SQE

About the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE)

The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) is a single, national licensing examination, presenting a new route to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales. The SQE route provides the opportunity for a wider range of people to qualify, with a variety of study options, less cost, and a flexible method of obtaining qualifying work experience.

What is the SQE route?

To qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales through the SQE route you will need to satisfy four main elements:

Have a degree in any subject (or equivalent Level 6 qualification or work experience)
Pass both stages of the SQE assessment or be exempt
Have two years’ qualifying work experience
Pass SRA character and suitability requirements

To allow flexibility in how you qualify, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has not stated any order in which you must complete the first three elements. You can choose when and how you complete each part to fit around your own commitments. For example, you can start to develop and collate your work experience before you take your SQE assessments.

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£1000 SQE Scholarship

Download Law Training Centre’s QWE Training Record

SQE elements explained

Degree or equivalent

If you have a degree (in any subject), or equivalent qualification, you can meet this element. Equivalent Level 6 qualifications include apprenticeships and other forms of work experience in which learning has been completed successfully at Level 6.

For example, Law Training Centre offers the CILEx Level 6 Professional Diploma in Law and Practice. This qualification would meet the ‘degree or equivalent’ requirement.

Whilst it is also possible to take the first part of the SQE assessment stage before doing your degree / equivalent qualification, as there are no entry requirements to sit the SQE1 which is the first part of the SQE assessment stage, it is expected that most will complete their degree / equivalent qualification before or alongside preparing for the SQE assessments.

SQE assessment stage

The SQE assessment stage consists of two parts; the SQE1 testing knowledge and application of law known as Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK), and the SQE2 testing the application of legal skills and FLK. Each part is assessed as a pass or fail and you have three attempts at each within a six year period.

SQE1 assessment (Multiple Choice Questions on Functioning Legal Knowledge)

The SQE1 examines your legal knowledge, and your ability to apply this knowledge, in the following areas:

The emphasis of SQE1 is on testing how you can apply legal knowledge to practical situations. The SQE1 is made up of two separate assessments, FLK1 and FLK2, each consisting of 180 multiple-choice questions. Separate marks are awarded for each assessment, and in order to successfully pass SQE1 you must pass both the FLK1 and FLK2. If you do not pass one or both of the assessments you will be able to retake only the assessment that you failed, with a maximum of two re-takes within a 6 year period.

You can read more about the SQE1 assessment here.

SQE1 Prep Courses

Law Training Centre offers three flexible preparation courses for the SQE1 assessment. Each course is fully flexible and will help to support and prepare students to qualify as a solicitor in a way that fits around your existing work/life commitments. You can benefit from choosing a course which best fits your needs, depending on your existing legal knowledge and experience:

SQE1 Full Prep Course – Our most comprehensive course with course materials, a Personal Academic Coach, tutor support, live workshops and 15 months course access. Also available as just an FLK1 or FLK2 option with 12 months course access.
SQE1 Express Course – A comprehensive course with course materials and 9 months course access without tutor support. This course is recommended if you have completed some form of prior legal qualification and require an update and refresh of your existing knowledge and you are seeking to practice multiple choice questions and gain mock exam experience.
SQE1 Just Mocks – A 3 month course containing questions to test your knowledge. Ideal if you are confident in your legal knowledge and you are seeking to practice multiple choice questions and gain mock experience. Also available as just an FLK1 or FLK2 option with 2 months course access.

SQE1 Full Prep Course

SQE1 Express Course

SQE1 Just Mocks

SQE2 assessment (Practical Legal Skills)

The SQE2 Exam is divided into two parts, with a total of sixteen assessments.

SQE2 Oral – The SQE2 oral assessments take place over two half days with a total of four oral assessments to be completed.
SQE2 Written – The SQE2 written assessments will take place over three half days with a total of twelve written legal skills assessments.

This part of the SQE examines six categories of legal skills across five practice areas.

About SQE

You will need to demonstrate that you can apply fundamental legal principles in the skills-based situations covered by the SQE2 assessment specification in a way that would address your client’s needs and concerns.

In order to successfully pass SQE2 you must obtain the overall pass mark for SQE2. There is not a separate pass mark for SQE2 Oral and SQE2 Written, there is one pass mark for SQE2 as a whole. If you do not pass the entire SQE2 assessment must be retaken.

You can read more about the SQE2 assessment here.

SQE2 Prep Courses

Law Training Centre offers three flexible preparation courses for the SQE2 assessment. Each course is fully flexible and will help to support and prepare you to qualify as a solicitor in a way that fits around your existing work/life commitments. You can benefit from choosing a course which best fits your needs, depending on your existing legal knowledge and experience:

SQE2 Full Prep Course – A comprehensive course for each of the SQE2 legal skills within each practice area, with a Personal Academic Coach, tutor support, live workshops and 15 months course access.
SQE2 Express Course – A comprehensive course for each of the SQE2 legal skills within an individual practice area, with a Personal Academic Coach, tutor support, live workshops and 9 months course access. Ideal if you have completed some form of prior legal qualification and you are confident in the remaining practice areas.
SQE2 Just Mocks – Courses aimed at preparation for the assessments featuring oral and written mock assessments with 1:1 tutor feedback. Ideal if you are confident in your skills and application of law and you wish to gain SQE2 mock experience.
SQE2 Exemption Plus Course – A comprehensive course for the SQE2 assessment with both SQE2 legal skills and Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK) content with a Personal Academic Coach, tutor support, live workshops and 15 months course access. Ideal if you are exempt from SQE1 but would like to build on the FLK required for the SQE2.

SQE2 Full Prep Course

SQE2 Express Course

SQE2 Just Mocks

SQE2 Exemption Plus

Qualifying Work Experience (QWE)

To satisfy the QWE element you will need to show that you have completed two years’ work experience. You can accrue this before, during or after completion of the SQE assessment stage.

You can utilise up to four different organisations to achieve completion of your QWE. For example, if you work in a paralegal role for six months you would then need to complete a further one year and six-month period of work experience.

Where can you complete QWE?

To qualify, the work experience must involve providing legal services, rather than simulated. It can be paid or voluntary and within various capacities including:

Work experience placement;
Employed as a paralegal;
On a training contract;
At a charitable organisation or law centre; or
Working in a law clinic such as with our partner, Access Law Clinic.

The QWE can be gained in England and Wales or elsewhere and does not need to cover English and Welsh law.

How to check if your situation counts as QWE?

The SRA will not advise whether an individual’s situation counts as QWE however they have provided a series of questions, and state that if you answer ‘yes’ to all of them it is likely to be QWE:

Does or did your job, role or experience involve providing legal services? The Legal Services Act 2007 (s. 12) defines legal activity.
Does or did your job, role or experience involve real life legal services provision rather than simulated legal services provision?
Have you been exposed to at least two competencies in the Statement of Solicitor Competence?
Has or will your job, role or experience be carried our in no more than four organisations?
Has or will your job, role or experience be at least two years’ full time or equivalent? We will not prescribe what full time (or equivalent) means.
Has or will your job, role or experience be confirmed by a solicitor or Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP)?

QWE providers/employers are expected to take a common-sense view of what is meant by full time.

How should you record QWE?

You are not required to submit a training record to the SRA when you register your QWE or when you apply for admission as a solicitor, however completing a training record may assist you in the following ways:

Outline some or all of the competences you have developed that are required for effective practice as a solicitor.
Demonstrate the skills, knowledge and behaviours you have had the opportunity to develop.
Identify areas of strength and weakness to assist in your preparation for the SQE2 (if not yet completed).
Aid discussions with your supervisor and/or the solicitor confirming your QWE on the direction of your training.

Law Training Centre’s QWE Training Record is provided free to use to record information relating to your QWE. It allows you to list your placement details, provide examples of your qualifying work experience and outline how you are meeting the competences. To request a copy please fill in the form below.

How is QWE confirmed?

QWE must be confirmed by one of the following:

Solicitor of England and Wales at the same organisation
Compliance Officer for Legal Practice at the same organisation
A solicitor outside the organisation with direct experience of your work

A solicitor or Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP) must confirm:

The length of work experience
That it was providing legal services and that you had the opportunity to develop some or all of the competencies for solicitors (a minimum of two)
That no issues arose during the QWE that raises questions over your character or suitability.

The confirmation is that you have completed the QWE, not a judgement on your competency as this is assessed by the SQE assessments.

If the solicitor does not work for the same organisation but is willing to confirm the QWE they will need to have reviewed your work during the relevant period of work experience and have received feedback from the person(s) supervising your work. If you are struggling to get your QWE confirmed, please visit the Access Law Clinic website to find out more about their ‘Review and Confirm QWE’ Service and how they can support you.

You will need to register your QWE by the time you apply for admission as a solicitor.

If you are struggling to get your QWE confirmed, please visit the Access Law Clinic website to find out more about their ‘Review and Confirm QWE’ Service and how they can support you.

Standards of character

On application to be admitted as a solicitor, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) will consider your character and suitability to work as a solicitor. This is important as the SRA expect certain standards to be met in relation to character and behaviour.

If you want to check any potential problems before then, you can complete an early character and suitability assessment with the SRA at any time however they are not bound, in any subsequent application for admission, by any decision made.

More information on this can be found here.

SQE Exemptions

SQE assessment exemptions are only available to qualified lawyers. An exemption will mean that the qualified lawyer does not have to sit one or more of the assessments.

You must show how your qualifications and/or experience are based on a legal system that is not substantially different from that in England and Wales. If you cannot show this, the SRA not be able to grant exemptions from the assessments.

International qualified lawyers

A number of qualification already have an agree exemption from the SQE2. Please check the table of agreed exemptions. You must have already been admitted in the relevant jurisdiction to apply for the exemption. If your qualification has an agreed SQE2 exemption you may wish to apply for an SQE1 exemption as well. This will be based on your qualifications and/or work experience.  You can also make an application on this basis if your qualification has not yet been considered for any exemptions.

Qualified Lawyers in England and Wales

Qualified Lawyers in England and Wales includes:

Barristers (who have completed pupillage)
Chartered Legal Executives
CILEx Practitioners
Cost Lawyers
Licensed Conveyancers
Patent Attorneys
Trade Mark Attorneys

If you have additional work experience and/or other qualifications over and above your England and Wales legal qualification, you can apply for an individual exemption.

These are three exemptions you can apply for:

SQE1 Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK) 1
SQE1 Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK) 2
SQE2

The SRA will not grant exemptions from part of an assessment.

For further information see the dedicated SQE SRA website.

Transitional arrangements

The transitional arrangements allow those who have already commenced their route to qualification via the QLTS or LPC to continue on that route or to choose the SQE.

Read more about the shift from LPC to SQE here.

QLTS route

The QLTS has been replaced by the SQE. If you have not started on QLTS you need to use the SQE route.

If you have passed the multiple choice test (MCT), you can still complete your QLTS qualifications by taking the SQE2 assessment during 2023.

You will then have until 31 March 2024 (inclusive) to apply for admission as a solicitor of England and Wales.

If you haven’t already sat SQE2 or need to resit, there are two remaining SQE2 assessment sitting in 2023 – July 2023 and October 2023.

If you do not pass in this time you will have to restart your qualification through the SQE route.

Further details and exemptions here.

LPC route

If you fall within the transitional arrangements you will have until 31^st December 2032 to qualify as a solicitor via the LPC route, as long as courses remain available.

The transitional arrangements only apply if:

You completed, started, accepted an offer or a place or paid a non-refundable deposit on a qualifying law degree or exempting law degree by the 21^st September 2021 (inclusive)

You completed, started, accepted an offer or a place or paid a non-refundable deposit on the common professional examination (CPE)/Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), or the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or a training contract before the 1^st September 2021.

With the course to start in most cases before the 31^st December 2021.

If you have completed the LPC you can still utilise the SQE route and complete the SQE2 and a QWE as an alternative to completion of a training contract.

Read more about transitional arrangements  here.

Equivalent means: If you fall within the transitional arrangements, the SRA may recognise your certificated learning and work-based learning by granting exemption from the qualification and training requirements such as the CPE, LPC or period of recognised training (training contract).The latest guidance by the SRA on equivalent means can be located here.

Chartered Legal Executives Equivalent Means: You will not need to complete a training contract provided that you have:

Met the academic stage requirements through study or granted exemptions
Completed the LPC
Completed the PSC
Been engaged as a Chartered Legal Executive in the practice of law.

Alternatively, you can qualify as a solicitor through the SQE route by passing both SQE1 and SQE2 or applying for exemptions.

For more details see guidance from the SRA here.

FAQs

SQE