How SQE2 Advocacy Is Actually Marked — And What Examiners Reward

SQE2 advocacy is one of the highest-variance tasks on the exam. Candidates with strong court experience sometimes underperform; candidates who've never stood up in court sometimes ace it. The reason is simple: the assessors are not marking oratory. They're marking a checklist. Once you know what's on it, your prep becomes much more focused.

What the SRA actually assesses

The SRA's published assessment criteria for advocacy break down into two strands: skills and application of law. The skills strand rewards a clear, logically structured submission, appropriate tone, responsiveness to judicial intervention, and concise use of time. The law strand rewards correct identification of the relevant rule, accurate application to the facts, and a clear conclusion the court can act on.

Notice what's not on the list: dramatic delivery, rhetorical flourish, or exhaustive legal authority. Candidates who try to perform tend to score worse than candidates who plainly help the judge.

The mistakes that cost marks

• Burying the ask. The judge should know what order you want within the first 30 seconds. Lead with it.
• Reading from notes. Acceptable in moderation; fatal when continuous. Eye contact and responsiveness are explicit criteria.
• Ignoring judicial questions. If the assessor (playing the judge) interrupts, that's a signal — not a distraction. Answer directly, then return to your structure.
• Over-citing. One well-applied case beats three name-dropped ones. Always tie the authority back to the facts.
• Going over time. Time discipline is explicitly assessed. Practise stopping cleanly.

A 20-minute prep routine

Run this before each practice attempt:

• 2 min — write down the order you want and the single best reason for it. That's your opening sentence.
• 5 min — outline three substantive points, each tied to a fact and a rule. No more than three.
• 2 min — anticipate the two questions the judge is most likely to ask. Write one-line answers.
• 1 min — write your closing line: a clear restatement of the order sought.
• 10 min — deliver it out loud, recorded, standing up. Watch it back against the SRA criteria.

The bottom line

SQE2 advocacy rewards solicitors who help the judge decide quickly and correctly. Lead with the ask, support it with three tight points, answer questions directly, and stop on time. That's most of the mark scheme.