SQE Overview

What Is the SQE?

The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) is the new centralised assessment for anyone seeking to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales. It replaced the Legal Practice Course (LPC) and training contract system in September 2021.

Key benefits of the SQE pathway:

• Flexibility: Study while working, at your own pace
• Accessibility: Multiple routes to qualification
• Consistency: Same assessment standard for all candidates
• Cost-effective: Often less expensive than the LPC route

Qualification Pathway

To qualify as a solicitor, you must complete:

• Degree: Any undergraduate degree (or equivalent)
• SQE1: Functioning Legal Knowledge assessment
• SQE2: Practical Legal Skills assessment
• QWE: Two years of Qualifying Work Experience
• Character & Suitability: SRA assessment

The order is flexible - you can complete QWE before, during, or after the SQE assessments.

SQE1 Assessment

SQE1 tests Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK) across two papers:

FLK1 (180 questions)

• Business Law and Practice
• Dispute Resolution
• Contract
• Tort
• Legal System of England and Wales
• Constitutional and Administrative Law
• Legal Services

FLK2 (180 questions)

• Property Practice
• Wills and Administration of Estates
• Solicitors Accounts
• Land Law
• Trusts
• Criminal Law and Practice

Both papers are multiple choice, computer-based assessments administered over two days. Ethics and professional conduct are assessed across all topics.

SQE2 Assessment

SQE2 tests practical legal skills through realistic tasks:

• Client Interviewing: 25-minute oral assessment
• Advocacy: 15-minute oral assessment
• Case and Matter Analysis: 60-minute written assessment
• Legal Research: 60-minute written assessment
• Legal Writing: 45-minute written assessment
• Legal Drafting: 45-minute written assessment

Assessments are set in the contexts of Criminal Litigation, Dispute Resolution, Property Practice, Wills and Estates, and Business practice areas.