Failing the SQE2 feels awful — there’s no point sugar-coating it.
You put in time, money, effort… and then you get a result that knocks the confidence out of you.
But here’s the truth most candidates never hear:
👉 SQE2 failures aren’t random. They often come down to one or several reasons. And, most important, it’s fixable.
If you failed, it was likely because of one (or several) of the following.
And no — it’s not because “you’re not good enough”, or “not cut out for law”.
It’s because the SQE2 is a very specific exam that requires a very specific preparation approach.
Let’s break down the most common reasons candidates fail — and what to do differently.
1️⃣ Not Enough Consistent Revision (Especially Early On)
This is by far the most common reason people fail.
Some candidates revise “when they can”:
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a bit on Sunday
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maybe an hour after work
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a few notes here and there
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then a panic-fuelled 10-day sprint before the exam
SQE2 does not respond to last-minute chaos.
It requires:
✔ steady study
✔ repetition
✔ skill building
✔ structure memorisation
✔ regular active recall
In my opinion — and based on many successful students I’ve worked with — you need around 3 months of consistent revision to perform well.
Not intense full-time revision — but consistent revision:
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short sessions
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regular drills
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weekly mocks
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daily structures
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regular FLK touchpoints
If your prep felt scattered, your result will reflect that.
2️⃣ Not Enough Active Recall (Especially FLK)
So many candidates have the wrong idea:
👉 “SQE2 is a skills exam — I don’t need deep FLK knowledge.”
This is false.
SQE2 is NOT a “skills-only” exam.
The tasks require legal knowledge, and more importantly:
👉 you need that legal knowledge instantly, from memory, under time pressure.
If you can’t recall:
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the rules
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the tests
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the thresholds
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the structure of an offence
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the elements of a claim
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the steps in a transaction
…you can’t apply them.
I did active recall 5x per week for 3 months — and that is why I passed.
Students who do passive reading instead of active recall almost always miss marks.
If you didn’t:
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quiz yourself
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talk the law out loud
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test yourself without notes
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check what you know vs what you think you know
…then FLK gaps probably cost you.
3️⃣ Not Enough Timed Mock Practice (Especially For Time-Pressured Exams)
Some SQE2 assessments are brutally time-pressured:
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Legal writing
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Attendance notes
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Research
If you didn’t practise these tasks in strict exam time, you won’t develop:
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speed
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clarity under pressure
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decision-making
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muscle memory
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structure fluency
I see this constantly:
❌ students “review” mock tasks instead of doing them
❌ students do tasks open-book
❌ students do tasks slowly “to get them right”
❌ students avoid full timed mocks because they feel uncomfortable
The result?
You walk into the exam with zero time resilience — and panic eats your marks alive.
Timed practice isn’t optional.
It is how you build the skill of performing fast, clear, structured legal analysis.
4️⃣ Not Understanding the SRA Marking Criteria
This one is painful because it is 100% avoidable.
The SRA literally publishes the criteria.
If you don’t tailor your answers to these criteria, you are writing in the dark.
SQE2 isn’t about being clever.
It’s about showing competence exactly in the way the criteria define it.
If you don’t know the criteria, you can’t meet them.
5️⃣ Not Memorising Clear, Usable Structures
When nerves hit, your brain blanks.
Structures stop the blank.
Strong candidates walk into the SQE2 with memorised, reliable templates for:
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advocacy
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interviewing
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attendance notes
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writing
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case & matter analysis
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drafting
Weak candidates walk in hoping “it will come together on the day”.
It won’t.
Not under pressure.
Not with the clock running.
Not with adrenaline frying your thinking.
Structures give you:
✔ clarity
✔ direction
✔ control
✔ confidence
✔ guaranteed mark coverage
If your answers felt messy, rushed, disorganised, or unclear —
you likely didn’t have enough structure locked in.
Final Thoughts: The Good News
If you recognise yourself in any of the above — good.
It means you can fix it.
Every one of these failure reasons is:
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common
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predictable
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understandable
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correctable
A fail doesn’t mean you can’t do this.
It means you didn’t prepare in the SQE2-specific way the exam demands.
With:
✔ consistent 3-month revision
✔ active recall
✔ timed mocks
✔ structure mastery
✔ and SRA-aligned analysis
…you can absolutely pass next time.
Your ability isn’t the issue.
Your strategy was.
Now you know what to change.