SQE2 Legal Writing: A 30-Minute Mock Routine

Official facts and product information checked on 18 October 2026.

SQE2 legal writing practice should help you produce something a real recipient could use. That means deciding what the task asks for, what the reader needs to know and how to communicate the answer within the time available. The standard legal writing task is 30 minutes; a practical routine needs to include reading and review within that allowance.

Begin with the instruction, recipient and purpose

The official sample page describes a computer-based legal writing task lasting 30 minutes. Read the specific instruction before deciding whether the output should look like a letter, email or another communication. A fluent answer in the wrong format or aimed at the wrong reader misses an important part of the task.

Write a short private prompt before drafting: “I am writing to [recipient] so they can understand or do [purpose].” Use it to decide how much explanation belongs in the answer. A client and a supervising solicitor may need different language and detail even when the underlying issue is the same.

This allocation is a starting experiment. A dense file may require a different balance. Keep the overall task time fixed for a standard timed simulation, then record where your chosen allocation helped or failed.

Make a plan that earns its time

An outline should make drafting easier, not become an unfinished first answer. Identify the central advice, the reasoning the reader needs and the action or information required next. If the task involves several issues, choose an order that helps the recipient understand their position.

Avoid a generic opening that delays the answer. In a fictional practice example, an email asking a client for missing information should make that request clear and explain why the information matters. It should not begin with several paragraphs of unrelated background merely because that background appeared in your notes.

Draft for a reader who was not in your study session

The reader cannot see the reasoning you left in your head. Make the important connection between the facts and your conclusion visible. Use familiar language where it communicates the point accurately, and explain a technical term when the recipient needs it. Shorter wording is useful only if it keeps the necessary meaning.

Read a paragraph and ask what the recipient can do with it. A paragraph that only restates the file may need analysis. A paragraph that gives a conclusion without a reason may need explanation. A paragraph containing several different tasks may need a clearer sequence.

Protect a real final review

Leave time to check the parts most likely to cause practical confusion: the recipient, names, dates, the advice requested and the next action. Check that the answer responds to the task rather than a nearby question you prepared for. If you changed your analysis while drafting, make sure the conclusion and the body still agree.

Do not rely on the presence of browser tools in a home setup as proof that the examination has the same functionality. Use the official platform and current guidance to familiarise yourself with the assessment interface. The SRA has specific guidance on copy and paste; software details should be checked before the sitting.

Review one answer before starting the next

1. Preserve the answer completed at the stop time.
2. Mark where it addresses the requested purpose and where it drifts.
3. Identify the most consequential legal omission or error, if any.
4. Identify one clarity problem that made accurate advice harder to use.
5. Choose a short corrective drill and then a fresh task.

A corrective drill might be rewriting one paragraph for a client, making a conclusion consistent with the analysis or reorganising an unclear request. It is not necessary to rewrite the whole answer repeatedly. Keep the original version so you can distinguish improved drafting from a new untimed answer written with the exemplar open.

Choose the right practice mode and timer

Use guided work while learning an unfamiliar task, and independent timed work to inspect what you can produce without the guidance. In FQPS, check the selected exercise duration and mode before starting; the platform contains learning and simulation options, and access depends on your plan.

Explore SQE2 self-assessment mocks for structured practice, alongside official samples. A practice result should tell you what to do next. It should not be presented as an SRA grade or a guarantee that a particular writing style will pass.

Frequently asked questions

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Sources and information checked

• SRA: legal writing sample and timing
• SRA: individual SQE2 assessments and criteria
• Official SQE2 samples and Performance Indicators
• SRA: SQE2 copy-and-paste functionality
• 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.