SQE1
Solicitors Qualifying Examination Part 1 (SQE1)
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ExploreAbout this exam
SQE1 (Solicitors Qualifying Examination Part 1, also called SQE Stage 1) is the first of the two centralised assessments that form part of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination route to qualifying as a solicitor in England and Wales, which the Solicitors Regulation Authority lists alongside the older Legal Practice Course route. It is aimed at anyone pursuing solicitor qualification - law graduates, non-law graduates who have completed a conversion course, apprentices and qualified lawyers from other jurisdictions - and it tests "functioning legal knowledge": the substantive and procedural law a newly qualified solicitor is expected to apply, together with the ethics and professional conduct expectations that sit behind it.
The syllabus is broad rather than deep. It spans business law and practice, dispute resolution, contract, tort, the legal system of England and Wales, constitutional and administrative law and EU law, criminal law and practice, property practice, wills and the administration of estates, solicitors accounts, land law, and equity and trusts. Questions are multiple choice and are typically built around short client scenarios, so recall alone is not enough: you must select the single best answer from a set of plausible options.
Preparation normally means working through each subject systematically, drilling scenario-based questions under timed conditions, and reviewing why wrong options are wrong. Note that the SRA page we relied on for this profile returned a "Page not found" error, so administrative details - sitting dates, fees, pass marks and retake rules - should be confirmed directly with the SRA or your provider before you rely on them.
What you'll study
About SQE1 preparation
What exactly is SQE1 and who is it for?
It is the first of the two SQE assessments on the SRA's route to solicitor qualification in England and Wales, sitting alongside the Legal Practice Course route. It is for anyone working towards admission as a solicitor, including law and non-law graduates, solicitor apprentices and qualified foreign lawyers, and it tests the functioning legal knowledge expected of a newly qualified solicitor.
What is the format of the exam?
SQE1 is a multiple choice assessment. Questions are usually framed as short client scenarios, with several plausible options from which you pick the single best answer. Because the distractors are drafted to look attractive, marks come from applying rules to the facts rather than from recognising a familiar phrase.
How long does the exam take and what does it cost?
We cannot state sitting duration or fees here: the SRA page used to build this profile returned a page-not-found error, so those figures are unverified. Check the SRA's SQE pages or your course provider for current timings, fees and booking deadlines before making plans, since these details change between sittings.
What score do I need to pass?
The pass mark is not stated in the source material we hold, so treat any figure you hear informally with caution and confirm it with the SRA. What is reliable is the approach: because the paper is broad, a comfortable pass usually comes from consistent strength across every subject rather than excellence in a few.
Can I retake SQE1 if I fail?
Retake rules, including any limit on the number of attempts, are set by the SRA and were not confirmed by our source page. Before booking, check the SRA's current SQE assessment regulations for the attempts policy and any waiting period, and build your revision plan on the assumption that a resit costs both money and several months.
In what order should I study the subjects?
A workable approach is to build foundations first: contract, tort, criminal law, land law and equity and trusts underpin much of the rest. Then layer on practice areas that apply them - business law and practice, property practice, wills and estates, dispute resolution - and treat solicitors accounts as a standing weekly slot, because its rules reward repetition rather than cramming.
Why do candidates fail, and how do I avoid it?
The usual causes are superficial coverage of many subjects, weak application skills, and neglect of the technical topics such as solicitors accounts and the procedural rules in dispute resolution and criminal practice. Practise scenario questions under time pressure, read the examiner-style explanations for every option, and log recurring errors by topic until the pattern disappears.
Is SQE1 harder than SQE2?
They test different things, so a direct comparison is not useful. SQE1 rewards breadth and accuracy across many subjects in a multiple choice format; SQE2 assesses practical legal skills such as writing, drafting, research, interviewing and advocacy. Many candidates find the volume of SQE1 the challenge rather than the difficulty of any single question.
Is this page affiliated with the SRA?
No. This is an independent study resource and is not endorsed by, or connected to, the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Always verify exam administration, fees, dates and regulations against the SRA's own published material, which is the authoritative source for the qualification requirements.