SQE2 Client Interview: A 10–25–25 Practice Routine

Official facts and product information checked on 18 October 2026.

A client interview practice session is incomplete if it stops when the conversation ends. SQE2 also asks you to turn what you learned into an attendance note and legal analysis. Practising the whole sequence shows whether you can gather useful facts, keep track of the client’s concerns and produce a clear record under the published timing.

Understand the whole task before practising

The official interview sample page confirms the 10–25–25 sequence and the handwritten attendance note. It also explains that the client assessor evaluates interview skills, while the related note requires legal analysis. A smooth conversation is therefore not the only output to inspect.

Use a role-play partner for a realistic conversation where possible. Give them the scenario information appropriate to their role, without rehearsing a script together in advance. The purpose is to discover whether your questions elicit the facts you need, not whether both of you can reproduce a familiar exchange.

Use preparation to choose priorities

Read the provided material for the client’s immediate reason for attending, the known facts and the information still missing. Identify the questions that could change your understanding of the situation. Keep an opening structure and a short priority list rather than trying to predict every sentence the client will say.

This is where a personal question bank can become a problem. If you try to cover every question you have ever learned, you may spend the conversation following your sheet rather than responding to the client. Use the scenario to decide what matters. Allow space in your notes for an unexpected answer.

Practise listening that changes the next question

Begin with a clear introduction and an invitation for the client to explain the concern. Then move between open questions and focused clarification. When an answer introduces a new issue or uncertainty, acknowledge it and decide whether to explore it now or return to it after the current point.

For example, in a fictional practice scenario, a client may describe their goal differently from the wording in your initial brief. The useful response is to clarify the goal and its practical importance, rather than assume the brief is the complete account. This example illustrates listening; it is not a rule about the legal advice that any particular matter requires.

Make notes that support the next stage

Use your notes to preserve facts, priorities and uncertainties. Distinguish what the client said from an assumption you need to check. If you miss a detail, practise asking for clarification rather than inventing it while writing the attendance note later.

A workable record does not need to transcribe every sentence. Test whether you can find a key fact quickly and whether the note reminds you why it matters. If your handwriting or abbreviations become hard to read under pressure, include that observation in the review and adjust your approach in the next attempt.

Continue straight into the attendance note

At the end of the interview block, move into the note block rather than opening the exemplar or discussing the scenario with your partner. Use the time available to organise the material, record the advice or analysis required by the task and identify the next steps. Preserve the version you finish at the stop time.

The official sample specifies writing by hand. Typing notes on a laptop can support learning, but does not test the same practical activity. Include handwritten timed work where relevant to your preparation and check your own examination arrangements, including any approved adjustments.

Review with evidence from both outputs

1. Could the client understand the purpose and structure of the conversation?
2. Which important facts did my questions actually establish?
3. Where did I overlook or assume a point that needed clarification?
4. Does the note accurately reflect the information obtained?
5. Does the legal analysis explain the implications, rather than merely repeat the conversation?
6. What one change should I test in the next unfamiliar scenario?

Use the official Performance Indicators and sample discussion for the relevant criteria. A partner can tell you what the conversation felt like; an exemplar can help identify missing legal points. Neither should turn the review into a claim that one practice grade predicts the examination result.

Use digital preparation without losing the physical task

FQPS SQE2 preparation includes structured resources and practice options whose access depends on the plan. Use digital materials to understand the scenario and review your approach. For a complete interview simulation, arrange an appropriate conversation partner and include the attendance note stage. Check whether the exercise you select is self-practice, coaching or a live mock; those are different experiences.

The official interview videos and samples provide another point of comparison. Attempt the task before watching the sample performance when you want an independent record. Then return to the precise point you want to improve rather than copying the speaker’s mannerisms.

Frequently asked questions

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Sources and information checked

• SRA: client interview and attendance note sample
• Official SQE2 samples and Performance Indicators
• SRA: individual SQE2 assessments and criteria
• FQPS SQE2 self-assessment mocks

Information checked on 18 October 2026. Dates, booking details, assessment guidance and product availability should be rechecked before relying on them. Study routines are editorial suggestions. FQPS Academy is an independent preparation provider, not affiliated with or endorsed by the SRA or Kaplan.