Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE1 and SQE2) Requirements & Prerequisites
Everything you need to know before registering for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE1 and SQE2), eligibility, cost, format, and what to expect on exam day.
Cost
£5,092 total
Provider
Solicitors Regulation Authority (delivered by Kaplan SQE)
Validity
No expiry, 6-year window
Available
UK
Education
Check official exam requirements
Experience
3-5+ years of professional experience typically required
Specific Requirements
- A degree in any subject, or an equivalent qualification or experience accepted by the SRA.
- Registration for an SQE account with the SRA, completion of the monitoring and maximising diversity survey, and identity verification before booking.
- A pass in SQE1 before sitting SQE2, unless the SRA has granted an exemption.
- Two years of full-time equivalent qualifying work experience, which can be gathered across up to four organisations and can be completed before, during or after the assessments.
- Satisfying the SRA character and suitability requirements at the point of applying for admission.
- Both parts must be passed within six years of the date of your first SQE attempt.
- No preparation course is required. The SRA neither mandates nor endorses any training provider.
Number of Questions
SQE1: 360 single best answer questions, 180 in FLK1 and 180 in FLK2. SQE2: 16 assessment stations, 12 written and 4 oral
Duration
SQE1: four sessions of 2 hours 33 minutes across two days. SQE2: 16 stations across five half days, three half days of written stations and two half days of oral stations
Question Format
Single best answer multiple choice questions with five options (SQE1), Client interview conducted with an assessor playing the client (SQE2 oral), Handwritten attendance note and legal analysis (SQE2 oral), Courtroom advocacy submission before a solicitor acting as judge (SQE2 oral), Case and matter analysis report to a partner (SQE2 written), Legal research note from supplied sources (SQE2 written), Legal writing, a letter or email to a client or third party (SQE2 written), Legal drafting of a legal document or part of one (SQE2 written)
Passing Requirement
SQE1: 300 out of 500 in each FLK. SQE2: 300 out of 500 for the assessment as a whole, with no separate threshold for the oral or written halves
How It Is Delivered
SQE1 and the SQE2 written stations are computer based at Pearson VUE test centres. The SQE2 oral stations are run by Kaplan SQE at its own assessment centres, not at Pearson VUE
Languages Offered
English, Welsh
Rules specific to this exam
- There is no online proctored option. Every SQE assessment is taken in person at a test centre or assessment centre.
- Ethics and professional conduct are assessed pervasively across both FLK papers and every SQE2 station, and ethical issues are never flagged in the question.
- The law examined is the law as it stood four calendar months before the first assessment in the window.
- SQE2 written days run two sessions: session 1 of 1 hour 30 minutes covering two stations, a scheduled 15-minute break, then session 2 of 1 hour 45 minutes covering two more.
- SQE2 oral assessment days last approximately two hours of assessment, but candidates are at the centre for between 4.5 and 7 hours and cannot leave early.
- You must pass SQE1 before you can sit SQE2 unless the SRA has granted you an exemption.
Visit the official Solicitors Regulation Authority (delivered by Kaplan SQE) certification page
Create an account and select your exam
Choose a test center or online proctoring option
Pay the exam fee and schedule your date
Score Scale
SQE1: a scaled score out of 500 for each of FLK1 and FLK2. SQE2: assessment criteria graded A to F, converted to 5 down to 0 marks, averaged across all 16 stations into a percentage, then converted to a scaled score out of 500
Score You Need
SQE1: 300 out of 500 in each FLK. SQE2: 300 out of 500 for the assessment as a whole, with no separate threshold for the oral or written halves
How It Is Calculated
Multiple papers run in each SQE1 window, so the SRA sets the passing standard separately for each paper and converts raw scores to a 500-point scale. This lets candidates who sat different papers be compared directly despite differences in difficulty. Questions that post-assessment checks show to be invalid are removed before standard setting, so a raw score may be reported out of fewer than 180.
When You Get Results
SQE1 results approximately 5 to 6 weeks after the sitting; SQE2 results approximately 14 to 18 weeks after. Results appear only in the SQE candidate account, and the SRA emails candidates when they are released.
In raw terms: Not fixed. The number of correct answers needed changes with each paper because the standard is set per paper, which is why the SRA publishes no pre-determined raw pass mark
- Marking within an FLK is compensatory, so a weaker subject can be offset by a stronger one, but there is no compensation between FLK1 and FLK2.
- Since January 2024 the SQE1 results page shows a scaled score by practice area, which the SRA warns should be read cautiously because each area carries relatively few questions.
- Quintiles place your score in one of five equal groups of candidates from the same sitting, with quintile 1 the highest scoring fifth.
- In SQE2, skills marks and application of law marks are weighted equally in the final total.
- A clerical check is included in the SQE appeal process.
- Two forms of valid ID (one government-issued with photo)
- Appointment confirmation email
- For online proctoring: webcam, microphone, clean desk, stable internet
What are the prerequisites for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE1 and SQE2)?
A degree in any subject, or an equivalent qualification or experience accepted by the SRA.. Registration for an SQE account with the SRA, completion of the monitoring and maximising diversity survey, and identity verification before booking.. A pass in SQE1 before sitting SQE2, unless the SRA has granted an exemption.. Two years of full-time equivalent qualifying work experience, which can be gathered across up to four organisations and can be completed before, during or after the assessments.. Satisfying the SRA character and suitability requirements at the point of applying for admission.. Both parts must be passed within six years of the date of your first SQE attempt.. No preparation course is required. The SRA neither mandates nor endorses any training provider..
How much does the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE1 and SQE2) cost?
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE1 and SQE2) exam costs £5,092 total. This includes the exam fee only, study materials are additional.
How do I register for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE1 and SQE2)?
Visit the official Solicitors Regulation Authority (delivered by Kaplan SQE) certification page → Create an account and select your exam → Choose a test center or online proctoring option → Pay the exam fee and schedule your date
What should I bring to the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE1 and SQE2)?
Two forms of valid ID (one government-issued with photo). Appointment confirmation email. For online proctoring: webcam, microphone, clean desk, stable internet.
Ready to prepare for Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE1 and SQE2)?
Get the complete exam guide with study plan, tips, and practice questions.
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