The P1 is open book. Here is what that does and does not mean

Yes, the Paralegal Licensing Exam is open book. The Law Society's guide says candidates may bring printed materials, and that digital access is not allowed in the testing area. Many candidates hear "open book" and relax. That is the wrong reaction, for one reason: time.

The clock does not care that you have the book

The paper is 160 questions in four and a half hours, about one minute and 41 seconds each. Looking something up takes between 30 seconds and three minutes, depending on how well you know where it is. If you look up every question, you will not finish. Open book lets you check an answer. It does not give you time to learn one.

What the questions ask of you

The Law Society says its questions test three levels: knowledge and comprehension, application, and critical thinking. Only the first kind can be answered by finding a sentence in the materials. The other two give you a situation and ask what the paralegal should do, and the book will not contain your client's facts. You need to know the rule well enough to recognise it in a scenario. Then the book confirms the detail: the number of days, the dollar limit, the exact wording of a rule.

Prepare the book, not only yourself

Because only print is allowed, your materials are a tool you build before the day.

• Print and bind them so they survive handling. You will turn these pages hundreds of times.
• Tab the major sections and the appendices. The Rules of Conduct, the Guidelines and the By-Laws are where many conduct answers are confirmed, and they sit at the back.
• Make or get an index, and practise with it. An index you have never used is slower than no index. Every practice question you look up should go through the same index you will carry into the room.
• Mark what you keep looking up. If you check the same deadline three times in practice, flag that page.

Learn your lookup habit before exam day

Most candidates do not know how often they reach for the book until they count. In your next practice session, make a mark every time you open the materials. If the number is high, the fix is rarely a better index. It is more reading.

What you do not need

The Law Society says the questions come from that year's study materials and that no outside material is required. You do not need textbooks or case reports. A smaller, well organised set of materials is faster to use than a large one.

Where practice fits

The only way to find out whether your materials work is to use them against the clock. Our mock exams run 160 questions on a 4.5 hour timer, and the report shows where your time went. The free practice quiz is a no-cost way to try a set of questions with your materials open beside you. For the format, dates and fees, see our guide to the P1.