How to Structure your Notes for the SQE

Understanding the material is the first step. But the SQE exam is not open book. In high-pressure conditions, how you organise your knowledge directly impacts how quickly and accurately you can recall it.

Rather than taking random or topic-by-topic notes, structure your SQE materials in a way that reflects how legal processes unfold in legal practice. 

In Dispute Resolution, for example, follow the actual litigation journey: pre-action protocol, statements of case, interim applications, trial, enforcement. This sequencing turns your SQE notes into a narrative—a story you can follow logically and remember intuitively.

Example – Procedural Flow for Civil Litigation:

1. Pre-Action Protocol ↓

2. Claim Form Issued ↓

3. Particulars of Claim ↓

4. Defence / Counterclaim ↓

5. Directions Questionnaire ↓

6. Case Management Conference ↓

7. Trial ↓

8. Judgment / Enforcement

Using Flowcharts for Legal Knowledge

Flowcharts are especially powerful in procedural-heavy SQE areas like Property Practice, Dispute Resolution, and Wills & Intestacy. 

A well-designed flowchart mirrors the real-world progression of a case or transaction, making it easier to recall under exam pressure. Build one comprehensive chart per process, rather than segmenting it. 

Use colour to highlight deadlines, exceptions, or decision points—for instance, mark limitation periods in red and procedural forks in blue.

Example – Property Practice Flowchart Key (with colour coding):

🔴 Red = Time-sensitive steps (e.g. exchange deadlines, SDLT payment)
🔵 Blue = Decision branches (e.g. leasehold vs freehold process)
🟢 Green = Client communication points

For subjects that mix procedures and numbers, like Solicitors’ Accounts or Trusts, integrate your calculations directly into your flowcharts. That way, the moment you reach a calculation stage, you’re reminded of how to calculate as well.

Using Legal Checklists

Supplement your visual maps with simple checklists. These can serve as a revision quick-check and a mental rehearsal tool—for example, running through your “completion checklist” for a conveyancing transaction without looking at your notes.

Example – Exchange & Completion Checklist:

1. ✅Confirm final contract version with client
2. ✅Check mortgage funds received
3. ✅Ensure deposit is in client account
4. ✅Call seller’s solicitor to exchange
5. ✅Send completion statement to client
6. ✅Submit SDLT return post-completion