SQE Exam Essentials and Preparations

In this all-in-one introductory episode of SQE Essentials, we explain the entire SQE qualification pathway, including the latest rules, exemptions, and step-by-step processes for becoming a solicitor in England and Wales.
🧭 You’ll learn:
What replaced the LPC and how the SQE works
Structure and format of SQE1 (Functioning Legal Knowledge) and SQE2 (Practical Legal Skills)
Exam content, length, and cost
Who can take the SQE – eligibility criteria including academic background and English language requirements
How to register, book exams, and manage the application timeline
Understanding Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) – how to record, sign off, and when to complete
Exemption pathway for qualified Chinese lawyers (PRC bar holders) – how to apply for SQE2 exemption
How to apply for admission to the Roll of Solicitors
📝 Whether you’re a law graduate, foreign-qualified lawyer, or switching from the LPC, this episode gives you a clear roadmap and removes all the guesswork.
📲 Access the CELE SQE toolkit and application checklist at celebar.com

In this special episode of SQE Essentials, we shift focus to the SQE2 examination, offering high-impact advice from candidates who’ve been through the process and passed with distinction.
🎯 What you'll learn:
Breakdown of the SQE2 format: oral vs written stations, skills assessed, and legal subjects covered
Common pitfalls that lead to low marks — and how to avoid them
How to manage your time, mindset, and stamina across the multi-day exam
Tactical prep:
▪️ Using mock exams and roleplays effectively
▪️ Balancing accuracy vs fluency in written skills
▪️ Mastering client interviewing, advocacy, legal drafting, and case analysis
Recommended resources, including the CELE SQE2 prep programme and practice station bank
🧠 Whether you’re weeks away from your exam or planning early, these tips will help you sharpen your focus and boost your confidence.
📲 Explore the full CELE SQE2 prep toolkit at celetraining.com or in the PASS-SQE App.

In this episode of SQE1 Essentials, we break down the types of beneficial interests under English trust law — a core component of the SQE1 syllabus and vital for understanding trust structures, beneficiary entitlements, and trustee powers.
🎯 Topics covered:
Capital vs income: what beneficiaries may be entitled to receive
Vested interests vs contingent interests, and how s.31 of the Trustee Act 1925 affects minors' income
Successive interests: life tenants, remaindermen, and future interests
The principle of Saunders v Vautier – when beneficiaries can collapse the trust
Types of trusts:
▪️ Fixed trusts – requiring a complete list of beneficiaries (IRC v Broadway Cottages)
▪️ Discretionary trusts – governed by the “is or is not” test (McPhail v Doulton) and clarified in Re Baden (No. 2)
▪️ Bare trusts – absolute entitlement with no discretion
Trustee obligations under the Trustee Act 2000, including the duty of impartiality (Nestle v NatWest)
📘 By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to distinguish between trust structures and accurately map out beneficiary rights in a range of scenarios.
📲 Learn more via the PASS-SQE App or at celetraining.com

In this episode of SQE1 Essentials, we examine the formal requirements for creating and constituting trusts in English law. This is a highly examinable area of Trusts law that blends strict formalism with equitable flexibility.
🎓 Topics covered include:
The difference between inter vivos trusts and testamentary trusts
Formal requirements for transferring personalty vs. land (realty)
The three certainties revisited: intention, subject matter, objects
Why equity will not perfect an imperfect gift or assist a volunteer
The doctrine of incompletely constituted trusts and its consequences
Key equitable exceptions:
▪️ Re Rose – correct steps taken
▪️ Pennington v Waine – unconscionability
▪️ Strong v Bird – donor becomes executor
▪️ Proprietary estoppel – reliance and detriment
The rule against perpetuities and the 125-year vesting period
🧠 This episode is critical for distinguishing enforceable trusts from failed gifts and will equip you with both doctrinal clarity and case-based nuance.
📲 Access case summaries, diagrams, and practice questions in the CELE SQE App or at celetraining.com

In this episode of SQE1 Essentials, we cover the core principles of solicitor account rules and SRA compliance — a high-risk, high-importance area for both the SQE1 exam and legal practice.
💼 Topics covered include:
The purpose and scope of the SRA Accounts Rules
What counts as client money, and how it must be separated from office funds
Key duties: handling mixed receipts, operating client accounts, and transfers
Bookkeeping practices: double-entry accounting, record-keeping, reconciliations
VAT obligations for solicitors: when to charge, when to reclaim
The ethical principles governing solicitor finances, and examples of misconduct
Consequences of breaching the rules — from regulatory action to potential SRA intervention
📘 If you're preparing for SQE1 or entering practice management, this episode provides the essential technical and regulatory framework you’ll be expected to follow from day one.
📲 Explore our training notes, test bank, and ledger templates at celetraining.com or in the PASS-SQE App.