The SQE explained, what it is and how it works

If you are considering a career as a solicitor in England and Wales, you will hear about the SQE. It is the new gateway to becoming a solicitor, replacing the Law Practice Course (LPC) that governed legal training for decades. This guide explains what the SQE is, how it works, what it costs, and how to prepare for it.

The short version

The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) is a two-stage assessment created by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to ensure all trainee solicitors meet the same standard of competence, regardless of their training route. SQE1 tests knowledge of law and procedure. SQE2 tests practical legal skills. You must pass both, plus complete qualifying work experience, to become a solicitor. The SQE came into force in September 2021 and fully replaced the LPC in September 2023.

At a glance

Why the SQE replaced the LPC

The old LPC had fragmentation problems. Different law schools taught different syllabuses, set different standards, and operated different assessments. Two solicitors qualified from different LPC providers might have very different levels of competence. The SRA wanted to create a single, national standard for all solicitors, regardless of university or training provider.

The SQE achieves this by setting a single knowledge base (covered in SQE1) and a single skills framework (tested in SQE2). It also decouples training from qualification. Under the LPC, you had to study first, then train. Under the SQE, you can work and study in parallel. This flexibility suits career-changers, international graduates, and people who need to earn while they study.

In September 2023, the SQE became the only recognised pathway to qualification. The LPC, Common Professional Examination (CPE), and Graduate Diploma in Law all retired. If you want to become a solicitor now, the SQE is your route.

SQE1 format

SQE1 consists of two papers, each lasting 4 hours and 15 minutes. Both papers contain multiple-choice questions, often called MCQs. Each question has one correct answer out of four options.

SQE1 Paper 1 (Functioning Legal Knowledge 1) covers:

• Constitutional and administrative law
• Criminal law and procedure
• Equity and trusts
• Contract law
• Tort law
• Property law and procedure

SQE1 Paper 2 (Functioning Legal Knowledge 2) covers:

• Wills, probate, and administration of estates
• Business law
• Civil litigation and dispute resolution
• Criminal litigation and procedure
• Family law
• Employment law

Paper 1 contains 195 questions and Paper 2 contains 120 questions. You need to score 70% on each paper to pass. You can sit both papers on the same day or on different days, depending on your exam centre. Most candidates sit them within a few weeks of each other.

SQE1 does not test practical skills. It tests whether you know the law and can identify the correct legal principle or procedure in a given scenario. The questions are scenario-based, meaning they present short fact patterns and ask you to select the correct legal outcome or advice.

SQE1 content syllabus

The 15 subjects that appear across both papers are:

1. Administrative law
2. Business law (company law, partnership, insolvency)
3. Civil litigation and dispute resolution (including arbitration and mediation)
4. Constitutional law
5. Contract law
6. Criminal law
7. Criminal litigation and procedure
8. Employment law
9. Equity and trusts law
10. Evidence
11. Family law
12. Land law (property law)
13. Professional conduct and regulation
14. Succession law (wills and probate)
15. Tort law

The SRA publishes a detailed SQE1 Syllabus document that lists specific topics within each subject. For example, within contract law, you need to know offer, acceptance, consideration, terms, misrepresentation, breach, and remedies. Professional conduct and regulation appear throughout, not as a separate paper.

The SRA does not require you to study a particular textbook or pass a particular university course. You are tested on the body of knowledge, not on a specific curriculum. This means you can prepare however suits you: through university, online courses, private tuition, self-study, or a combination of methods.

SQE2 format

SQE2 tests practical legal skills. Unlike SQE1, it is not purely about knowledge. It assesses your ability to do the tasks that solicitors do every day: interviewing clients, writing legal advice, drafting documents, and conducting negotiations.

SQE2 is sat after you have completed two years of qualifying work experience. The exam lasts 2 days:

Day 1 includes an oral assessment (approximately 90 minutes) and a written assessment (2 hours 45 minutes).

Day 2 includes a written assessment (2 hours 45 minutes).

There are six modules assessed within SQE2:

1. Client interviewing (oral)
2. Advocacy (oral)
3. Case and matter analysis (written)
4. Legal research and writing (written)
5. Drafting (written)
6. Legal advice (written)

You do not need to pass all six modules separately. Instead, you receive an overall SQE2 grade. You must achieve a pass grade across the combined assessment. The pass mark is set at a level that reflects the competence of a newly qualified solicitor.

The oral modules (client interviewing and advocacy) take place in person or over video, depending on the exam centre. An examiner or examiner panel observes and assesses you against a competence framework.

The written modules are sat on paper or screen, depending on the exam centre's arrangements. You will be given a client file or a scenario, and you must respond as a solicitor would: by conducting a client meeting, advising on the law, drafting a document, or researching a point of law.

SQE2 content syllabus

SQE2 tests competence across the same 15 law subjects covered in SQE1, plus three additional areas:

• Accounts and financial systems
• Costs and funding
• Professional conduct and regulation (in greater depth than SQE1)

However, the syllabus is smaller and more focused than SQE1. You do not need to know every aspect of each subject. Instead, you need to know the areas that are most relevant to a newly qualified solicitor in general practice. For example, you do not need to know detailed equity law, but you do need to know how to advise a client on a simple conveyancing transaction or a contract dispute.

The SRA publishes scenario examples and model answers on its website so you can understand the standard expected.

Pass rates and difficulty

SQE1 pass rates vary between 50% and 60% across sittings. This means that roughly half of candidates pass, and half do not. The pass rate is lower than the old LPC, which had pass rates above 90%. This is intentional. The SRA set SQE1 at a standard that reflects the competence of a newly qualified solicitor, not the standard of a university course where most students pass.

A pass rate of 50-60% does not mean SQE1 is unfairly difficult. It means that many candidates sit without adequate preparation, or with backgrounds outside law. The SQE is open to graduates in any discipline and to mature students. If you study diligently, your chances of passing are significantly higher than the population average.

SQE2 pass rates are higher, typically 70-75%. This is because SQE2 candidates have already passed SQE1 and have completed two years of real legal work. They have practical experience that helps them work through the scenarios and tasks.

Both stages are cumulative. If you fail SQE1 at your first attempt, you can resit. There is no limit on the number of resits. However, each resit involves another exam fee.

Fees and where to sit

As of 2026, SQE1 costs GBP 3,900 to sit both papers. SQE2 costs GBP 4,260. If you resit, you pay the fee again.

These are the official exam fees charged by the SRA and its approved assessment organisations. There are currently two approved organisations: Kaplan and ISOIEC (formerly Pearson VUE). You cannot sit the SQE outside these organisations, and you cannot appeal the fee.

You can sit the SQE at approved test centres across England and Wales, and at selected centres abroad. Test centres are typically university campuses or private exam halls. The SRA website lists all approved centres.

You can sit the exam up to four times per calendar year. Most candidates sit once or twice per year.

SQE prep providers

You do not have to use a prep provider to pass the SQE. However, most candidates do, because the exam is challenging and prep providers structure your learning.

The main SQE prep providers are:

Kaplan offers online courses, live webinars, and revision materials for both SQE1 and SQE2. Their courses cover the full syllabus and include thousands of practice questions. Kaplan is popular with full-time students and people who prefer structured tuition. Costs vary from GBP 2,000 to GBP 5,000 depending on the package and whether you include tutoring.

ULaw (University of Law) offers SQE1 and SQE2 courses through their campus and online. They have a strong reputation and a large cohort of students. Tuition fees are typically GBP 2,500 to GBP 6,000.

BPP University offers law degrees with integrated SQE1 and SQE2 preparation. If you study for a law degree at BPP, SQE preparation is built in. For people already holding a degree, BPP offers standalone SQE courses at GBP 2,500 to GBP 6,000.

City Law School is part of City University and offers part-time and full-time SQE courses. They are known for their practical, skills-focused teaching. Fees are GBP 2,000 to GBP 5,500.

Voscur and other smaller providers offer online SQE1 prep at lower costs (GBP 500 to GBP 2,000). These are good for self-directed learners or people on a tight budget.

You can also prepare alone using the SRA's published syllabus documents, free practice questions, and commercial textbooks like the Osborne Clarke Legal Consolidation Notes. Many successful candidates combine paid courses with self-study.

Qualifying Work Experience alongside the SQE

To become a solicitor, you must complete two years of qualifying work experience (QWE) after you have passed SQE1. You do not have to complete all of it before sitting SQE2. You only need to have completed two years before you are admitted.

This flexibility is one of the main advantages of the SQE over the old training contract model. Under the LPC, you had to be in a training contract while you studied. Under the SQE, you can work in any legal or paralegal role. Your employer does not have to be a law firm, and you do not have to be in a "training contract" as such.

However, your work experience must meet certain criteria set by the SRA. You must:

• Work under the supervision of a qualified lawyer or legal professional
• Gain experience across the client services and business functions that the SRA specifies
• Record your experience and competence in a portfolio (the "SQE Work Experience Record")
• Have your employer sign off that you have met the standards

The SRA publishes detailed guidance on what counts as qualifying work experience. Roughly, it means that you must do legal work, not administrative work, and you must work with a range of client matters and business areas over your two years.

Common misconceptions

"The SQE is only for trainees at big law firms." False. You can do qualifying work experience at small firms, in-house teams, charities, government, or non-traditional legal environments. Many candidates qualify through roles like paralegals or caseworkers, not law firm traineeships.

"You must have a law degree to take the SQE." False. You can take the SQE with any undergraduate degree, or no degree at all (if you have relevant experience). The SQE is open to career-changers, international graduates, and mature students. You do not have to go to university to become a solicitor.

"The SQE is easier than the LPC." False. The SQE has lower pass rates than the LPC (50-60% vs 90%), which suggests it is harder, not easier. However, "harder" is relative. The SQE is harder if you are unprepared, and easier if you study well.

"You can take SQE2 without passing SQE1." False. You must pass both papers of SQE1 before you can sit SQE2. You cannot bypass either stage.

"The SQE is the same as the bar exam in the USA." False. The USA bar exam is a single exam taken after law school. The SQE is two exams taken before and after work experience. The content and format are different.

"The SQE tests whether you can think like a lawyer." Partially true. SQE1 tests whether you know the law. SQE2 tests whether you can apply the law in practice. Neither is purely about "thinking like a lawyer" in the abstract sense. Both are about competence.

Day to day (what SQE prep looks like)

If you are preparing for SQE1, a typical week looks like this:

Monday to Wednesday: Attend lectures or watch online modules on a new subject (such as contract law). Take notes. Read the syllabus notes or a textbook chapter. Answer a few practice questions to check your understanding.

Thursday and Friday: Practice 30 to 50 exam-style questions on the topics you learned. Time yourself. Mark your answers and note the ones you got wrong. Read the feedback or model answer.

Weekend: Review the topics you struggled with. Do more practice questions on those topics. Consolidate your notes.

This routine repeats for 12 to 20 weeks until you have covered all 15 subjects. In the final weeks before the exam, you shift from learning new content to practising full-length exams under timed conditions. Most candidates sit two or three full-length practice exams in the month before the real exam.

For SQE2, prep is more practical. You will work through scenario-based tasks (interviewing a client, drafting a letter, advising on a legal issue) and get feedback from tutors. You will also sit mock oral exams to practise your communication and advocacy skills.

Related concepts

• Law Practice Course (LPC) - The qualification that the SQE replaced
• Training Contract - The apprenticeship route that is now optional
• Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) - The conversion course for non-law graduates (now optional with the SQE)
• Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) - The regulator that created the SQE
• Bar Practice Course (BPC) - The equivalent qualification for barristers
• Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) - The two years of legal work required alongside the SQE
• Professional Conduct and Regulation - The area of knowledge tested in both SQE1 and SQE2
• Competence Framework - The standards that SQE2 assesses
• Common Professional Examination (CPE) - The course that preceded the GDL for non-law graduates
• Exemptions and Waivers - Rare instances where the SRA may waive SQE requirements

Sources

The information in this guide comes from these official UK sources:

• Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA): SQE - The official guide to the SQE, including syllabuses, pass rates, and assessment regulations.
• The Law Society: SQE - The professional body for solicitors, providing careers guidance and resources for SQE candidates.
• UK Government: Legal Services Regulation - The regulatory framework for legal services in England and Wales.

Written by Peter Kolomiets, founder of CaseCalm. UK content reviewed 2026-05-28.

Disclaimer: This page provides general information about the UK SQE. It is not legal advice, career advice, or personal guidance. If you are considering a career in law, you should speak to a qualified careers adviser or solicitor.