sqe The SQE Explained

The SQE is the centralised assessment for anyone who wants to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales. It is part of a new, four-stage route to becoming a solicitor, introduced in 2021. To qualify through the SQE route you'll need to:

• Have a degree (or equivalent) in any subject
• Pass SQE1 and SQE2 assessments*
• Undertake a minimum of two years Qualifying Work Experience (QWE)
• Show you are of satisfactory character and suitability

*Some exemptions apply. Please visit the SRA website form further information on the SQE assessment exemptions.

The SQE has been divided into two parts – SQE1 and SQE2.

In SQE1 you will be tested on ‘functioning legal knowledge’ which tests your application of law based on realistic client-based scenarios in multiple choice questions. The assessments will cover subjects you will have studied on a law degree or a conversion course, as well as the vocational practice areas in stage 1 of the previous LPC route. There will be two lengthy multiple choice papers of 180 questions each, covering all aspects of the SQE1 syllabus. You must pass SQE1 before being eligible to sit the SQE2 assessments.

In SQE2 you will be tested on the practical legal skills required for practice, including:

• Interviewing (with written attendance note/legal analysis)
• Advocacy
• Legal research
• Legal drafting
• Legal writing
• Case and matter analysis

SQE1 and SQE2 are centralised assessments introduced by the SRA and are not examined by The University of Law. These assessments are an essential requirement to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales. The LPC is a course with its own individual assessments set by The University of Law and accredited by the SRA.

There is no specific SQE course as such, but there are important topics that you’ll need to study in order to pass the assessments. We offer a range of SQE courses to prepare you for the SQE assessments, as well as your future career as a solicitor.

During the transitional period between LPC and SQE, there are a number of criteria which will determine whether you have to sit the SQE assessments in order to qualify as a solicitor, or if you can still take the LPC.

If you started, completed, accepted an offer for, or paid a non-refundable deposit for one of the following courses by 31 August 2021, then you can choose between studying the LPC and the SQE - both are open to you:

• Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) or Common Professional Examination (CPE)
• MA Law
• A period of recognised training (also known as a training contract)

For a qualifying law degree (QLD) and exempting law degree (ELD), such as our LLB, you must have completed, started, accepted an offer or paid a non-refundable deposit by 21 September 2021, in order to still choose the LPC route.

If the above requirements for the LPC don’t match your qualifications background, you’ll need to progress through the new SQE route.

Not sure which route is right for you? Get in touch with our team by emailing [email protected] or call 0808 253 7683 for advice.

No, if you choose to qualify as a solicitor via the SQE route, you will not be required to complete a training contract. However you will need to complete two years of QWE instead.

Under the new route you will need to complete a minimum of two years’ QWE before you can qualify as a solicitor.

QWE is similar to a training contract and can be completed at any point during the qualification process (although it is anticipated that most students will complete this after SQE1).

QWE may be completed with up to four different legal employers. The type of work which qualifies as QWE includes placements while studying for your degree, time spent as a paralegal or working in a law clinic, as well as working for a two year period within a single law firm.

All QWE is signed off by the legal employer, who must be a solicitor, and is usually also the compliance officer.

If you have already completed part of the required QWE, such as through a Pro Bono placement, it will be up to individual law firms to decide how they accept your previous work experience. On obtaining QWE at a law firm, you might be required to complete the entire two year period of QWE with them, if that is what they require for practice at that firm.

To help you progress your legal training and prepare you for your career as a solicitor, we’re offering four weeks guaranteed QWE within our Legal Advice Centre to our LLM Legal Practice (SQE1&2) and MA Law (SQE1) students. Find out more about our careers and employability support.

You can book your assessments directly with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). To book onto one of our SQE courses, visit the page for the course you're interested in.

In addition to tuition fees, students will pay exam fees directly to the SRA. The current total cost for taking both SQE assessments (from September 2024) is £4,790.

SQE1: £1,888 from September 2024 for the two examinations.

SQE2: £2,902 from September 2024 for the written and oral tasks.

All fees are tax exempt and resits are subject to additional fees.

To check the current fees for exams and resits, always refer to the SRA website.

Yes. If you have chosen to study the LPC during the transitional period, you will be able to sit the SQE exams in the future if you wish. Although this is unlikely to be necessary if you pass the LPC as you can continue to qualify under the current route.  

If you have chosen to study the GDL or MA Law, you will be able to select either route on completion of your programme. 

In specific circumstances, it may be necessary to take a different approach to qualifying that combines both LPC and SQE. For example, the SRA has advised that LPC students or graduates who have not secured a training contract can combine the SQE pathway’s two years of Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) and SQE2 assessment as an equivalent to a period of recognised training. On successful completion of this you would be admitted as a solicitor under the LPC route. You can find out more on the SRA website.