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United Kingdom · Professional exam

SQE exam dates for 2026 and 2027

SQE1, the first part of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), runs twice a year, in January and July, and SQE2 up to four times, in January, April, July and October. For 2027 the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has announced SQE1 in January and July and SQE2 in January, April and July. The exact SQE exam dates, with the booking window and results day for each sitting, are on the SQE website.

  • 2SQE1 sittings a year, January and July
  • Up to 4SQE2 sittings each year
  • 12 monthsHow far ahead dates are published, at least
Check the dates on the SQE website

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What are the SQE exam dates for 2027?

SittingPartNote
January 2027SQE1The first sitting with 340 questions. Booking information went live in September 2026
January 2027SQE2Same timing pattern as earlier January sittings
April 2027SQE2Starts in the third week of April and runs for four weeks
July 2027SQE1Same timing pattern as earlier July sittings
July 2027SQE2Same timing pattern as earlier July sittings

The SRA announced these sittings in December 2025. An October 2027 SQE2 sitting wasn’t in that announcement, so check the SQE website for it.

Which week each SQE sitting aims to start

The SRA aims to keep sittings in the same weeks of the same months. As a guide, SQE1 starts in the third week of the month and SQE2 in the final week, though the SRA says these are indicative and depend on test centre seats. It publishes the specific dates at least 12 months before each assessment, or sooner if it can.

SQE sittings in 2026

In 2026, SQE1 was held in January and July, and SQE2 sittings were set for January, April, July and October. The next SQE1 is January 2027.

SQE results days →

Planning your SQE dates

  • Pass SQE1 before you book SQE2, so SQE2 has to be a later sitting.
  • Your six years to complete the assessments start on the first day of your first SQE assessment.
  • Qualifying work experience can come before, during or after the assessments, so it doesn’t have to wait for a result.
How to book the SQE →SQE qualifying work experience →
Sources: SRA and 5 more. Checked October 2026.

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

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