Your thoughts on this- LPC Question

This is a question for those who have successfully completed their LPCs.

If someone has worked in a law for a while, say, for 3-4 years as an assistant fee earner/paralegal, and has acquired a number of legal practice skills, such as drafting, interviewing clients, advising etc, should they find the LPC exams hard to pass?!? I am just wondering how hard the LPC is as I hear quite a few people have failed it this year. This worries me, from the view point that the course is very expensive and plus, in my opinion, if someone fails on basic legal practice skills then the question arises, are they even cut out to be a solicitor- or am I being too stringent?

So to sum up, please can you kindly advise your thoughts on LPC in general particularly for someone with a few years of legal experience.

Thank you very much.

[Del]

interesting question. To be honest, I don't think prior experience will mean passing the LPC is a dead cert. The problem is, you have to do things according to the way they want you to do it.

It's a bit like taking your driving test when you already have tons of driving experience; you have to perform at a level that is to their standard even if you already know / have your own way of doing things.

Don't let other people failing put you off. I took a year out after uni before doing the LPC. Two people that I knew of at uni went straight on to the LPC, both at different providers (Inns of Court & College of Law) and both failed the LPC.

I did not let that put me off at all and I passed. Go for it!

[mandymkrd]

tbh having pratical experience can only help you really.

if someone is set to fail, it'll be more to do with their exam technique, time spent on revision etc as opposed to having practical experience.

at the end of the day, sometimes people fail modules because they just cant grasp a certain topic, end off.

My advice to you:

Before lectures, read over text book so you have background knowledge. Re-read lecture slides with your additional notes after the lecture. Make notes, summarise, get revision notes written up ready for the exam as soon as you have finished a topic rather than waiting until exams.

Just study hard, read read read, ask questions if you dont understand.
Also do as many past papers throughout the year and ask for feedback from lecs, this way you'll improve your exam technique.

Hope this helps

[Michelle_Herts]

I do not know anybody who failed the LPC. I know more people who failed their LLB, but a lot of people I know did really well on LPC.

Think about the your exam technique and what suits you best. That is partly how I chose BPP, where I took mine. I knew I struggled with open book exams as I have difficulties time-keeping. When I found out College of law had open book assessments, and BPP did not, I knew already I would do better at BPP. If however you write really well, but do not always remember copious amounts easily, then closed book assessments are better for you.

Lastly, in addition to the LPC teaching you to carry out tasks in the way they want you to do it as Del points out, you shoud also consider that LPC covers a number of core modules as well as electives. If, for instance, you were a paralegal for 3-4 years in a conveyancing department, you will most likely be just as clueless as those who just completed their degrees when it comes to drafting a shareholder's agreements or a Particulars of Claim .

But I think you will be ok as long as you rmember to consolidate your classwork and lecture notes. Good luck with whatever you chose!

Thank you all for your replies.