How long does studying the PSC take?

The length of the Professional Skills Course depends on the route you take to study it, with both a short course integrated into your legal placement as well as a module-by-module approach usually both made available by providers.

For instance, The University of Law’s short course would go over the three core modules as the four electives needed to complete the PSC in twelve days. In this case, the price of the course is usually paid by your employer, and the fortnight of learning is integrated into your training contract, as the final step before being able to go on and apply to qualify as a solicitor. 

However, you can also take either these core or elective components separately, so that you can study at your own pace at different points of your legal training whilst still completing the PSC before you apply to be added to the roll of solicitors.

Overall, the PSC involves a total of 72 hours of training. This is split between 48 hours dedicated to the core modules of the course, with an additional maximum of 24 hours set aside for the electives that you take.

How long do the core modules take?

Within the 48 hours you’ll spend on the compulsory elements of the PSC, 18 hours each are allocated to Financial and business skills as well as Advocacy and communication skills, with another 12 hours set aside for Client care and professional standards.

How long do the elective modules take?

The remaining 24 hours in which you’ll be expected to take on elective components should be split between four modules, each covered over the course of a six-hour session over one day each. Alternatively, instead of this fast-track option you could choose to take these modules individually at another point during your training period, usually after having completed the LPC.

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