The Solicitors Qualifying Examination replaced the LPC in 2021. Here is everything you need to know about the format, costs, and how to prepare.
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) is the centralised assessment that everyone qualifying as a solicitor of England and Wales must now pass. Introduced by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in September 2021, it replaced the Legal Practice Course (LPC) route and created a single, uniform standard for every candidate — whether they studied law in the UK, converted from another discipline, or qualified as a lawyer in another jurisdiction.
The examination is split into two stages. SQE 1 tests Functioning Legal Knowledge through two computer-based papers of 180 multiple-choice questions each, covering areas such as contract, tort, business law, property practice, wills, criminal practice, and the rules of professional conduct. The questions are scenario-based: rather than reciting rules, you apply them to realistic client situations under time pressure.
SQE 2 assesses practical legal skills — client interviewing, advocacy, case and matter analysis, legal research, legal drafting, and legal writing — through a mixture of written and oral assessments. It is designed to confirm that a candidate can actually do the day-to-day work of a newly qualified solicitor, not merely describe it.
Alongside the examinations, candidates must complete two years of Qualifying Work Experience (QWE). QWE is deliberately flexible: it can be gained in up to four organisations, before, during, or after the assessments, and includes paralegal work, placements, and work in law clinics as well as traditional training contracts.
Costs matter to every candidate. The examination fees alone run to several thousand pounds across both stages, before any preparation course is added, so it pays to plan your route — and any available exemptions — before booking. Foreign-qualified lawyers in particular may be eligible for an exemption from SQE 2 where their qualification and experience already demonstrate the equivalent skills, which can save both substantial fees and months of preparation.
Preparation should be structured around the SRA's published assessment specification rather than a general law syllabus. Focused revision of the Functioning Legal Knowledge areas, sustained multiple-choice practice under timed conditions, and honest mock assessments are consistently what separate passing candidates from unsuccessful ones. If you are unsure whether the SQE — or an exemption route — is right for your circumstances, a qualification review at the outset can save you significant time and money.