SQE at BPP or College Legal Practice?

[maxy234]

Hey everyone,

I recently completed my LLB at a university that's not part of the Russell Group, and unfortunately, I haven't secured a training contract. However, I'm determined to kickstart my preparation for the SQE early next year.

• I've been looking into the College Legal Practice as a potential option, but I haven't been able to find any feedback from students beyond what's on their website. If anyone here has taken their SQE prep courses, I'd love to hear about your experiences!
• On a related note, I'm also considering the BPP, SQE/LLM preparation course. Has anyone here attended their online or in-person classes? I'm particularly curious whether attending the course online would make me miss out on any important interactions or resources compared to in-person instruction. I'd also appreciate any comments or insights you can provide about the Sqe prep course or the provider.

Thank you

 

[danieltuboss]

@College of Legal Practice team perhaps might help giving some information here.

 

[College of Legal Practice team]

Hi - you are very welcome to get in touch with the following students, to ask them about The College of Legal Practice prep course experience
- Dan Abel
- Ben Palmer
- Mary Brunt
- Ruth Ekong
- Emma Powell
- Erin Tschiderer

 

[Mimi24]

Hi!

I am currently at BPP completing their SQE Preparation Course. I am specifically on the City Consortium Programme (CCP) as I am a sponsored student, but the only difference there is between CCP and the usual prep course, is that CCP does an extra module (that has nothing to do with the SQE).

I have been a student at BPP for the GDL and then both SQE 1 and 2 Prep Courses (I am currently revising for my SQE2 exams at the end of July). I would say overall BPP is not the best university, it is not like an undergraduate course in terms of support and pastoral care. However, in terms of providing the information needed for the exam, it does get the job done. I passed my SQE1 exams in the top quintile of the country.

I personally did my classes in person and if you have a choice and the ability to attend in person I would highly recommend this. Whenever a class was put online due to strikes/etc, I definitely did not get as much out of it as my usual in-person classes. You build a real network of people within your class with whom you can share notes, ask questions and generally complain about SQE/BPP to. However, you would not miss out on any resources by not attending in person - the classes online are exact replicas of the in person classes. Both use digital document delivery and so in terms of resources you would not be missing out at all.

SQE1 Prep is quite an intensive course at BPP. You will probably be in classes for 3 days a week minimum and each class is 2 hours long. You will study Criminal Practice, Dispute Resolution, Business, Property Practice and Wills across your first term. The information is delivered by powerpoint presentations which you read and prepare at home with tasks before turning up to class to discuss what you have read/complete further tasks. I would say that this is a good cycle as it is quite repetitive which is vital for memorising for SQE 1 content. There are also practice MCQs and both formative and summative exams to help prepare you for the actual exam. I would recommend the SQE 1 Prep course at BPP, as despite BPP's issues, I think the actual content covers the vast majority of stuff in SQE and I went into the exam feeling very prepared.

I would have to note that the SQE 2 prep course is NOT very good at all. We were given some slideshows about the skills which were more tailored to barristers than solicitors and then we had one week of classes in which we discussed the SRA mark scheme. We had no actual teaching of the skills of advocacy or drafting, which are two of the hardest skills in SQE 2. I would say however that BPP have provided lots of practice questions and we have done diagnostics and mocks in all of the skills and had feedback on this. Maybe go into SQE 1 Prep and keep an eye out for opportunities to practice advocacy or drafting during that course in order to get ahead for SQE 2.

This is probably not that helpful, as it is a mixed review, but overall BPP can get you through the exams, but I would just note that it is a very different experience to undergrad and to just be prepared for that. In terms of other providers, most people I know are at BPP because they have training contracts with firms which use BPP. However, I have heard that the University of Law is very good and lots of people at my SQE test centre had used BARBRI SQE prep and were happy with their experience with them. I haven't heard of the College of Legal Practice so cannot comment on that!

Hope that helps somewhat!

 

[sxw517]

Hi!

I am currently at BPP completing their SQE Preparation Course. I am specifically on the City Consortium Programme (CCP) as I am a sponsored student, but the only difference there is between CCP and the usual prep course, is that CCP does an extra module (that has nothing to do with the SQE).

I have been a student at BPP for the GDL and then both SQE 1 and 2 Prep Courses (I am currently revising for my SQE2 exams at the end of July). I would say overall BPP is not the best university, it is not like an undergraduate course in terms of support and pastoral care. However, in terms of providing the information needed for the exam, it does get the job done. I passed my SQE1 exams in the top quintile of the country.

I personally did my classes in person and if you have a choice and the ability to attend in person I would highly recommend this. Whenever a class was put online due to strikes/etc, I definitely did not get as much out of it as my usual in-person classes. You build a real network of people within your class with whom you can share notes, ask questions and generally complain about SQE/BPP to. However, you would not miss out on any resources by not attending in person - the classes online are exact replicas of the in person classes. Both use digital document delivery and so in terms of resources you would not be missing out at all.

SQE1 Prep is quite an intensive course at BPP. You will probably be in classes for 3 days a week minimum and each class is 2 hours long. You will study Criminal Practice, Dispute Resolution, Business, Property Practice and Wills across your first term. The information is delivered by powerpoint presentations which you read and prepare at home with tasks before turning up to class to discuss what you have read/complete further tasks. I would say that this is a good cycle as it is quite repetitive which is vital for memorising for SQE 1 content. There are also practice MCQs and both formative and summative exams to help prepare you for the actual exam. I would recommend the SQE 1 Prep course at BPP, as despite BPP's issues, I think the actual content covers the vast majority of stuff in SQE and I went into the exam feeling very prepared.

I would have to note that the SQE 2 prep course is NOT very good at all. We were given some slideshows about the skills which were more tailored to barristers than solicitors and then we had one week of classes in which we discussed the SRA mark scheme. We had no actual teaching of the skills of advocacy or drafting, which are two of the hardest skills in SQE 2. I would say however that BPP have provided lots of practice questions and we have done diagnostics and mocks in all of the skills and had feedback on this. Maybe go into SQE 1 Prep and keep an eye out for opportunities to practice advocacy or drafting during that course in order to get ahead for SQE 2.

This is probably not that helpful, as it is a mixed review, but overall BPP can get you through the exams, but I would just note that it is a very different experience to undergrad and to just be prepared for that. In terms of other providers, most people I know are at BPP because they have training contracts with firms which use BPP. However, I have heard that the University of Law is very good and lots of people at my SQE test centre had used BARBRI SQE prep and were happy with their experience with them. I haven't heard of the College of Legal Practice so cannot comment on that!

Hope that helps somewhat!

Echo this with BPP, avoid like the plague!

University of Law is great for SQE prep, from what I have heard.

 

[DanA]

Hi 👋

I'm an LLM student with the College of Legal Practice (CoLP). I've passed SQE1 and I'm now waiting for SQE2 results on 22nd Aug. I'm happy to answer any specific questions but I'll give a brief outline of my experiences so far.

I chose CoLP as they were the best option for me. I was looking for a course that was affordable, entirely online and had good support.

I'm reliant on the postgraduate loan to fund my SQE as my employer cannot (I work for a charity). The CoLP LLM means I can pay for the course and SQE using the postgraduate loan.

For all of their modules, CoLP has a calendar in their learning portal. For the SQE1 and SQE2 prep courses this really helped me to stay on track and understand where I was at in my studies.

SQE1 provided a lot of structured content. They break the SQE assessment specification into sub-units. Each sub-unit has a video, reading, activity flashcards and practice MCQs. In addition to the sub-units, you do timed mock exams throughout the course.

SQE2 focused on helping to bring the legal knowledge for SQE1 into practice. Each skill and practice area combination that could come up in the exam had a demonstration of the skill, activities to build on the skills and practice exam questions. You have 1 piece of graded work for each skill and practice area. You also have mock exams throughout the course. You also have access to all of their SQE1 materials to revise the legal knowledge.

One thing I really liked was that you have an SQE readiness meeting with your tutor to decide whether you are on track to pass SQE before the final date you can cancel and receive the refund.

Overall I felt well prepared and would happily recommend them. Their best quality for me is their supportive tutors. I've found nothing is ever too much for them to take time to help!

 

[MaryBrunt]

Hi,

I am currently enrolled on the LLM course with The College of Legal Practice. I started the course in February 2022 and the first module was the SQE1 preparation course. I then sat SQE1 and passed in July 2022. Over last summer I did my Personal Injury module and commenced the SQE2 preparation in November 2022. I took a leave of absence due to my little one having a lot of health issues and have now picked up again with the SQE2 preparation and will be sitting the exam soon.

I have written quite a bit about COLP on my Instagram account (@sqe.with.me). Overall, the manuals are great and cover all of the information you will need for the exams. For the SQE1 preparation, you also have videos/podcasts, drag and drop consolidation activities, digital flash cards and thousands of practice MCQs. If you stick to the course and put in the required time/effort then it is definitely enough to prepare you to sit the exams.

COLP is fully online so you can study when you like. You have regular one to ones with your personal tutor and surgeries (zoom meetings/presentations) with a Subject Matter Experts.

I find them to be good value for money, but no one is perfect. Some of the downfalls are:

• Not very flexible with timings of meetings which are scheduled for the middle of the working day where most students work part time/ full time alongside study
• Historically, questions on the discussion board have taken a while to be answered but this seems to have improved.
• Quite a few errors in the materials are picked up by students and have to be amended by the module team
• There’s been a few issues with supervisors not showing for meetings and/or failing to mark practice assessments.

My experience of the SQE1 exams was that the practice questions given by COLP were of a similar style and difficulty.

It’s difficult to comment on the effectiveness of the SQE2 course as I haven’t sat the exam yet. You have weekly feedback meetings on practice questions you have to submit for marking. The feedback is tailored to you and some supervisors are better at feedback than others.

The structure of the course is each week, you are scheduled to complete 2 build activities which are practice questions which help you with building the skill. You also have a self practice which is a full practice question which is not marked and you get a practice and feedback which is a practice question which is marked and you get a feedback meeting to discuss it.

You also have quite a lot of reading to undertake each week to help refresh your memory of the legal knowledge.

Despite the few negatives, I am glad I chose COLP and feel they are great value. Their courses are affordable and as they’re online, they offer the flexibility needed by lots of students. They are also very open to feedback and seem to take on board student comments and suggestions.

I have still managed to build a community with students in my course via a WhatsApp group which has been very active and supportive.

I hope this is helpful and wish you the best of luck with your SQE journey!

Mary

 

[Bailey2801]

I’m at BPP and have just taken SQE1 (yesterday in fact!).

I agree with a lot of the comments already posted on here - the course is tough and it requires a lot of work and good time management.

If you have recently done an undergrad in law or have done the GDL, you are in a good position. I would encourage anyone who wants to eventually qualify to take the SQE as soon as possible. Being able to rely on relatively fresh knowledge is a great benefit for tackling the underlying law. BPP do not give enough time alongside learning all the new content to go over your underlying law.

I started my degree in 2017 and graduated in 2020. I then worked for two years. I was rusty on my underlying law to say the least…

I’ve worked most weekends since the course started and it’s been a massive commitment to try and cover the workload.

Any time you do have before you start the course, I suggest sorting your underlying law notes out and start refreshing the content. On a slightly different but just as important note - go out with your friends and family as much as possible.

Re LLM at BPP alongside SQE (I’m a sponsored student so I didn’t have an option to not do one) but the time commitment for the SQE is enough as it is. I personally would not recommend doing an LLM alongside it, unless you need it for the loan.

Hope this helps and good luck 😊

 

[Law1099]

I’m at BPP and have just taken SQE1 (yesterday in fact!).

I agree with a lot of the comments already posted on here - the course is tough and it requires a lot of work and good time management.

If you have recently done an undergrad in law or have done the GDL, you are in a good position. I would encourage anyone who wants to eventually qualify to take the SQE as soon as possible. Being able to rely on relatively fresh knowledge is a great benefit for tackling the underlying law. BPP do not give enough time alongside learning all the new content to go over your underlying law.

I started my degree in 2017 and graduated in 2020. I then worked for two years. I was rusty on my underlying law to say the least…

I’ve worked most weekends since the course started and it’s been a massive commitment to try and cover the workload.

Any time you do have before you start the course, I suggest sorting your underlying law notes out and start refreshing the content. On a slightly different but just as important note - go out with your friends and family as much as possible.

Re LLM at BPP alongside SQE (I’m a sponsored student so I didn’t have an option to not do one) but the time commitment for the SQE is enough as it is. I personally would not recommend doing an LLM alongside it, unless you need it for the loan.

Hope this helps and good luck 😊

Did BBP not give out notes to learn the underlying law, are we expected to use our own notes from previous courses?!

 

[Kashishnenwani]

I’m at BPP and have just taken SQE1 (yesterday in fact!).

I agree with a lot of the comments already posted on here - the course is tough and it requires a lot of work and good time management.

If you have recently done an undergrad in law or have done the GDL, you are in a good position. I would encourage anyone who wants to eventually qualify to take the SQE as soon as possible. Being able to rely on relatively fresh knowledge is a great benefit for tackling the underlying law. BPP do not give enough time alongside learning all the new content to go over your underlying law.

I started my degree in 2017 and graduated in 2020. I then worked for two years. I was rusty on my underlying law to say the least…

I’ve worked most weekends since the course started and it’s been a massive commitment to try and cover the workload.

Any time you do have before you start the course, I suggest sorting your underlying law notes out and start refreshing the content. On a slightly different but just as important note - go out with your friends and family as much as possible.

Re LLM at BPP alongside SQE (I’m a sponsored student so I didn’t have an option to not do one) but the time commitment for the SQE is enough as it is. I personally would not recommend doing an LLM alongside it, unless you need it for the loan.

Hope this helps and good luck 😊

Would you say that BPP does not focus much on the black legged law subjects ?

 

[Kashishnenwani]

I’m at BPP and have just taken SQE1 (yesterday in fact!).

I agree with a lot of the comments already posted on here - the course is tough and it requires a lot of work and good time management.

If you have recently done an undergrad in law or have done the GDL, you are in a good position. I would encourage anyone who wants to eventually qualify to take the SQE as soon as possible. Being able to rely on relatively fresh knowledge is a great benefit for tackling the underlying law. BPP do not give enough time alongside learning all the new content to go over your underlying law.

I started my degree in 2017 and graduated in 2020. I then worked for two years. I was rusty on my underlying law to say the least…

I’ve worked most weekends since the course started and it’s been a massive commitment to try and cover the workload.

Any time you do have before you start the course, I suggest sorting your underlying law notes out and start refreshing the content. On a slightly different but just as important note - go out with your friends and family as much as possible.

Re LLM at BPP alongside SQE (I’m a sponsored student so I didn’t have an option to not do one) but the time commitment for the SQE is enough as it is. I personally would not recommend doing an LLM alongside it, unless you need it for the loan.

Hope this helps and good luck 😊

So do you think BPP is not good or does not do enough to revise the basic subjects already covered? I am in the same boat as you did my undergraduate long time ago so I don’t remember as much. I need extra help even with the basic subjects. I’m deciding between BPP and UoL

 

[MelisaG]

So do you think BPP is not good or does not do enough to revise the basic subjects already covered? I am in the same boat as you did my undergraduate long time ago so I don’t remember as much. I need extra help even with the basic subjects. I’m deciding between BPP and UoL

Hi, have you decided between UoL and BPP yet? I am currently struggling with the same decision and would love to get some feedback!

 

[j.s.cox]

I'm currently doing the CCP at BPP (essentially an SQE LLM for sponsored students). I would NOT recommend them. The materials will get you through for the SQE1, but only if you are pretty confident in your underlying law already. They don't even bind the workbooks they give you (literally just loose sheets of paper). I also really hate the PPT presentations. It may be useful for some, but I personally find it very user unfriendly. If I wasn't sponsored by my firm I would have chosen literally any other institution.

Saying that, I think it's important to note that I did pass SQE1 in the top quintile, but I think that was more down to my own hard work and the ReviseSQE books than the BPP materials or tutoring.

I believe UoL doesn't really go over the underlying subjects either, but I can't speak to that as I do not have experience with them. I have heard good things about BARBRI, QLTS and CoLP.