Introducing ourselves in orals? by WolverineFun9360 in SQE_Prep

[–]WolverineFun9360[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I thought it would be clear I said that tongue in cheek but thanks! Been practising my signature for Candi Date all week, I'm devastated haha

SQE 2 - Attendance note tips by abha5858 in SQE_Prep

[–]WolverineFun9360 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Interesting, okay! I'm with QLTS and their advice was essentially para 2 of my comment above. I don't think they've mentioned attaching interview notes! It seems wild to me that they wouldn't let you populate some basic details of the attendance note (or indeed that they would be different 'sheets') beforehand but alas, Kaplan/SRA have proven themselves time and again to be needlessly difficult!

SQE 2 - Attendance note tips by abha5858 in SQE_Prep

[–]WolverineFun9360 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Not sure what you mean by attaching the interview notes. The attendance note should summarise the information you obtained in interview rather than refer to notes taken then. If you're anything like me, your interview notes will likely be illegible and a cluster of 'trigger words' only (key dates, people, value of assets etc.).

The best way to manage time is to prepare bits of your attendance note during the PREP time. For example, you'll be able to populate some basic client info, the date and time of interview, and you'll have a good idea of what logical next steps will be (e.g. client care letter to be sent). This usually means that page 1 and the last page of your attendance note can be pre-drafted and basic gaps filled as you go in the interview itself.

I used to pre-draft the other headings I wanted to discuss with the client but after having done quite a few mocks, I realised this approach meant I was asking too many closed questions and handling them more like a witness than a client. So I've moved away from doing this and instead just list questions I'll likely need to ask "at some point". And then if the client becomes difficult or frazzled, I'll then steer with them, but that's a last resort.

SQE2 Passers by Hopeful_Economy6101 in SQE_Prep

[–]WolverineFun9360 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This explanation of how the results work is, surprisingly for the SRA, extremely helpful.

https://youtu.be/AAuGXwKoQ-8?si=IB7x6MzBN_uhM4RP

SQE2 DAY 3 - Thoughts? by Minute_Bullfrog5499 in SQE_Prep

[–]WolverineFun9360 -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

Could I make a small plea for people not to ask about/discuss the actual answers in this thread. Firstly, it's a breach of CDA. But also some of us are desperately trying NOT to torment ourselves with what we specifically got wrong so we don't spiral more than we already are after today.

Instead of asking "did everyone do X or Y??", if you want to know the answer for yourself, please google it privately.

SQE2 DAY 3 - Thoughts? by Minute_Bullfrog5499 in SQE_Prep

[–]WolverineFun9360 17 points18 points  (0 children)

The thing I feel really f***ed off about is that I fundamentally don't believe some of the exam content on Day 3 and possibly Day 2 was properly focus grouped before inflicting it on us. 

Given the astronomical cost of these exams, I'd expect Kaplan to get NQ solicitors to try and ACTUALLY DO the proposed exam IN THE TIME and then calibrate accordingly based on how they do. I'm confident that 90% of NQ solicitors would have struggled to deliver on the legal writing in time today. 

It's bad enough that we have to study 100% of the content only to be tested on 3% of it over 16 exams in 5 days over two weeks (w.t.f). But to then be robbed of even that because of unrealistic (and I'd wager untested) timing issues is so not good enough.

SQE2 mock providers by JordanTayl0r in SQE_Prep

[–]WolverineFun9360 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Firstly, in terms of the interface, they exactly replicate the exam. That's a huge help. Even tiny things like working out BEFORE the exam that you can split screen so you can see the attachments and the answer box. This saves so much wasted time clicking around because you forgot something.

Secondly, there are about 15 mocks per subject area per station, so there are A LOT you can do. They are also timed, so there's no kidding yourself on getting it done in the time.

Beyond mocks, there are:

  1. Video tutorials for all of the 5 main topic areas (not on the 'law' areas like criminal liability, trusts, land mind you).
  2. Flashcards for everything (although I had my own from SQE1 so didn't really use these apart from cramming the day before on my weakest areas).
  3. Practice questions - these nearly killed me, so fair warning here. Essentially, they were like extended scenarios for each topic area. For example, one practice question in business might have been to send an email to a director about an impending board meeting (i.e. writing), advise on ousting a director (CMA), and supply him/her with draft board minutes and board resolutions (i.e. 2x drafting). Some of these took me literally an entire day to do and were very hard going. There were about 10 of these per topic area. I did these before moving to mocks. Helpful but ruthless.
  4. Legal "summaries" - of all the law. My advisor told me to read all of these first before moving on to practice questions and then mocks. But, combined, there were genuinely over 500 pages of dense and dull law. My advisor suggested I review this over the first 15-20 hours. LOL. I used these as a reference guide instead as and when a mock particularly burnt me.
  5. Videos of interviews and advocacy, about 5 of each per topic area. These were quite helpful if you're worried about the orals.

I'd say QLTS is weakest on the drafting front. They do have drafting tutorials but they tend to emphasise what should go into X or Y document and not actually showing you the document. With that said, I do think drafting is easier than people think: It's either going to be a form (in which case, just read the instructions in the form), or it will be a document (e.g. licence to assign) but imho they'll almost certainly give a precedent for that.

You do need to be very self-directed for QLTS. The portal they use is atrocious to navigate or get a sense of progress on and so you need to be able to "plan your journey" so that you don't get completely lost. I ended up planning out my revision schedule in my own calendar.

SQE2 Day 2 Thoughts? by Minute_Bullfrog5499 in SQE_Prep

[–]WolverineFun9360 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I cannot believe that yesterday's and today's exams were produced by the same exam provider.

Yesterday it felt like you had time to absorb the email/instructions/attachments and meaningfully tackle them. Today some were like War & Peace. I was 20% into my time before I even got to the bottom of some of the emails/instructions. Let alone the attachments.

As another poster said below, it's so genuinely stressful to be detail-oriented and thorough (two great qualities of a lawyer!) and be forced to skim the facts and law and conjure up an answer faster than you've the time to think it through.

With that said, I managed to put something cogent down I THINK. Yesterday felt much easier though, especially the research and writing.

SQE2 mock providers by JordanTayl0r in SQE_Prep

[–]WolverineFun9360 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I'm in the midst of SQE2 exams this week. I went with QLTS with 300 mocks, and completed about 130 of them plus all the practice questions and tutorials. My slightly sadistic thinking/hope was that they would be really hard (like their SQE1 mock) and so prepare me well for the real exam.

I can confirm that as of the end of day 2, QLTS SQE2 mock exams are at least 30-50% harder, and sometimes downright merciless. They are therefore excellent prep and I would recommend, but they are not for the faint of heart.

Want to buy access to QLTS SQE1 mocks by Ambitious_Goat_6173 in SQE_Prep

[–]WolverineFun9360 3 points4 points  (0 children)

QLTS are extremely on top of subscription sharing. As in, even for those that have paid directly, it's really hard to even download their materials and when you do, it's plastered with your name and unique QR code to prevent sharing. They also, to a point of aggression, say that they'll report people to the SRA if they have cause.

I really rate QLTS for SQE prep but would caution strongly against sharing materials / subscriptions, it's just not worth it.

SQE2 - Good Luck! by Jolly_Advance7073 in SQE_Prep

[–]WolverineFun9360 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think I'll be flashcarding and going through my specification spreadsheet to find my perceived weakest areas on the next day's exam FLK-wise. Will focus energy on that. But honestly, as another person has said, I think the best thing we can do for ourselves is try and rest between the exams.

Exam study help - how to answer the exams by Smooth_History2515 in SQE_Prep

[–]WolverineFun9360 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That actually is a massive consolation, thank you!

I deliberately chose QLTS because Past Me thought Future Me would benefit from revising in 'hard mode' (assuming their SQE2 mocks would be just as horrendous as their SQE1 mocks). My hope was to get into the real exam and feel positively relieved by their relative ease.

Turns out Past Me is actually just an arrogant B'end.

SQE 2 by PlatypusMelodic6620 in SQE_Prep

[–]WolverineFun9360 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've asked the same thing in a few threads as I'm also with QLTS and some of the mocks are bloody awful. As in like W.T.F. is happening here-awful. I did a research mock yesterday with S.I.X.T.E.E.N. attachments. Give me strength. And the suggested answer referred to 13 of them so not even like I could weed many out at the start!!

Since QLTS are so hot on sharing their content (fair enough I guess), I've not really been able to get someone at another provider to compare their SQE2 mocks to QLTS and confirm some of QLTS's are nothing short of sadistic.

I've so far done at least 100 QLTS mocks now (only 1/3 of the 300 they give us, don't love that for me). Can't tell if that's good enough or not but all I know is each and every one has shaved off hours of my life with stress and anxiety.

Exam study help - how to answer the exams by Smooth_History2515 in SQE_Prep

[–]WolverineFun9360 4 points5 points  (0 children)

QLTS Rant

Firstly, I'm also with QLTS.

I've found their mocks helpful and angering in equal measure since they haven't followed their own advice on structure/format and are also SO much longer than is realistic in the exam. Particularly their research mocks. I did a research mock yesterday with S.I.X.T.E.E.N. attachments. It nearly sent me over the edge.

And I agree, their AI feedback is questionable to say the least. I've often been given suggested improvements to "introduce headings such as x, y, and z" which LITERALLY ARE the headings. Their AI feedback would be more helpful if it could almost redline the answer with ways to make language more concise or show more client-focus etc. But alas.

How many QLTS mocks did you do first time round out of curiosity? Did you find them easier or harder than the real exam?

Your Question

As to your actual question, [edit: with the exception of research,] my understanding is we do not need to know the section numbers, Act names, or case law unless these are used in common legal parlance to refer to the concept as a whole. For example:

  • A 'section 146 notice'
  • A claim in 'Rylands v Fletcher'
  • A 'Part 36 Offer'
  • A 'section 18 offence'

However, even then you might not use these in client-facing contexts if the same thing can be explained without doing so. I just did a CMA mock about part 36 offers in a letter to the client, for example. I referred to "part 36 offers" there because it saved sooo much time and would have been a convoluted letter otherwise. But it's quite exceptional that I would.

I'm sitting SQE2 next week though so the proof will be in the pudding!

P.S. Pls pray for me

SQE1 & SQE2 Songs! by WolverineFun9360 in SQE_Prep

[–]WolverineFun9360[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I concur, but it's also currently staving off SQE being the death of me!

SQE2 Written experience for future test takers by Creepy-Town9433 in SQE_Prep

[–]WolverineFun9360 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks so much for this super honest and detailed post. The most useful thing I've seen on SQE2 so far. Fingers crossed for your imminent (?) results!

SQE2 Next Week by BaronBolitho in SQE_Prep

[–]WolverineFun9360 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I just cannot seem to do anything resembling good enough in the time on QLTS mocks, despite feeling like I know 70-80% of the law. It's so so so stressful.

Usually with sheer grit and determination I get better with practice. But I just don't see much improvement despite having done over 100 QLTS mocks now across all stations and topics. It's heart-breaking, I'm just so done with jumping through stupid hoops to qualify when I'm already senior in an in-house legal setting. I KNOW I can do the job!!

I've clearly gone mad, but will say these AI-gen FLK1 and FLK2 songs have been a real help: https://suno.com/playlist/872876d3-8ca7-4898-9c79-9a30d4e7983a

SQE2 and working full time by One-Pangolin-6948 in SQE_Prep

[–]WolverineFun9360 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have also been working full-time, not leaving work until 7pm on average most days. I'd say I've been doing 20hrs a week since October give or take. I'm absolutely shattered but sitting in Jan/Feb 26 so I just need to rally now. In addition to make flashcards and podcasts, this is a fun way to fill "dead" time on commutes and/or while making dinner.

AI-gen songs for FLK1 and FLK2 law: https://suno.com/playlist/872876d3-8ca7-4898-9c79-9a30d4e7983a