90%+ Average Pass Rate from QLTS OSCE in 2018 to SQE2 in 2024: It’s not about the brand; it’s about ‘know-how’

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What’s
the SQE?

In autumn 2021, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA – the regulatory body for solicitors in England and Wales) introduced 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:

  • giving more flexibility to the routes
  • through which aspiring solicitors can obtain
  • the competency required to enter the legal profession
  • assuring a tailored training aimed at continuing professional development
  • deregulating the education and training process to a reasonably required extent
Background

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.

Structure
SQE1
  • Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK) – the knowledge of core legal principles and rules that candidates have to apply across a specific practice area.
  • Candidates should be able to apply these legal principles to real-life scenarios and demonstrate the competencies required of a newly qualified solicitor.

Aim: to test the candidates’ ability to apply legal knowledge.

SQE2
  • Practical Legal Skills – oral and written assessments which also assess FLK via simulations.
  • The assessments involve simulated role plays, such as mock client interviews, advocacy sessions and written exercises across 5 practice contexts in the form of drafting, writing, research tasks and case and matter analysis given by a supervisor. All the skills stations are timed.

Aim: to test the candidates’ practical legal skills and application of the law to the facts.

Assessment
provider

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.

Transition Period

There will be a transition period for
different groups of candidates:

QLTS Aspiring Solicitors /
Candidates

MCT / Full Exemption

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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

READ

MCT / No Exemption

READ

NON-QLTS Aspiring Solicitors /
Candidates

Legal Practice Course

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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:

  • complete a period of recognised training
  • meet the SRA’s character and suitability requirements.

LLB / GDL

READ

Training contract

READ

For more information, please see here.

Requirements

In addition to passing the SQE1 and SQE2,
in order to be admitted to the roll, aspiring
solicitors shoud meet the following
eligibility requirements:

01 Have
  • a UK degree
  • or an equivalent UK qualification
  • or an equivalent non-UK qualification

More details here.

02 Gain

The minimum of 2 years’ qualifying work
experience (QWE):

  1. Competence-based work experience in legal
    services: no need to work in a specific number
    of different practice areas…
  2. In no more than four separate entities, such as firms,
    educational institutions or other organisations
  3. For at least 2 years full time, or equivalent
    to this time frame in case of part time
  4. May be obtained:
    • before, during or after the SQE
    • with no time limits: including the QWE
      obtained before the introduction of the SQE
    • within England and Wales, or overseas
  5. Formalities:
    • each QWE must be signed by an England
      and Wales qualified solicitor within or outside of the
      organisation
    • the solicitor signing it must make an honest
      declaration that:
      (i) the aspiring solicitor has had an opportunity
      to develop the competencies for the claimed period of
      time
      (ii) there have been no character suitability issues
    • each QWE should meet additional safeguards
      assuring that the candidates’ work experience enabled
      them to acquire all the required competencies
  6.  SRA is developing an online portal to facilitate the
    submission of the QWE documents
  7. SRA has developed a training template to help aspiring
    solicitors record their qualifying work experience
MORE
03 Meet

The SRA character and
suitability requirements.

Cost

SQE1

FEE
£1,888

SQE2

FEE
£2,902

Cost for sitting both
SQE1 and SQE2

TOTAL:
£4,790
Prices & Packages

Next steps

1

Start gathering the evidence of
your QWE well in advance: talk
to your previous, current or
prospective employers and
explain why you need it.

2

Try to gain work experience
which will help you to prepare
for the SQE2.

3

Start your prep right away –
click to read more why and how.

4

Take advantage of the new
possibilities offered by the SQE
reform:)

SQE1

Description

  • SQE1 is Part 1 of the SQE
  • will be conducted in English and Welsh (with Welsh introduced as a working language on a phased basis – with full English/Welsh parity by year four of the SQE)
  • assesses functioning legal knowledge (FLK)
  • is a multiple choice test, with multiple choice questions (MCQs) carefully developed for each assessment incorporating the best question drafting methodology and single best answer multiple choice approach
  • contains 360 questions in two assessments of 180 questions each
  • assessments will be conducted over two full days
  • will be conducted at both domestic and international Pearson VUE test centres
  • allows up to three resits within a 6-year period
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1
SQE1 Subjects

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.

  1. block 1: Business Law and Practice; Dispute Resolution; Contract; Tort; Legal System of England and Wales; Constitutional and Administrative Law and EU Law and Legal Services.
  2. block 2: Property Practice; Wills and the Administration of Estates; Solicitors Accounts; Land Law; Trusts; Criminal Law and Practice.

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.

READ
2
SQE1 Prep materials
READ
3
SQE1 Exam dates

SQE2

Description

  • SQE2 is Part 2 of the SQE
  • requires the completion of the SQE1
  • will be conducted in English and Welsh (with Welsh introduced as a working language on a phased basis – with full English/Welsh parity by year four of the SQE)
  • is a single, uniform assessment for all candidates (domestic and international) in 5 practice contexts (practice areas) covering substantive law
  • is made up of 16 practical assessments based on simulations
  • assesses practical legal skills (oral and written)
  • includes a 2-day oral skills assessment sampled across reserved legal activities
  • includes a 3-day written skills assessment sampled across 5 areas of law
  • will be conducted at a limited number of assessment centers
  • allows up to three resits within a 6-year period
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1
SQE2 Subjects

SQE2 is designed to test practical legal skills across 5 practice contexts (practice areas).

  1. contexts: Criminal litigation; Dispute resolution; Property practice; Wills and intestacy, Probate administration and practice; Business organisations rules and procedures.
  2. skills: Client interviewing and attendance note/legal analysis; Advocacy; Case and matter analysis; Legal research; Legal writing; Legal drafting

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.

READ
2
SQE2 Prep materials
READ
3
SQE2 Exam dates
More Details

Read more
about SQE prep

More about our SQE1/SQE2 prep
on the following pages.

SQE1 PrepSQE2 Prep

SQE news

Please stay tuned for the latest
news and developments.

Last updated 1 October 2024
October 2024

SQE1 Pass Rate Drops to 44%

Recent data from the SRA highlights a significant drop in the SQE1 pass rate, with just 44% of candidates successfully passing the July 2024 sitting.
August 2024

Results for the April’24 SQE2

April 2024 SQE2 results are out. Candidates should review the Results and Resits information and the SQE2 Statistical Report for insights and feedback. The overall pass rate was 79%.
April 2024

Kaplan Error: 175 Candidates Pass SQE1

Kaplan has reissued January 2024 SQE1 results, correcting an error. 175 candidates initially marked as failing FLK1 and/or FLK2 have now been informed they passed.
March 2024

January 2024 SQE1 Results

The January 2024 SQE1 results are out, with 56% of candidates passing, marking an uptick from the previous year's 51%. A total of 6061 candidates received their results.
February 2024

October 2023 SQE2 results

The SQE2 results for October 2023 are out. Out of 642 candidates, the overall pass rate, accounting for both first-time and repeat attempts, stood at 64%.
December 2023

New SQE1 sample questions

The SRA has introduced 40 new sample questions for SQE1, supplementing the existing 90. They've also released a brief video to help candidates understand SQE1 question structure.
November 2023

July’23 SQE2 results released

The results for the SQE2 held in July 2023 have been published. A total of 1,004 candidates participated in the examination, with an impressive pass rate of 79%.
September 2023

SQE1 July 2023 results

In the SQE1 July 2023 results, 3,005 candidates who took the assessment for the first time achieved a pass rate of 56%, while the overall pass rate, including resit candidates, was 53%. The pass marks were 53% for FLK1 and 52% for FLK2.
August 2023

Results for the April’23 SQE2

The results for the April 2023 SQE2 have been published. Candidates are encouraged to review the Results and resits information and the SQE2 April 2023 Statistical Report, to gain further insights into their performance and assessment feedback.
July 2023

Luxembourg grants UK solicitors practice rights

English and Welsh solicitors are now eligible to register and practice UK and public international law in Luxembourg. On 29 June, the Luxembourg parliament passed a bill, implementing article 194 of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), turning it into law. Read more 
April 2023

SRA approves fee increase for the SQE

Starting from September 2023, the SQE1 fee will rise from £1,622 to £1,798, and the SQE2 fee will increase from £2,493 to £2,766 (an 11% overall increase). This adjustment is in response to inflation.
March 2023

January SQE1 results published

On 14 March 2023, the SRA released the results for the January 2023 SQE1 sitting. There were 3031 candidates who sat both parts of SQE1 (FLK1 and FLK2), with an overall pass rate of 54 per cent.
February 2023

Results for the October SQE2

The results for the Oct'22 SQE2 have been released. According to the SRA, 646 candidates have sat the exam, with an overall pass rate of 71%. The pass mark was 62% for all three sittings.
December 2022

Booking for the April 2023 SQE2 is open

The booking window for the April 2023 SQE2 assessment is now open and closes at 5pm on 23 March 2023. The first day of this assessment window is 25 April 2023.
October 2022

July SQE1 results released

The results for the July 2022 SQE1 sitting have been published. There were 1,829 candidates who completed both parts of SQE1 (FLK1 and FLK2), with an overall pass rate of 53 per cent.
August 2022

Results for the April SQE2

The results for the first ever sitting of the SQE2 assessment, taken in April 2022 by more than 700 candidates, were released on 25 August 2022. Overall, 77% of candidates who sat the exam passed.
April 2022

Admission date extended for QLTS

If QLTS candidates who have passed the MCT want to sit the SQE2 instead of the OSCE, they will have until 31 March 2024 (inclusive) to pass and apply for admission.
March 2022

Booking for the July 2022 SQE1 is open

The booking window for the July 2022 SQE1 assessment is now open and closes at 5pm on Thursday 16 June 2022. Candidates can book to take the assessment through their candidate account.
February 2022

Booking for SQE2 is open

The SQE2 booking window for the April 2022 SQE2 assessment is open. To be able to book, candidates must complete the registration and pre-booking process, which are steps 1 and 2 in their candidate account. 
January 2022

First SQE1 results are out

According to the SRA, 1,090 candidates participated in the November SQE1, with 1,073 candidates sitting both FLK1 and FLK2. Overall, 53% of candidates passed both assessments, with 67% passing FLK1 and 54% passing FLK2.
November 2021

First SQE1 assessment

The first ever SQE assessments took place last week. 1090 candidates attempted the SQE assessments, across more than 100 test centres in 26 countries. Candidates will get their results on or before 24 January 2022.
October 2021

Bookings for April 2022 SQE2 and July 2022 SQE1

Bookings for the April 2022 SQE2 sitting will open at 10am on 25 January 2022. Bookings for the next sitting of SQE1 which is due in July 2022 will open later in 2022.
September 2021

OUP introducing ‘SQE Prep & Practise’

The 'SQE Prep & Practise' resource will be publicly released on 20 September 2021.
July 2021
Candidate registration is open
Candidates who intend to take the SQE can now register, create and activate their accounts. Before they can book and sit assessments, they will also need to complete the pre-booking steps. Bookings for the first SQE1 in November will open later in July. For more details, please click here.
June 2021
LPC graduates exempt from SQE1
If you have the Legal Practice Course (LPC) and wish to qualify as a solicitor through the SQE, you can apply to SRA to recognise the combination of two years’ qualifying work experience and successfully passing SQE2 as equivalent to the period of recognised training. You would not have to sit SQE1. To learn more about SQE exemptions - follow the link.
May 2021
SQE assessment website launched
On 11 May 2021, the SRA announced that the website for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination is now available. It explains what the SQE is and everything you need to consider when getting through this qualification. Candidates will be able to register and book their assessments through this website.
April 2021
Application for SQE assessment exemption
Qualified domestic and overseas lawyers will be able to apply for the agreed exemptions based on their home legal professional qualification, new exemptions for their home legal professional qualification or additional exemptions.
January 2021
SQE2 webinar
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.
December 2020
SQE conference 2020
On 15 December 2020, the SRA organized the annual SQE conference to provide the latest information on the SQE and its introduction in 2021.
November 2020
OUP developing an online study tool
OUP has been developing the digital ‘SQE Prep & Practise’ (1200 questions in 2 collections) - SQE1 tailored materials, including an online bank of multiple-choice questions.
October 2020
LSB’s approval of the SQE
On 27 October 2020, the LSB granted full approval of alterations to the SQE regulatory arrangements.
June 2020
SQE final design unveiled
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.
December 2019
SQE2 pilot
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.
March 2019
SQE1 pilot
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.
March 2018
LSB approves the application for reforms
In 2018, the Legal Services Board (LSB) approved the SRA's application for the new admission requirements for solicitors.
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