How can I practise self-assessment tax returns before doing one for a real client?

Use the Lighthouse Wellness Practice Scenario together with the Accounting Environment Challenge and VAT Challenge. The Scenario gives you a sole trader wellbeing practice in Bristol whose owner, Celena, is resistant to Making Tax Digital and has to be talked round mid-conversation, so pulling a sole trader's records together into a return, and explaining the figures back to a client who isn't a numbers person happens in context — against real documents and a client who reacts the way a real one would — rather than as an abstract exercise, and Monika's feedback tells you exactly what to tighten up. More detail Start with Accounting Environment Challenge to isolate the core technical skill before adding a client relationship on top of it. Move into the Lighthouse Wellness Practice Scenario, where the same skill shows up inside real documents and client correspondence rather than as a standalone exercise. Read Monika's feedback properly and redo anything she flags — repetition with correction is what actually builds the skill, not a single pass. Once that's comfortable, layer in VAT Challenge to round out the related skills an employer would expect alongside it.Frequently asked questions Do I need any experience before trying the Lighthouse Wellness Practice Scenario? No. Hey Monika's Scenarios and Challenge Mode tasks are built so a complete beginner can start straight away — Monika's feedback is there precisely because you're not expected to already know the answer. How long does this usually take to feel comfortable with? Most trainees need two or three attempts at the same Scenario or Challenge before it stops feeling unfamiliar. The value is in repeating it with Monika's feedback applied each time, not in getting it right first go. Is this the same as just reading about self-assessment in a textbook? No — the difference is that you're handling real documents, a real (if fictional) client, and in some Scenarios a live voice call, rather than reading a description of how the process works in theory. Get started Block out 30 minutes for Accounting Environment Challenge and treat your first attempt as a diagnostic, not a test — then go again with Monika's feedback applied before you call it done.