FE-1 Law of Contract exam-day guide
FE-1 Law of Contract · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the original ID in the name used on your booking. Confirm with the provider which ID types it accepts and whether a signature is required; do not rely on a photocopy or a digital copy.
Admission or booking confirmation
Print or save the confirmation email showing your candidate number, test centre, and start time. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is mandatory.
Know the venue and travel route
Rehearse the journey to the test centre and note the arrival time stated in your joining instructions. Confirm with the provider how early you should arrive and what happens if you are late.
Permitted materials only
Assume nothing is allowed beyond your ID and confirmation unless the provider's regulations say otherwise. Confirm with the provider whether a statute book, calculator, or notes are permitted, and in what form.
Personal items plan
Expect bags, phones, and smart watches to be stored away or prohibited in the test room. Confirm with the provider the storage arrangements and the rules on electronic devices.
Water and a light snack for breaks
Check the provider's rules on bringing food and drink into the room; many centres allow water in a clear container only. Confirm with the provider before the day.
Read the current candidate regulations
Download the provider's latest exam regulations and read the sections on conduct, ID, misconduct, and results. Rules change; use the version in force for your sitting.
Practise under timed conditions
Complete at least one full timed paper or question set in the final week so you know your pace per question and can plan a review pass.
Prepare a one-page law summary
Condense formation, consideration, intention, terms, misrepresentation, mistake, frustration, breach, and remedies into a single sheet for revision only; leave it at home unless the provider permits materials.
Check your calculator and stationery
If the provider permits a calculator or pens, confirm the permitted models and bring spares. Confirm with the provider whether stationery is supplied.
Plan for a rescheduled or remote sitting
If you are sitting remotely, confirm the provider's identity-check, camera, and room-scan requirements in advance and test your equipment the day before.
Rest and logistics the night before
Set two alarms, lay out ID and confirmation, and avoid last-minute cramming of new topics. Sleep matters more than one extra case name.
Plan the day
Finish content revision. Rework your weakest two or three topics, such as consideration and promissory estoppel, or misrepresentation and its remedies. Write out the elements of each doctrine from memory, then check against your notes. Do not start new material now.
Sit one full timed paper under exam conditions, no notes, no pauses. Mark it honestly and record where you lost marks: wrong rule, missed issue, or poor application. This tells you where the remaining hours should go.
Drill issue-spotting on short scenarios. For each, identify the parties, the promise, whether consideration exists, whether intention to create legal relations is present, and which remedy follows. Practise writing a short structured answer rather than a case list.
Memorise a compact answer structure you can reuse: issue, rule with authority, application to the facts, conclusion. Confirm with the provider whether the paper is multiple choice, written, or mixed, and adjust practice to that format.
Do a light review only: your one-page summary, key definitions, and the remedy rules. Stop early. Check your route, transport times, and what you are allowed to bring.
Prepare your bag: ID, confirmation, permitted stationery, water. Read the provider's regulations one final time for conduct and device rules. Set alarms and go to bed at a normal hour.
Eat properly and arrive at the time stated in your instructions, allowing slack for delays. Confirm with the provider what to do if you are running late, since late entry may not be allowed.
Do not cram new cases. Skim only your summary. At the centre, follow staff instructions on ID checks, storage of belongings, and seating.
Read the instructions and note the time and marks per question. Allocate time proportionally and leave a few minutes at the end for review.
Answer the question asked. For scenario questions, state the rule, apply it to these facts, and reach a conclusion; do not simply describe the law. If a question is taking too long, mark it and move on.
If permitted, flag uncertain questions and return to them. For multiple choice, eliminate clearly wrong options first. Never leave a blank where there is no penalty for guessing, but confirm the provider's scoring rule on wrong answers.
Check that every question has an answer, that your candidate details are correct, and that you have submitted or handed in as instructed. Confirm with the provider what to do if you finish early.
Rules to check
Bring the original photo ID in the name on your booking. If your name or ID has changed, contact the provider before the test day; do not assume an alternative document will be accepted.
Follow the provider's rules on permitted materials exactly. If the regulations do not expressly allow a statute book, notes, or a calculator, assume they are prohibited and confirm with the provider in advance.
Switch off and store phones, smart watches, and other devices as directed. Unauthorised devices in the test room may be treated as misconduct regardless of whether you used them.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the test and do not copy, share, or record questions. Attempting to obtain or pass on live exam content is misconduct and can lead to cancellation of results.
Raise your hand and ask an invigilator if you need to leave the room, feel unwell, or have a problem with your equipment. Do not simply get up; leaving without permission may end your sitting. Confirm with the provider the rules on supervised breaks and whether the clock stops.
If you believe there was a disturbance, a technical fault, or an error in the paper, tell the invigilator at the time and note it afterwards. Follow the provider's complaints or special-consideration procedure and its deadlines, which are usually short.
Understand the scoring before you sit. Confirm with the provider the pass mark, whether wrong answers are penalised, how the paper is marked, and when and how results are released.
Keep your candidate number and results correspondence safe. Do not misrepresent your result or the qualification, and check the provider's rules on appeals and re-marks if the outcome is unexpected.