Law

SQE1

*Note: Booking closing date updated on 21 February.

SQE2

SQE2 oral assessments take place at exam venues in Birmingham, Cardiff, London, and Manchester. Please note that not all locations may be available for all sittings in an assessment window. The venues for the oral assessments are available when the booking window opens.

SQE2 written assessments take place at Pearson VUE locations in the UK and internationally.

Booking closing date

Booking for SQE1 and SQE2 closes approximately five weeks before the assessment sitting.

Results

SQE1 results will be published 5-6 weeks after the assessment. In most cases, results will be released while the booking window for the next SQE2 booking window is still open. A number of seats for SQE2 sittings will be made available to book after SQE1 results are released. This is to facilitate the transition from SQE1 to the next sitting of SQE2, for those candidates that want to follow this route. These may be released on the same day as SQE1 results or a few days later and will be subject to availability. We will confirm this closer to the time of the booking window.

SQE2 results will be published between 14-18 weeks after the assessment. Therefore, SQE2 resits will be at least 6 months apart. 

Planning ahead

Regular pattern of SQE sitting

SQE1 sittings have a regular pattern of two SQE1 sittings per year: January and July.

SQE2 sittings have a regular pattern of four SQE2 sittings per year: January, April, July, and October.

The week we aim to run assessments

To assist candidates, training providers and employers in their planning, the weeks we are aiming to start assessments for each relevant assessment window is as follows:

• SQE1: third week of the month
• SQE2: final week of the month

However, these are indicative only. Dates will be published 12 months before the relevant assessment. 

We will continue to monitor demand for introducing additional SQE1 sittings, for example in April and October, when appropriate. We will aim to announce any additional sittings 18 months before they are introduced. At present there are no plans to introduce any further sittings.

First day of the assessment window

The first day of the assessment window is the date of the first assessment for that window. Therefore, for SQE2, it will be the date of the first oral assessment or the date of the first written assessment for that window, whichever is earliest.

Length of the SQE2 assessment window

Currently SQE2 assessments take place over approximately two or three weeks. As candidate volumes increase, we expect that SQE2 assessment windows will always be at least three weeks long, and this may extend into four or possibly five weeks. 

The order of SQE2 oral and written assessments

There is no fixed order between the written and oral assessments. In any given assessment window the written assessments could be before or after the oral assessments. The written assessments could also take place in between oral sittings. The timetable is determined by various considerations, and in particular securing dates to maximise the number of spaces for candidates.

Oral assessment sittings

You are only required to attend one sitting of the oral assessment and you will be able to select which sitting when booking opens, subject to availability.

When to take the SQE

You should consider carefully when you feel you will be ready to take the SQE. Please see the blog on “Preparing for SQE2” in the March 2022 edition of the SQE Update for some of the considerations when planning ahead, such as whether a period of qualifying work experience would be beneficial.

SQE time limit

You have six years in which to complete SQE1 and SQE2. The six-year period starts from the first day you sit your first SQE assessment. You have up to three attempts at SQE1 and SQE2 within this time.

Studying for the SQE

It is very likely you will need to study for the assessments. How you study for the SQE is up to you and will depend on factors such as your experience, your employer and your learning preferences. The SRA have information on choosing an SQE training provider that may be helpful.

To find out who delivers SQE education, tutoring or training services (or plans to in the future), or produces SQE-related study materials and resources (or plans to in the future), check the SRA’s list of training providers.

Please note that neither Kaplan nor the SRA regulates, accredits or endorses training providers or organisations.