Studying the PSC
- Raphael Jucobin
- Tuesday 07th December
- 2 min read
The Professional Skills Course takes the form of a series of modules - some compulsory and other elective - spread out over twelve days, totalling 72 hours’ worth of content. You’ll take it once you’ve passed your Legal Practice Course, and once you’re well into the two years of legal work experience needed to qualify as a solicitor.
If you’re currently undertaking a training contract, it’s likely that your employer has an agreement in place already with one of the recognised providers for you to take the PSC with. For instance, this might be with The University of Law, whose course you can take either at one of its campus locations or in small workshops directly at your workplace, as well as online training sessions wherever possible.
Many of the practical skills that the PSC will develop will also build upon the legal knowledge that you’ll have studied as part of the LPC, so it could be a good idea to brush up on that before undertaking this final part of the vocational training.
How is the PSC assessed?
The assessment of the PSC will be less rigorous than the LPC, with only one 90-minute exam planned for one of the compulsory modules. The exam structure for these core elements of the PSC is as follows:
- Client care and professional standards: No exam,
- Advocacy and Communication Skills: A skills appraisal,
- Financial and Business Skills: No exam for ‘Written Standards 1’, 90-minute exam for ‘Written Standards 2-6’.
You’ll be expected to be taught the core modules before embarking on any of the elective elements of the course, which will consist of up to 12 hours of learning, possibly taking place via online means. These won’t have any assessments at the end of the course.
Another important aspect about studying for the PSC is to be aware of the importance of commercial awareness in the legal profession, as well as the ways in which information technology can be used in various sectors in different professional activities. These two elements will be assessed throughout the modules of the course, and will be considered by the SRA as ‘pervasive’.