Law Graduate Guide: CPQ

Law grads: Do you know about the CILEX route to qualify? Many universities tend to focus on solicitor and barrister career options and fail to fully explain other pathways to their students, including the CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ)!

It’s a great route for graduates, with fast-track options to qualify for LLB holders and more engrained practical experience requirements than some of the more traditional pathways. It’s definitely a great option to consider!

What is a CILEX Lawyer?

A CILEX Lawyer is a CILEX member who has completed all three qualification stages of the competence based CPQ, which includes compulsory Ethics and Professional Responsibility modules, and gained a minimum of 2300 hours relevant legal experience. As a CILEX Lawyer, you can obtain practice rights in your specialism to have the same rights and responsibilities as a solicitor, in your chosen field.

What is the CPQ route?

The CPQ route is the new qualification framework which replaces the CILEX Legacy Level 3 and Level 6 courses. The route is designed to be a more flexible and competency-based approach to qualifying as a CILEX Lawyer.

To become a CILEX Lawyer, according to CILEX you must have:

• Completed the academic stage of training
• Been in qualifying experience, defined as work that contributes to the provision of legal services, for at least 2,300 hours, to become a Fellow
• Met the experience requirements to become a practitioner – three years’ general legal experience including practice experience for the chosen CILEX Regulation (CRL) approved pathway in the two years preceding the application.
• Met CRL’s work-based learning or Professional Experience outcomes through a portfolio of evidence.

The CPQ route is set out in stages, allowing learners to obtain a qualification at each stage where they can then either choose to progress or pause at the level of qualification they require.

To register, you must firstly apply for CILEX membership directly with CILEX, then purchase the CPQ registration from CILEX, and finally purchase the tuition from your chosen training provider.

Unlike the SQE, the CPQ route allows you to qualify in a chosen area of practice, rather than having to learn areas of law that you may not use in your day-to-day work. There are three levels to the CPQ qualification which are Foundation, Advanced and Professional. Here is a breakdown of what your qualification would be upon successful completion of each level:

Foundation – CILEX Paralegal (this stage is great for beginners in law)
Advanced – CILEX Advanced Paralegal (for those looking to progress towards the CILEX Lawyer status)
Professional – CILEX Lawyer

Those who have a law degree or equivalent, are able to fast-track their route to qualification, entering at the Advanced stage of the CPQ via the CILEX Graduate Qualification (CGQ).

The CILEX Graduate Qualification

The CILEX Graduate Qualification (CGQ) route is specifically crafted for law graduates and GDL holders (must be a UK law degree or conversion course). The CGQ allows entry straight into the Advanced Stage, as it takes into account prior learning and education.

It consists of two stages:

• Stage 1 is comprised of three or four modules subject to the learner’s chosen area of practice and
• Stage 2 which is also known as the CPQ Professional stage, comprised of two modules.

This fast-track route saves time (and potentially money) for graduates and can be completed in as little as 18 months. At Law Training Centre, our CILEX Graduate Qualification course is complete with a whole range of on-demand course materials such as study planners, recorded workshops, multiple choice questions and excellent tutor support.

Exams

CILEX CPQ exams are sat directly with CILEX. Exam fees are included when you purchase a full CPQ Stage registration with CILEX. If you’ve purchased your CPQ registration on a modular basis with CILEX, there will be an exam fee for each exam entry. If you prefer not to pay for each exam separately, you’ll need to purchase a full registration with CILEX.

Exemptions

If you are a UK LLB holder, you can bypass the Foundation stage and begin at the Advanced stage by making use of the CGQ. If you are a UK Law degree holder and have sat the SQE1, you will be entitled to the same exemptions as above plus a few extra exemptions where you only have to complete some modules of the Advanced stage and all of the Professional stage.

Alternatively, if you do qualify as a CILEX Lawyer and wish to do the SQE, you can apply from an exemption from SQE2. If you would like to find out which exemptions you qualify for, you can contact CILEX directly and find out more here.

How does it compare to SQE and Barrister routes?

The CPQ (CILEX Professional Qualification) route offers law graduates a flexible, practice-focused alternative to the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) and the barrister pathways.

Unlike the SQE, which is a centralised assessment route to qualification as a solicitor, CPQ focuses on graduates qualifying while working, with progression based on competence and specialism rather than broad, exam-heavy testing.

Compared with the barrister route, which requires intensive advocacy training, pupillage, and a more competitive and uncertain progression, CPQ is generally more accessible and suited to those who prefer a structured career in legal practice without the financial and academic risks of the Bar.

Overall, CPQ appeals to graduates seeking a more practical, affordable, and work-integrated route into the legal profession.

Careers after qualifying

You may be wondering what sort of careers you can delve into with a CPQ qualification. There are many different routes you can go down, depending on which level of the CPQ you achieve. CPQ offers a great base for you to build your legal career from, with many of our CILEX graduates going on to achieve great success as law firm leaders!

If you complete the Foundation stage and qualify as a CILEX Paralegal, you may land a role as a legal assistant or paralegal. Qualifying as an Advanced Paralegal upon completing the Advanced stage may land you roles such as a senior paralegal or case manager.

Finally, qualifying as a CILEX Lawyer upon completion of the Professional stage, you may find yourself applying for roles as a legal executive, fee earner or legal counsel. As a CILEX Lawyer, you can also become partner of a law firm, a judge, coroner or even own your own law firm!

So, what are you waiting for? Start your CILEX journey today by registering with CILEX and enrolling on a CPQ course with Law Training Centre!