HAVE
a UK degree
or
an equivalent UK qualification
or
an equivalent non-UK qualification
Please find the details here.
In autumn 2021, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA – the regulatory body for solicitors in England and Wales) is introducing the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE or informally called ‘superexam’), a new route to qualify as a solicitor of England and Wales. The ideas behind it are explained in the SRA’s Training for Tomorrow – where the new superexam is viewed as:
Starting from 2011, the SQE design and methodology have been successfully tested on its likely prototype QLTS (Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme), and recently piloted by the SRA and Kaplan. The SQE1 pilot assessments engaged 316 aspiring solicitors. Over the course of three days the candidates’ knowledge was tested through a multiple-choice test, and their skills – through exercises in legal research and writing. The sample group selected to sit the SQE2 pilot included 167 candidates whose written and oral legal skills underwent a four-day assessment.
On 8 June 2020, after 9 years of numerous consultations (involving around 2,000 people), surveys, independent reviews, and massive expert guidance, the SQE final design was approved and can be accessed here.
Aim: to test the candidates’ ability to apply legal knowledge
Aim: to test the candidates’ practical legal skills and application of the law to the facts
The SRA has appointed Kaplan as the assessment provider for the SQE. Being a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company, Kaplan has made a reputation as an international education and assessment organisation operating in over 30 countries. Alongside offering test preparation, professional education, language training, it has been the sole SRA-authorised assessment provider for the QLTS – all of which served as the grounds for selecting it to run the SQE assessment.
MCT / Full Exemption
e.g. LPC grads
May choose either:
(i) to qualify via the QLTS by clearing QLTS OSCE:
a. in the April 2021 sitting and apply for admission by 31 August 2021 (inclusive);
b. in the July 2021 sitting and apply for a waiver from the deadline 31 August 2021 as above, BUT must apply for admission by 31 December 2021
(ii) or to qualify via the SQE from April 2022.
MCT / Partial Exemption e.g. EU, EEA, Intra-UK (Scotland and Northern Ireland) and Swiss applicants
May choose either:
(i) to qualify via the QLTS by clearing QLTS OSCE:
a. in the April 2021 sitting and apply for admission by 31 August 2021 (inclusive);
b. in the July 2021 sitting and apply for a waiver from the deadline 31 August 2021 as above, BUT must apply for admission by 31 December 2021
(ii) or to qualify via the SQE by clearing SQE2 from April 2022, BUT apply for admission by 31 December 2023.
MCT / No Exemption
If by 1 September 2021, candidates do not pass the MCT, they may not further qualify via the QLTS, and may proceed with the SQE (SQE1 + SQE2).
If by 1 September 2021, candidates do pass the MCT, they may choose either:
(i) to qualify via the QLTS by clearing QLTS OSCE and apply for admission by 31 August 2022 (inclusive)
(ii) or to qualify via the SQE by clearing SQE2 from April 2022, and apply for admission by 31 August 2023 (inclusive).
Legal Practice Course
If by 1 September 2021, candidates have already started or completed the LPC, or paid a non-refundable deposit, they will be able to decide between qualifying through the current route (LPC + Training contract) or sitting the SQE.
Once choosing to qualify via the current route by 31 December 2032, candidates will have to:
If by 1 September 2021, candidates have accepted an offer for a LLB or a GDL and will start their course before 31 December 2021, they can choose whether to qualify through the current route until 2032 or via the SQE starting from 2021.
After having obtained an LLB or GDL, to qualify via the current route by 31 December 2032, candidates will have to:
If by 1 September 2021, candidates have started a period of recognised training (PRT), they can qualify through the current route.
To qualify via the current route by 31 December 2032, candidates will have to:
If unable to complete a PRT, candidates can qualify via the SQE.
a UK degree
or
an equivalent UK qualification
or
an equivalent non-UK qualification
Please find the details here.
the minimum of two years’ qualifying work experience (QWE):
the SRA character and suitability requirements
The total cost for sitting both
SQE1 and SQE2 will be £3,980
Start gathering the evidence of your QWE well in advance: talk to your previous, current or prospective employers and explain why you need it.
Try to gain work experience which will help you to prepare for the SQE2.
Start your prep right away – click to read more why and how.
Take advantage of the new possibilities offered by the SQE reform:)
This course started as preparation for the QLTS OSCE – the examination for foreign-qualified lawyers seeking admission as solicitors of England and Wales. Today we have become a multicultural team committed to building professional expertise and creating professional opportunities for would-be solicitors. Our tutoring solicitors have been admitted as solicitors of England and Wales via the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme, and are now practicing English law.
Prior to becoming practising solicitors, some members of our team completed a legal practice course (LPC) at such universities as:
While our main specialisation is SQE2, we are also developing SQE1 training materials
Get the prep tailored to your individual needs with our SQEsmart training course:
Among other benefits, the new qualification process means greater flexibility for law firms who may now want to introduce their own training programmes – to satisfy their corporate needs by providing preparation for the SQE and beyond. That calls for training tutors with appropriate skills and expertise – something we can help with, too.
SQEsmart Tutor Training Course is designed to provide law firms with everything they need to ensure that their tutors can offer high-quality instruction to the firm’s employees. The course will cover general tutoring techniques, client management, typical tasks faced by tutors in the course of their professional activity, etc., as well as offer related technical and administrative support.
If you are a law firm or an educator interested in tutor training, please contact us at info@qltsosce.co.uk
This course started as preparation for the QLTS OSCE – the examination for foreign-qualified lawyers seeking admission as solicitors of England and Wales. Over the years of operation, we have accumulated personal experience and built professional expertise critical to a successful preparation for an exam as challenging as the SQE. Our SQE training incorporates the best practices we have developed on the way from the QLTS OSCE to the new superexam.
At the core of SQEsmart methodology is practice-based learning – the learning that happens through exposure to practical tasks, when taking risks, making wrong choices and looking for ways to remedy the problem help learners to develop comprehension and build long-term knowledge. Our methodology allows candidates not only to develop their professional skills, but also identify and bridge gaps in their legal knowledge. The same methodology is currently being used for the QLTS OSCE preparation – which is conducted via simulations, with candidates led through different online mock stations (both oral and written), followed by individual feedback from interviewers and tutoring solicitors.
Recognising the value of online learning, we have moved SQEsmart services to an original platform specifically designed for the purposes of SQE training. The new platform has been successfully tested since April 2020.
We have learnt that QLTS candidates with different backgrounds require different exam preparation – and should thus be offered various options to choose from, depending on their needs and budgets. At this stage, we are working on determining the contents of our SQE2 preparatory course and its total price. The latest updates on the SQEsmart course will be available closer to the SQE launch date in 2021.
All FLK is assessed in substantive law (LLB/GDL level), and across five practice areas. This is quite different from the QLTS MCT, which is focused on substantive law only.
Each MCQ may test either a particular subject area, or a combination of subjects within the respective block.
Thorough preparation for SQE1, besides learning the core principles of English and Welsh law, also presupposes acquiring deep functional knowledge. In other words, SQE1 will assess your understanding of the law through your ability to apply it to the facts at hand.
The first sitting of the SQE1 assessment is scheduled for November 2021.
year | assessment | bookings open | Exam sittings | results released |
2021 | SQE1 | September | November | 6 weeks after the assessment |
2022 | March | May | ||
2022 | September | November |
SQE2 is designed to test practical legal skills across 5 practice contexts (practice areas).
It is worth noting that a question in one context may draw on the candidate’s knowledge in another area of law. Additionally, something we have learnt from extensive training for the QLTS OSCE is that the knowledge of substantive law also is tested – based on which we strongly recommend revising it.
SRA published the sample questions for the SQE Part 2. They can be found here.
The first SQE2 assessment is scheduled for spring 2022, six months after the Solicitors Qualifying Examination is introduced in 2021.
year | assessment | bookings open | Exam sittings | results released |
2022 | SQE2 | February | April | 14 weeks after the assessment |
2022 | August | October |
March 2018
In 2018, the Legal Services Board (LSB) approved the SRA’s application for new admission requirements for solicitors. Follow this link for more details.
March 2019
On 20-22 March 2019, the SRA held the SQE1 pilot assessments. Conducted over the period of 3 days, the pilot was undertaken by 316 participants. Most locations for the assessment were in the UK (44), with the other two situated in Singapore (1) and France (1).
The pilot included a multiple choice test and legal research and writing assessments. The findings showed that some aspects of the SQE1 structure and content require further discussions and explorations. More information on the SQE1 pilot can be found here.
December 2019
The SQE2 pilot was carried out in December 2019 in 2 London-based locations for the oral mocks, and in 29 Pearson Virtual University Enterprises in England and Wales for the written tests. The 4-day assessment was completed by 167 candidates – who in addition to the practical legal skills test, were offered 120 multiple choice questions. More information on the SQE2 pilot can be found here.
June 2020
After analysing all the findings obtained from 9 years of consultations and 2 years of pilot assessments, the SRA finalised the design of the SQE on 8 June 2020.
October 2020
On 27 October 2020, the LSB granted full approval of alterations to the SQE regulatory arrangements.
November 2020
OUP has been developing SQE1 tailored materials, including an online bank of multiple choice questions. The digital SQE Prep & Test (1200 questions in 2 collections) will be available for purchase in July 2021. For the details and prices, please click here.
(more…)December 2020
On 15 December 2020, the SRA organised the annual SQE conference to provide with the latest information on the SQE and its introduction in 2021. Find the list of topics discussed here.
January 2021
On 18 January 2021, the SRA held the webinar in which the SQE2 assessment alongside the sample questions that have been recently published were a point of discussion.