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How to answer a problem question

Problem questions ask you to advise a party on a set of facts. Examiners reward a structured, issue-by-issue analysis rather than an essay about the area of law. A reliable method is IRAC:

1. Issue. Identify each legal issue raised by the facts, in a logical order.
2. Rule. State the relevant rule precisely, with authority: the statute, the leading case, the test.
3. Application. Apply the rule to the facts. This is where most marks are won, so use the facts, and deal with ambiguity by considering both readings.
4. Conclusion. Reach a reasoned conclusion on each issue, then advise the party overall.

Before writing, spend a few minutes listing every issue and the facts that raise it. Facts in a problem question are rarely there by accident.

How to write a first-class law essay

A first-class essay answers the question that was set, with an argument that runs from the first paragraph to the last.

• Take a position. State your answer in the introduction, then prove it.
• Structure the argument, not the topic. Each paragraph should advance your case, not just describe the law.
• Engage with the other side. Address the strongest counter-arguments and explain why they do not change your conclusion.
• Use authority critically. Cases and academic commentary are evidence for your argument, not a substitute for it.
• Conclude. Return to the question and answer it directly.

Reading cases efficiently

You cannot read every case in full, and you do not need to. For each case, identify the material facts, the legal question, the decision, the reasoning (the ratio decidendi) and anything said in passing that may matter later (obiter dicta). Read the headnote to orient yourself, then go to the leading judgment and read the key passages closely. Note dissents: they are often where the best essay arguments begin.

Citing with OSCOLA

Most UK law schools use OSCOLA, the Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities. It uses footnotes rather than in-text citations, minimal punctuation and a consistent order of information. For example:

Always check your own school’s guidance, which may adapt OSCOLA, and be consistent throughout.

Revising for law exams

• Start from the syllabus and past papers, so you revise what is examined, in the way it is examined.
• Condense actively. Reduce each topic to a structure you can reproduce: the rules, the leading authorities and the debates.
• Practise under time pressure. Plan answers to past questions, then write some in full under exam conditions.
• Get feedback. A marked answer teaches you more than another day of reading.

Single best answer questions (SQE1)

SQE1 questions present a short scenario and five plausible answers, of which one is best. Read the final line first, so you know what is being asked, then read the scenario for the facts that matter. Eliminate answers that are wrong in law before choosing between those that remain, and do not spend too long on any one question: the assessments reward steady accuracy across all 180. See our SQE tutors for one-to-one preparation.