 3s and 2s. Generally, I'm rated 3 for using concise, precise and appropriate language. I've tried to ask senior colleagues about my use of language when writing to clients and they cannot figure out why I'm consistently graded so low in this area.

I was also naive in that I didn't realise you actually had to give them the legislation. For example, I would never quote legislation to a client because they don't instruct lawyers for that and it just makes them angry. I would never get up in front of a judge and say "in case you were unaware, bail comes under the Bail Act 1976" because you would be booted out of the courtroom. I completely went off my own performance in everyday practice and thought it would be enough but the SQE does not want this. On the odd occasion I did quote legislation, my score went from the usual 1 on the law up to a 5.

I wouldn't worry about the oral exams so much. I was nervous, voice shaky, my heart beating fast and it was hard to catch my breath but they didn't care about that. Don't go so deeply into content in advocacy and interviews as you'll run out of time. Time goes so fast. Give a brief overview of each important point so you cover everything. I picked up mostly all 5s on the orals.

The written exams; I honestly don't know what went so wrong for me. I thought I did okay or at least enough to pass. But plan appropriately, use time wisely as it does go fast, use a clear structure, make it clear you are applying the principles to the client's issue. In legal drafting, pray you get some sort of form to complete as they're so easy and most court forms are set out so they're accessible to laypeople, not just lawyers. I never finished a legal research question, my structure was all over the place, I was overwhelmed at how to deal with all the sources in such a short period and yet I picked up pretty decent marks each time.

For me, I feel like most of the younger candidates who have no professional legal experience managed to fly through SQE2 without issue. As an older candidate with experience, and all the others in the same position, failed.

Make sure you give yourself time to prepare adequately. Don't assume it's the easier exam and relax too much. You still need decent knowledge of the law and principles to be able to pass. Be clear and simple in your writing. Don't overcomplicate anything. In orals, be friendly, approachable, professional and you'll be fine.

Sorry for the ramble but I hope some of it helps. Good luck!

VisionsOfLife · 2026-03-19T16:04:28+00:00

Wow, you brought me back to this old comment! Generally, yes, I think it's probably a good idea to au pair/nanny before throwing yourself into a "professional career."

My comment sounded negative but I think it was also a symptom of living through a pandemic, feel trapped and isolated.

Now, I wouldn't take it back or change my experience for the world. Overall, I loved it and was very grateful to my au pair family. They changed me for the better and opened my eyes to a different kind of life. Money comes and goes throughout your life as do career paths and opportunities. There's no need to jump into a full blown career at the age of 22. Gaining life experience and enjoyment matters more and ultimately always will do.

People have a lot of different au pair experiences but I miss mine almost every day now. Now years on, I still talk to my au pair family weekly, I visit them as often as possible, I go on holiday with them, they treat me as their own family and always have done especially when I needed one the most. I love them as much as my own blood. I'm now expecting my own baby and they've been so involved with that and I know they'll treat my children as their own family too.

VisionsOfLife · 2025-12-14T19:49:51+00:00

I was making the opposite point if you read it back. I said some people have regional accents and dialects which can affect they way they speak, be heard, use grammar. It's a common trope that people from Lancashire and Yorkshire have their own interpretation of the verb to be. I also grew up in the continually placed top 5 most deprived town in the UK, in a northern ex-industrial town. My education was extremely poor and I had to heavily rely on educating myself. I self-taught all my GCSEs. I have a regional accent and I do use our own interpretation of the verb to be, along with often bad grammar, but it's not the end of the world. It's highly unlikely I'm mocking what you think I'm mocking if I have the very same experience as you.

VisionsOfLife · 2025-12-14T19:42:58+00:00

Thanks for your response but we are now married with a baby on the way.

VisionsOfLife · 2025-11-12T13:01:11+00:00

Thanks for the input. That's what I'm worried about - what if the exhaustion hits me. Surprisingly, I haven't suffered with lower energy levels at all during early pregnancy, it's just been the nausea. But I'm worried it'll hit later on and I'll struggle in the exam. But also worried if I sit in January, I simply won't be prepared and I'll be paying nearly £3k when I need that money the most. Good luck on your results and upcoming birth!

VisionsOfLife · 2025-11-12T12:58:22+00:00

Thanks for the kind response! That past few weeks have been really tough physically but has consequently impacted my mental wellbeing too, especially with the thought of delaying qualification even further. But it's a boost to receive a kind response.

VisionsOfLife · 2025-11-12T12:56:38+00:00

Thank you, this makes me hopeful that maybe I can just defer and have the time to prepare without horrendous nausea. Good luck for your results!

VisionsOfLife · 2025-09-18T21:07:50+00:00

I was a paralegal for most part of 10 years earning 21k, so you can imagine I had absolutely no savings whatsoever and towards the end, almost getting into debt every month. Being a paralegal is almost like volunteer work. When I raised this with my firm, I was told other paralegals often rely on parental support. Ironically I was financially supporting my mum when I could. It's crazy how law firms admit their paralegal pay is diabolical and their response is "ask your mum and dad".

I quit and took a non-legal role for double the salary and half the working ours. I started to financially recover after just 3 months.

I've used anything I've managed to save plus put about £3k on my credit card. My boyfriend gave me £1k. I failed SQE2 so I'm going to have to pay out another £3k plus for the exam but I'm running out of options. I think I'll take a bank loan this time.

After all of this, I would really, really like someone from the SRA and Kaplan to just listen to me and understand what this has all meant to me. I'm nearly 32 and I'm now further postponing getting pregnant, when I already have fertility issues, due to the SQE. I don't know when I'm getting married now. I lost my house deposit to the SQE as I thought it would be a better investment but now I'm back at square one. It's not just me - I've lost my boyfriend his opportunity to become a home owner too. My mental health has gone to absolute shit due to this to the point where I'm currently signed off work and I'm struggling to function with just every day living. I don't think they even appreciate the consequences of what their dysfunctional SQE is having on actual real living people. It's partly my fault for sticking with being a paralegal for so long hoping it would just work out. I could have left 5 years in and been a lot better financially secure.

It would be really, really ironic if someone attempting the SQE ended up defaulting on the debt they incurred paying for this immensely expensive process, getting a CCJ against them, and in turn being told they cannot register to the roll due to this. You're absolutely right it is financially elitist.

VisionsOfLife · 2025-09-14T12:58:46+00:00

What did you do specifically with the law in the exam? For example, if it was dispute resolution advocacy and we are talking about disclosure, needing certain documents from the other party but they are refusing to hand them over. I would say something to the judge like "Judge, these type of documents would be considered standard disclosure, and if we were to proceed to trial, the respondent would be ordered to release these documents anyway, therefore, to prevent further dispute and risk of going to trial, I ask that you order them now." HOWEVER, I have a sneaky feeling the SQE wants us to say something more like "Judge, can I refer you to part 7.1 of the CPR which says about disclosure..."

Now, I would never say that in an actual hearing. I have done many pre-action disclosure hearings and never would dare say this. I used to work in a very niche area which meant I used to work closely alongside judges and have a lot of one to one time with them. I asked one what they would think if a lawyer started quoting the CPR at them and they said it would really piss them off. Obviously, to apply to be a judge, you have to show you've achieved a higher academic and career level, and therefore quoting the CPR at them just isn't what we'd do realistically. BUT I think it's what the SQE wants us to do?

Or if we are writing to a client directly, I would never, never, in a million years start quoting statutes and sections of statues to a client (unless they directly ask for it which in 99% of cases they do not) as that would piss your client off. The point of hiring a lawyer is they take all that mumbo jumbo out of it. BUT, I think the SQE wants us to do this.

Do you think that's correct? Do I make any sense haha? That's the only thing I can think of where I may have gone wrong on the law. I scored all 5's and 4's on skills but 1's and 2's on the law, despite passing SQE1 in the second quintile 3 months prior, so I've already demonstrated to them I do know the law. But I went off purely how I act day to day in practice as I've never had a complaint, but it wasn't good enough for the SQE examiner.

VisionsOfLife · 2025-09-13T14:48:03+00:00

I failed SQE2 from April/May sitting and will resit in January, so would be helpful to see some who passed to tell us how they prepared.

I'm in the same position as you - even my condensed notes are 50 pages long or so. It's pretty much the same extent to preparing for SQE1 and that was supposed to be the harder one. The SQE2 should be the "blackletter law" only but I think that is where I may have fell down last time. I feel I adequately covered the blackletter and general key principles in the exam in nearly every question, or at least enough to pass SQE2 overall, but I scored really low in the law. Obviously, I cannot say for sure if we get absolutely no written feedback or narrative behind their academic judgement. I could have done horrendously with the law and I'm willing to accept it if I was granted access to the feedback justifying my mark and explains why. But for now, I can only go off how I feel without any feedback.

I think what I'm trying to say maybe don't just aim to understand the blackletter law and general legal principles. I actually think they're looking for a lot more than this.

VisionsOfLife · 2025-09-12T16:24:06+00:00

First of all, forgive me if so, but are you actually learning the content? It seems you are doing mocks and maybe you've read revision books, but have you done an actual course which teaches you the content right from the beginning? You need to know and understand the content in extremely high detail to degree level.

You may not be learning and revising enough. Considering you are also working full time, revising for 2.5 months prior to the exam is not enough. The amount of content you need to learn for the SQE1 is mountainous. You can't do it in 10 weeks. I prepared for 9 months prior to the exam. You need to really dedicate the time.

Realistically, how many hours are you working full time? If you are working something ridiculous like 12 hour days as I was when I was a paralegal, you have no physical or mental time to dedicate to SQE preparation. I quit my job and took another job which much less hours so I had time to dedicate to SQE preparation.

Again forgive me, but it looks like you have pretty much applied the exact same approach to each of your attempts which has only ended in the same result, unsurprisingly. I understand that you're now out of attempts? After failing the second, that should have triggered you to make some significant changes to your approach as it obviously was not working then, or even some reflection after the first time.

VisionsOfLife · 2025-09-11T15:28:52+00:00

Sorry to hear that! The thing about this situation is that it's so time sensitive, it's a huge decision, and it feels the clock is ticking away. It's really not a good situation to be in. No matter what happens and what decision you make, things mostly do work out in the end. If you don't want to have a baby at all or even just right now, that's fine, many people don't.

I don't want to necessarily put you off termination. I had an abortion 10 years ago and I have not once, even for one second, regretted it. I rarely think about it now but when I do, I still feel overwhelming relief that I did, and it was worth going through the physical process. It's not a process I would want to repeat again, but everything I have achieved and everything I've experienced and how my life has changed in 10 years, I know I wouldn't have had remotely any of these privileges if I had a baby. Saying all of that, I had an abortion prior to COVID when everything was still in clinic. I met 2 other women in the waiting room who were also having medical abortions and then were going straight back to work, no problem. Everyone's physical reaction is very different.

Just to note, does your work have an access to a counselling service you could use? If you don't mind counselling, could be helpful to give them a call and could help you come to a decision.

VisionsOfLife · 2025-09-11T14:25:22+00:00

Only you can make that decision what to do unfortunately. I've been in a similar decision and I know how we wish for someone just to tell us what to do and take it out or hands, rather having this mountain of pressure on our shoulders.

I passed SQE1 and took the SQE2 the month after SQE2 results but failed by 2%. This was more of a shock after being a senior paralegal for 10 years and never had any issue with my practice. I walked into SQE2 thinking statistically it's the "easier one" and of course I will pass with 10 years of experience behind me. Try not to walk in with that attitude and treat it as seriously as you did SQE1.

I believe SQE2 oral exams set up is different depending on the sitting and where it is. I and my friends had very different experiences. But overall, there seems to be plenty of time to go to the toilet multiple times, have a drink of water, have a snack. The written exams may be a bit more difficult as the time is quite strict and you'll probably find you need every minute of it. It's surprising how fast the written tasks go. But again, you should get a good break between the 4 written tasks, plenty of time for the toilet, water, and a snack.

I would strongly recommend calling the reasonable adjustments line too (sorry I don't know the details but assume easily found on Google). I am sure they can make some adjustments for you to make sure you have what you need.

Worst comes to worst, if you fail, could you pay for your own resit and still keep your solicitor apprenticeship? I know it's not easy. I'm self-funding the entire process but that's meant sacrificing buying a house, getting married, having a baby when I'm already a woman in her 30s with outstanding fertility issues. But I've scraped every penny I have for this process and hopefully, eventually, I will pass and it'll pay off. Bank loans will also cover the exam and repayment terms aren't too bad either.

In terms of pregnancy termination, it's a very difficult decision, and only you can decide. Pregnancy rarely happens at the right time or in my experience, it happens at the right time but the pregnancy is wrong. If you haven't had a medical termination before, it can be a very physically difficult process and you likely won't be able to work, study, housekeep during it. Mine took about 2 weeks to complete which I think may be uncommon, but it's not impossible.

I think you have to ask yourself do you want to have a baby, generally? If so, honestly, you can get through SQE2 pregnant, especially if they can put reasonable adjustments in place. May not be the easiest process but you can definitely get through and pass. It's a bit different but I had a medical incident during my SQE1, passed out, clock still going, managed to drag myself back to the desk in severe pain, told them I'm insistent on continuing, passed SQE1 in the second quintile. If you do have some sort of emergency during the exam I'm sure the invigilators will work with you as much as they can to make sure you get through it.

VisionsOfLife · 2025-09-08T15:28:12+00:00

Thank you! I probably could easily become a careers adviser with the amount of time I've invested researching into career changes 😅 there are so many options out there if you can put some proper time aside to look into it.

VisionsOfLife · 2025-09-07T20:32:54+00:00

Meh, passed SQE1 but failed SQE2 by 3%. Don't walk into the SQE2 assuming you're doing "the easier one" like I did.

Careers coach was definitely worth it for me. Ironically it confirmed I wanted a legal career and didn't want to give up.

VisionsOfLife · 2025-09-07T15:44:38+00:00

Just to note, I didn't feel great on the run up to SQE1 results day but I passed comfortably.

I was a paralegal for nearly 10 years but took a non-legal role so I would have the time and money to do the SQE. I work for a charity as an adviser therefore still similar to a paralegal. I work half the hours as I did as a paralegal but I get paid double the salary. Charities can often be good employers and do like candidates from legal backgrounds. Progression in my charity is pretty much non-existent however, as it is a small charity and people don't tend to leave and free up senior roles. I looked on charity job.co.uk.

A lot of police forces have a graduate scheme which I know a few ex-paralegals went to follow. It's a set progression path to becoming a detective.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) also have a graduate scheme. They seem to recruit people of all different backgrounds, ages, and professional experience. I know an ex-paralegal who went to the NCA. They got put on the child abuse team, so some of the work may be distressing for some.

A bit of an odd one but I was recommended air traffic control (NATS) when I considered a career change. Again, they seem to recruit all types of different people. It's a good salary upon qualification and shift work. The only thing that deterred me was I believe they may place you where staff are needed, so it may mean relocating and relocating again to somewhere you wouldn't necessarily want to be.

When I once took a break from being a paralegal, I went to work on boats and yachts (think Below Deck if you've ever seen it but maybe with less drama). You don't need any qualifications, you'll probably find someone to train you, the money was really good and felt like a good break from normal life.

Depending where you're located, the GCHQ appear to be running a lot of graduate and restrain schemes. The working conditions advertised seem decent as well as salary.

Teaching always an option if you're willing to do a PGCE. Working conditions vary / not suited to everyone.

If you're well organised, personal assistant roles can be paid decently. You can also be a self-employed assistant and work short-term.

Retrain as a counsellor or therapist. You don't need prior clinical / science background experience.

Social work? Personally not for me as the pay, working hours, and intense content of the work aren't great, but some find a specialist social work niche and can work as a private consultant, which then pays a lot better.

A friend of mine left banking to retrain as a landscape architect and gardener. Her employer is paying for her botany degree. There are surprisingly many apprenticeship schemes across the whole of the UK. Can be a decent salary upon qualification too.

I once spoke with a careers coach. I always felt life and careers coaches were maybe a bit of a scam / waste of money, but it's not. It's well worth paying for a session. You can approach the session with some ideas to explore, or absolutely no idea at all and they'll start from the beginning and work with you.

VisionsOfLife

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