SQE1 and SQE2 compared
SQE1 tests legal knowledge in 340 single best answer questions across FLK1 and FLK2. SQE2 tests six legal skills, such as legal writing and advocacy, in 16 written and oral stations. SQE1 comes first, and SQE2 can be sat only after passing it or being exempt.
Updated 1 October 2026 · Checked against the sources listed below
At a glance
- questions in each FLK
- 170
- stations: 4 oral and 12 written
- 16
- passed SQE1 in January 2026
- 53%
- passed SQE2 in April 2026
- 83%
Where are you now?
At a glance
- questions in each FLK
- 170
- stations: 4 oral and 12 written
- 16
- passed SQE1 in January 2026
- 53%
- passed SQE2 in April 2026
- 83%
Side by side
| SQE1 | SQE2 | |
|---|---|---|
| What it tests | Functioning legal knowledge | Legal skills, applied to the law |
| Format | 340 single best answer questions in FLK1 and FLK2 | 16 stations: 12 written, 4 oral |
| Where | Pearson VUE test centre | Written at Pearson VUE, oral at a venue in Birmingham, Cardiff, London or Manchester |
| Sittings | January and July | January, April, July and October |
| How it is marked | Right or wrong answers, by computer | A to F on each criterion by solicitors, with the client interview marked by the actor |
| Pass mark | 300 out of 500 on each FLK | 300 out of 500 overall |
| Pass rate, January 2026 | 53% | 80% |
| Fee from October 2026 | £2,006 | £3,086 |
| Attempts | 3 within six years | 3 within six years |
What changes between the stages
SQE1 asks you to choose the best of five answers. SQE2 gives you a blank page or a client and asks you to produce the work. The law is the same law: SQE2 draws on part of the SQE1 syllabus, in five practice areas. What is new is the form of the answer. You write a letter to a client, an analysis for a partner or a clause in a deed, or you make submissions to a judge.
That changes how you prepare. For SQE1, a question bank with explanations tells you at once whether you were right. For SQE2 there is no single right answer to check against. Your work has to be marked against the criteria before you know how it would score. The SQE2 exam format page sets out each station.
Why the pass rates differ
In January 2026, 53% passed SQE1 and 80% passed SQE2. The SQE2 group has already passed SQE1, so the comparison does not show that SQE2 is easier. The SRA's four-year review found that SQE1 score explains about a quarter of the variation in SQE2 scores. A strong SQE1 result is a good start, and the skills still need their own practice.
Who sits which stage
Most candidates sit SQE1, then SQE2. A qualified lawyer from another jurisdiction may be exempt from one or both, and the SQE2 exemption page explains who qualifies. Candidates who started the old route through the LPC have their own transitional options, which the SRA describes on its site.
Choosing your next step
The route picker above gives one next step for each starting point. In short:
- Not started: begin with SQE1, starting from the free SQE1 diagnostic.
- SQE1 booked: keep SQE1 first, and look at the SQE2 dates to see which sitting follows your result.
- SQE1 passed: choose your SQE2 sitting and start timed, marked answers in the written skills.
- Exempt from SQE1: start SQE2 preparation, and check the language standard expected in the written skills.
- A qualified lawyer: check whether you can apply for an exemption from SQE2 before you book it.
Questions candidates ask
SQE1 has the lower pass rate: 53% in January 2026, against 80% for SQE2 in the same month. But SQE2 candidates have all passed SQE1 or are qualified lawyers, so the figures compare different groups. SQE2 is harder to prepare for alone, because each answer needs marking against the criteria.
No. SQE2 can be sat only by candidates who have passed SQE1 or who are exempt from it. Only qualified lawyers can be exempt.
No. The two years of qualifying work experience can be done before, during or after the SQE. Qualified lawyers do not need it at all.
Not on its own. To be admitted you also need a degree or an equivalent qualification, two years of qualifying work experience and to pass the SRA's character and suitability checks. Then you apply for admission.
January 2027 SQE1 results are due on 9 March 2027. The April 2027 SQE2 starts six weeks later and the July 2027 SQE2 about four and a half months later. The later sitting leaves more time for marked practice.
£5,092 in SRA fees for bookings from October 2026: £2,006 for SQE1 and £3,086 for SQE2. Preparation and travel come on top.
Sources
- SRA: SQE1 Assessment Specification (assessments from 1 September 2026)Checked 23 September 2026
- SRA: SQE2 Assessment Specification (from 1 September 2026)Checked 1 October 2026
- SRA: SQE1 January 2026 statistical reportChecked 23 September 2026
- SRA: SQE2 January 2026 statistical reportChecked 1 October 2026
- SRA: Reports find SQE to be robust (21 April 2026)Checked 23 September 2026
- SRA: SQE update April 2026 (fees from October 2026)Checked 1 October 2026
- SRA: SQE Assessment RegulationsChecked 23 September 2026
- SRA: Qualified lawyers becoming a solicitorChecked 1 October 2026
- SRA: The SQE after four years, facts and figuresChecked 1 October 2026
SQE Practice is independent of the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Rules, dates and fees can change: the SRA is the authority, and this page is checked against it.
See what SQE2 asks of your writing
The free SQE2 diagnostic takes about 20 minutes: a short writing task marked against the SRA's criteria, and quick questions across the other written skills. The marking is automated.
a marked writing task and 8 quick questions · about 20 minutes · free, no card details