Hi Jessica
Wondered if you had any familiarity with the SQE 1 self-study course from BPP. I finish a PGDL in early May 2024 (I am starting Sept 2023) and would be looking to take the SQE1 in that late-July window. I would study it full time, so would have approx. 2.5 months to prepare. Do you think this would be feasible? Not so worried about work demands as will easily be Abel to commit 40+hrs a week to it if necessary.
Their self-study course is really for lawyers qualified in another jurisdiction or those who have significant experience working in law firms. If you are just coming out of the PGDL, then their SQE Prep course for law graduates is likely to be the best option for you but this is a four-month course, and so you wouldn't be able to cover the course and sit the SQE1 in July 2024. You may want to look at someone like BARBRI who can provide a more intense course (look for their 10-week accelerated SQE1 prep course option), although even then it is ten weeks (which would be tight on time) and I don't know how frequent their intakes for this course and whether you could start it in May 2024.
The other thing to mention is that everyone is expecting the SRA to up the frequency of the SQE1 and SQE2 assessments - the expectation is that there will be four sittings of each a year (Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct) for both SQE 1 and SQE 2, especially by 2024 when a lot more people will be going through the SQE training system. Therefore, you may find there isn't the pressure to sit the SQE1 in July 2024, but that you could sit in October/November instead, giving you time to complete BBP's course.