The SQE2 Study Trap: Why Doing “More” Isn’t Making You Better

  If you’re preparing for the SQE2, chances are you feel busy. Really busy. Your days are filled with: note-making reading textbooks watching prep videos collecting mock papers highlighting, summarising, organising And yet… when you sit a mock under timed conditions, something feels off. You run out of time. Your answers feel messy. You forget key law. You struggle to apply it cleanly. If that sounds familiar, you may have fallen into the biggest trap in SQE2 preparation: Doing more work instead of doing the right work. The SQE2 doesn’t reward effort. It rewards execution. And many candidates spend months “studying” without actually getting better at the law or skills the exam tests. Let’s break down the four most common SQE2 study traps — and what to do instead.     1️⃣ Endless Note-Making This is the comfort zone of most candidates. You read a chapter. You rewrite it in your own words. You condense it into revision notes. You colour-code it. You organise it into folders. It feels productive. It looks impressive. But it doesn’t build exam skill. The SQE2 is closed book. You don’t get your notes in the exam. What matters is what you can recall, explain, and apply under pressure. If your revision is dominated by note-making, ask yourself: Can I explain this topic without looking? Can I apply it to a scenario? Can I do it in time? If not, the notes are just storage — not training. What to do instead: Turn notes into active recall drills: quiz yourself explain the law out loud write short recall answers test yourself without prompts Your goal isn’t to build a beautiful knowledge base. It’s to build fast, usable legal memory.     2️⃣ Passive Reading Passive reading feels like revision, but it rarely sticks. Reading a chapter, nodding along, and thinking “yes, I know this” creates false confidence. The brain recognises information — but recognition is not recall. SQE2 doesn’t ask: “Have you seen this before?” It asks: “Can you explain this clearly and apply it right now?” Many candidates discover far too late that what they thought they “knew” disappears the moment the clock starts. What to do instead: Use reading as a starting point, not the method: read → close the book → write what you remember read → explain aloud → check accuracy read → build flash questions → test later If your revision feels easy, it probably isn’t working.     3️⃣ Untimed Practice Another classic trap is practising without pressure. You attempt a mock: open book with pauses with Google nearby with no timer You get a decent answer… eventually. But SQE2 performance is about: speed clarity decision-making structure under pressure If you only practise in relaxed conditions, exam day will feel like a shock. The first time you experience real time pressure should not be in the real exam. What to do instead: Train like you perform: closed book strict timing no pausing no checking This is how you build: muscle memory exam stamina confidence under pressure Timed practice is uncomfortable — and that’s exactly why it works.   4️⃣ Mock-Hoarding Without Reflection Some candidates collect mocks like Pokémon cards. They do one mock after another, feeling productive because they’re “getting through them”. But if you’re not: analysing your mistakes tracking weak areas identifying patterns adjusting your strategy …then your performance won’t improve. Mocks are not about volume. They are about feedback. One well-reviewed mock is worth more than five rushed ones. What to do instead: After every mock, ask: What did I miss? Why did I miss it? Was it law, timing, structure, or clarity? What will I change next time? This is how progress actually happens.     The Hard Truth About SQE2 Preparation You cannot outwork poor strategy. You can: study 30 hours a week write hundreds of pages of notes watch every prep video available complete dozens of mocks And still fail — if your preparation is passive, unfocused, and untargeted. The SQE2 is a performance exam. It tests your ability to execute under pressure. And that requires training, not studying.     Final Thoughts: Busy ≠ Better If your preparation feels busy but your performance isn’t improving, something needs to change. The candidates who pass SQE2 aren’t the ones who do the most work. They’re the ones who: use active recall practise under exam conditions review strategically focus build repeatable structures and train for execution Don’t fall into the SQE2 study trap. Do less — but do it properly.