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United Kingdom · Professional exam

The SQE exam

The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) is how the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has assessed new solicitors in England and Wales since 1 September 2021, apart from people finishing the older Legal Practice Course (LPC) route and lawyers it exempts. The SQE exam comes in two parts: SQE1, two multiple-choice papers on legal knowledge, and SQE2, 16 written and oral exercises on legal skills. From January 2027, SQE1 goes down from 360 questions to 340. Passing both parts is one of four things you need, along with a degree or equivalent, two years’ qualifying work experience and the SRA’s character and suitability checks.

  • 340SQE1 questions from January 2027
  • 16SQE2 stations: 12 written, 4 oral
  • 300Scaled score out of 500 needed to pass each part
  • 2 yearsQualifying work experience, full-time or equivalent
Where to studyHow the test works

Updated October 2026 · Written from the SRA SQE route guidance and SQE Update bulletins

Key facts

At a glance

Set by
The SRA, with Kaplan as its assessment provider
Fees for 2026/27
£2,006 for SQE1 and £3,086 for SQE2
Attempts
Three at each part, within six years of your first assessment

How it works

How the SQE exam works: SQE1 first, then SQE2

SQE1 and SQE2 scaled score
Below 300: fail300 to 500: pass
The SQE Assessment Board sets the raw mark behind 300 for each paper after the sitting, so 300 always marks the same standard.
  1. There are two parts. SQE1 tests functioning legal knowledge with multiple-choice questions, and SQE2 tests practical legal skills in written and oral exercises.
  2. SQE1 is two papers, FLK1 and FLK2, taken on separate days at test centres in England and Wales and abroad.
  3. From January 2027 each SQE1 day has two sessions of 85 questions, each 2 hours 33 minutes long, with an hour’s break between them.
  4. You can only book SQE2 once you’ve passed SQE1.
  5. SQE1 runs in January and July. SQE2 runs up to four times a year.

Topics

What’s on the test

01

SQE1: functioning legal knowledge

Two multiple-choice papers, FLK1 and FLK2, taken on separate days at a test centre, testing how you apply legal knowledge to client scenarios.

Key points (4)
  • SQE1 is split into Functioning Legal Knowledge 1 (FLK1) and Functioning Legal Knowledge 2 (FLK2), single best answer multiple-choice papers sat on separate days (SRA blog, Understanding SQE1, 24 September 2026).
  • From January 2027 SQE1 has 340 questions instead of 360. Each day has two sessions of 85 questions, each lasting 2 hours 33 minutes, with a one-hour break (SRA SQE Update, September 2026; SRA blog, 24 September 2026).
  • Each question has a scenario, a lead-in and five plausible options, and only one is the correct response (SRA blog, 24 September 2026).
  • SQE1 covers 14 subject and practice areas, including ethics (SRA blog, 24 September 2026).
02

SQE2: practical legal skills

Sixteen written and oral stations that test legal skills in five practice contexts. You can only sit it after passing SQE1.

Key points (4)
  • SQE2 has 16 stations: 12 written and four oral (SRA statement on April 2026 SQE2 results, 27 August 2026).
  • The skills are advocacy, client interviewing with an attendance note or legal analysis, legal research, legal writing, legal drafting, and case and matter analysis (SRA, The SQE2 assessment webinar, January 2021).
  • SQE2 has one pass mark for all 16 stations together, with no pass mark for a single station (SRA statement on January 2026 SQE2 results, 21 May 2026).
  • You must pass SQE1 before you take SQE2 (SRA SQE training options).
03

Scores, results and resits

Both parts report a scaled score out of 500, with 300 needed to pass. The raw mark behind that changes from paper to paper.

Key points (4)
  • SQE1 results show an overall mark out of 500, and the pass mark is always 300 (SRA statement, 1 April 2025). SQE2 moved to the same scale from January 2025 (SRA SQE Update, June 2025).
  • The Assessment Board sets the pass mark for each paper to allow for differences in difficulty; there are no quotas (SRA SQE questions and answers).
  • In the July 2026 SQE1 sitting, 42% of all candidates passed and 47% of first-time sitters (SRA statement, 29 September 2026).
  • You can attempt SQE1 three times in a six-year period, and the SQE Assessment Regulations allow three attempts at SQE2 within six years (SRA statement, 29 September 2026; SRA register of waivers).
04

Registering, booking and fees

You register an SQE account, get your ID checked and complete pre-booking steps, then reserve a seat and pay in each booking window.

Key points (4)
  • To sit any part of the SQE you first create and activate an account, get your ID validated and answer the pre-booking questions (SRA SQE Update, June 2025).
  • Kaplan, the SRA’s assessment provider, allocates seats in the order it receives seat reservation forms, as close as it can to your preferred place and date (SRA SQE Update, August 2024).
  • For anyone booking to sit from October 2026, SQE1 costs £2,006 and SQE2 £3,086 (SRA news release, 21 April 2026).
  • You can take SQE1 and SQE2 in Welsh if you give advance notice (SRA SQE Update, June 2025).
05

Qualifying work experience

Two years of real legal work, full-time or equivalent, in up to four organisations, each confirmed by a solicitor or a COLP.

Key points (4)
  • QWE must be at least two years’ full-time or equivalent, with no more than four organisations (SRA Authorisation of Individuals Regulations, regulation 2).
  • It can be paid or voluntary, in England, Wales or overseas, and can come before, during or after the SQE assessments (SRA qualifying work experience page).
  • A role has to give you the chance to develop at least two of the competences in the Statement of Solicitor Competence (SRA qualifying work experience page).
  • A solicitor of England and Wales or a Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP) confirms each period; a barrister can’t, unless they’re also a solicitor or COLP (SRA qualifying work experience page).
06

Degree, suitability and admission

You don’t need a degree to sit the SQE, but you need one, or an equivalent, to be admitted. The SRA checks character and suitability when you apply.

Key points (4)
  • A degree in any subject, or a level 6 or 7 apprenticeship or professional qualification, meets the degree requirement; the SRA may count work experience instead (SRA SQE questions and answers).
  • Atlantic Data checks degrees for the SRA for £36 (UK and Ireland) or £54.84 (international) (SRA degree check page).
  • You disclose character and suitability issues when you apply for admission; an early assessment is voluntary and free (SRA character and suitability pages).
  • The admission fee is £100, after £34 background screening (SRA admission page).
07

The LPC route and exemptions

Some people who were already on their way to qualifying by September 2021 can still use the Legal Practice Course route until 31 December 2032. Qualified lawyers can apply for exemptions.

Key points (4)
  • The LPC route stays open until 31 December 2032, so you must qualify through it by then, and the LPC gives no exemptions from the SQE (SRA Authorisation of Individuals Regulations, regulation 11.4; SRA transitional requirements page).
  • If you began a qualifying law degree in September 2022 or later, the SQE is your only route (SRA transitional requirements page).
  • QWE plus a pass in SQE2 can stand in for a period of recognised training (SRA transitional requirements page).
  • Qualified lawyers can apply for an exemption from SQE1, SQE2 or both, but not from a part they’ve already failed (SRA Authorisation of Individuals Regulations, regulation 3.3).

Test day

What to have ready before you book the SQE

  • An activated SQE account with your ID validated
  • Your answers to the pre-booking questions, including the diversity survey
  • A reasonable adjustments application, if you need one, sent as early as you can
  • Advance notice, by the published deadline, if you want to sit in Welsh
  • The fee, paid by the deadline once Kaplan offers you a seat

Before you go

  1. Check the assessment dates and booking window for your sitting on the SQE website.
  2. Register and finish the pre-booking steps before the seat reservation form goes out.
  3. Read Kaplan’s candidate confidentiality policy before you sit.
  4. Try the SRA’s free sample questions for SQE1 and SQE2.
  5. Plan your qualifying work experience and who will confirm each period.
  6. If you started or accepted a place on a law course by September 2021, check whether the LPC route still applies to you.
SQE website: register and bookKaplan runs SQE registration and booking for the SRA. You register once, then complete a seat reservation form for each sitting.

Study options

Where to study

The SRA doesn’t tell you how to prepare. You can study on your own, take a course or do a master’s degree with SQE training built in, as long as you pass SQE1 before SQE2. Its free sample questions and training and course finder come first in the list, then paid courses with the prices on their own sites in October 2026.

OptionPriceFree to useLinks
Official and free
SRA SQE1 and SQE2 sample questionsOfficial sample questionsThe SRA’s own sample questions, on the SQE website. The SQE1 set includes questions from previous papers and was refreshed in April 2026; the SQE2 set includes a discussion of each answer, legal-point guidance and performance analysis.
FreeAll 220 SQE1 questions and all 10 SQE2 questions with written answers
SQE website: SQE1 questions update ↗SRA: SQE Update, December 2025 ↗
SRA SQE training and course finderOfficial course directoryLists over 150 providers and 250+ training options, filtered by SQE part, delivery mode and price band. Providers supply their own details, and the SRA says it doesn’t verify them.
FreeSearching, filtering and comparing every listed course
SRA: SQE training and course finder ↗
SRA SQE training options guideOfficial guidanceThe SRA’s outline of the ways to prepare for SQE1 and SQE2, from self-study to a master’s, with the funding that fits each one.
FreeThe whole guide
SRA: SQE training options ↗
Courses
The University of LawLLM, SQE1 and SQE2 courses, on campus and onlineFees include a £250 deposit on the LLM, and The University of Law says its course fees don’t include the SQE assessment fees. The LLM and its MA Law (SQE1) come with four weeks of qualifying work experience in its legal advice clinics, subject to eligibility. Prices for 2027/28 starts are slightly higher.
2026/27: LLM Legal Practice (SQE1&2) £15,150 outside London, £18,850 in London; SQE1 Preparation Course £5,250 or £6,650; SQE2 Preparation Course £5,000 or £6,400A free SQE1 revision app
The University of Law: SQE courses ↗The University of Law: SQE LLM ↗
BPPLLM, SQE1 and SQE2 courses, on campus and onlineThe lower prices apply in Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Manchester, Leeds and online. BPP asks for a £350 deposit within 48 hours of accepting an offer, and says the SQE assessment fees aren’t included. It also runs an LLM Law Conversion with SQE1 for non-law graduates.
2026/27: LLM SQE1 & SQE2 £14,900 (£17,500 at London Holborn); SQE1 Preparation £5,900 (£7,100 London); SQE1 Preparation (Self-study) £4,300 online; SQE2 Preparation £4,900 onlineInterest-free payment plans on some courses
BPP: SQE courses ↗BPP: LLM SQE1 and SQE2 ↗
BARBRIOnline SQE1 and SQE2 prep coursesFully online, with a personal study plan. SQE1 Prep comes in 40-week, 20-week and 10-week versions with a one-to-one learning coach; SQE2 Prep includes written and oral activities with tutor feedback and graded mock exams.
SQE1 Prep from £2,999; SQE2 Prep from £3,499; SQE1 and SQE2 bundles from £5,499Demos of the SQE1 and SQE2 courses
BARBRI: SQE prep ↗
QLTS SchoolOnline SQE1 and SQE2 prep coursesSQE1 packages include study materials for FLK1 and FLK2, mock tests and textbooks, posted free within the UK. You can pay for SQE1 in three interest-free monthly instalments with a £90 administration fee. QLTS School says the SRA assessment fees are separate.
SQE1: £1,990 Basic, £2,490 Advantage, £2,990 Premium; SQE2: the same three tiers and pricesFree SQE sample material on its site
QLTS School: SQE1 course prices ↗QLTS School: SQE2 preparation course ↗

Prices and ratings checked October 2026.

Explore

Everything else, in one place

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About the assessments

SpecificationSample questionsPass rates

Routes and funding

Work experienceLPC or SQEApprenticeshipsLLM and funding

FAQ

Common questions

What is the SQE exam?

It’s the single assessment the SRA uses for everyone who wants to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales, whatever route they took to get there. SQE1 tests whether you can apply legal knowledge to client situations, and SQE2 tests practical skills such as advocacy, interviewing and drafting. It replaced the Legal Practice Course (LPC) route for new candidates in September 2021.

What does SQE stand for?

Solicitors Qualifying Examination. FLK, which you’ll see with SQE1, stands for functioning legal knowledge: FLK1 and FLK2 are the two SQE1 papers.

Do you need a law degree to take the SQE?

No. You don’t need any degree to sit SQE1 or SQE2. To be admitted as a solicitor you need a degree in any subject or an equivalent, such as a level 6 or 7 apprenticeship or professional qualification, and the SRA may count work experience as equivalent.

Is the SQE changing in 2027?

Yes. From the January 2027 sitting, SQE1 has 340 questions instead of 360, and the subject areas are grouped by session. Separately, the SRA is consulting until 3 December 2026 on updates to the Statement of Solicitor Competence and the functioning legal knowledge. It plans to publish the new versions in April 2027, to take effect from September 2027.

Can you still qualify through the LPC instead?

Only if the SRA’s transitional arrangements cover you, broadly people who had started or accepted a place on a qualifying law degree, the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) or the LPC by September 2021. They have until 31 December 2032 to qualify. If you began a qualifying law degree in September 2022 or later, the SQE is your only route.

Can you take the SQE in Welsh?

Yes. Both SQE1 and SQE2 can be taken in Welsh, but you have to give advance notice by the deadline for your sitting. The SRA says part of each yearly fee rise goes towards the cost of translating the assessments into Welsh.

Sources: SRA and 9 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.