SQE1 Mock Exam — How to Use Practice Papers Effectively

A mock exam is the most productive tool in SQE1 revision — but only if you treat it as a diagnostic, not a test. The goal is not to prove you are ready; it is to find out where you are not, while there is still time to fix it.

The SQE1 format. SQE1 is split into two assessments: FLK1 and FLK2. Each assessment is sat over two sittings on the same or consecutive days. Each sitting contains 90 single-best-answer multiple-choice questions. You have 2 hours 33 minutes per sitting — approximately 1 minute 42 seconds per question. There is no negative marking. Questions are scenario-based: a short fact pattern (one to three paragraphs) followed by a question and five options, one of which is the best answer. The papers are sat at Pearson VUE test centres; you cannot sit them online or at home.

How to run a mock. Use the timed mock exam engine to run a full 90-minute FLK1 or FLK2 mock under exam conditions: no notes, no reference materials, no pausing. Sit at a desk. Start a timer. Do not look up answers mid-paper. If you are unsure on a question, make your best guess and flag it — do not spend more than 2 minutes on any single question. Submit when time runs out.

What to do after a mock. The review session is where the learning happens, not the mock itself. For every question you got wrong: (1) identify which subject and which specific rule or doctrine was tested; (2) understand why the correct answer is correct and why your answer was wrong; (3) add the rule or case to a flashcard for review the next day. For questions you guessed correctly, treat them the same as wrong answers — if you guessed, you do not know it reliably.

Interpreting your score. The SRA does not publish a pass mark, but the standard is set by equating and is not a fixed percentage. As a rough guide, a mark of around 60% on a well-calibrated practice paper suggests borderline performance; 70%+ is a more comfortable position. Do not over-interpret a single mock — sample variance in a 90-question paper is significant. What matters is trend: are your subject-by-subject scores improving over successive mocks?

Timing strategy during the real exam. At 1:42 per question, a 90-question sitting leaves almost no buffer. Questions early in the paper tend to be shorter; questions at the end tend to be longer. Allocate your time strictly. If a question has a long fact pattern (a page of text), skim for the legal question before reading in full — the question usually tells you what area of law to look for. Eliminate clearly wrong options first. On test day, your preparation will carry you — do not start revising new material in the final 48 hours.

When to take a mock. Take your first mock at the end of Phase 2 (after initial active-recall work, before the final timed-practice phase). This gives you a diagnostic baseline. Take your second mock mid-way through Phase 3. Take a final mock one week before the exam. Three mocks is a realistic target; more is valuable if you have time. Each mock should cover a different set of questions if possible so you are not pattern-matching remembered answers.

Access the timed FLK1 and FLK2 mock exams from the SQE1 hub. Pair mock work with subject-by-subject practice using the per-subject hubs, and review the SQE1 revision strategy for the full preparation plan. Unlock full access with a one-time £39 founding purchase.