Helping you pass the SQE – simple as that!

About the SQE

The SQE is the new route to qualification for aspiring solicitors introduced in September 2021 as one of the final stages towards qualification as a solicitor.
The SQE consists of two parts:
SQE1: Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK)
Two assessments with a total of 360 single best answer multiple-choice questions.
SQE2: Practical Legal Skills
16 written and oral assessments.
Assessing six practical legal skills over 14 hours in total.
Qualifying Work Experience
In addition to the above, any candidate will have to undertake two years’ Qualifying Work Experience.
More information on the SQE assessments can be found on the SRA website: sra.org.uk/students/sqe
At present the Revise SQE series is focused on helping you prepare for SQE1.
About SQE1
It is important to note that the SQE can be perceived to be a ‘harder’ set of assessments than the Legal Practice Course (LPC). The reason for this, explained by the SRA, is that the LPC is designed to prepare candidates for ‘Day One’ of their Training Contract; the SQE, on the other hand, is designed to prepare candidates for ‘Day One’ of being a newly qualified solicitor. Indeed, the SRA have chosen the SQE1 assessment to be ‘closed book’ (ie without permitting use of any materials) on the basis that a newly qualified solicitor would know all of the information tested, without having to refer to books or other sources.
With that in mind, and a different style of assessments in place, it is understandable that you may feel nervous or wary of the SQE. This is especially so given that this style of assessment is likely to be different from what you will have experienced before. In Revise SQE, we will alleviate some of those concerns with guidance on preparing for the SQE assessment, tips on how to approach single best answer MCQs and expertly written guides to aid in your revision.
What does SQE1 entail?
SQE1 consists of two assessments, containing 180 single best answer MCQs each (360 MCQs in total). The table below breaks down what is featured in each of these assessments.

 

Assessment Contents of Assessment (‘Functioning Legal Knowledge’)
FLK Assessment 1
  • Business Law and Practice
  • Dispute Resolution
  • Contract
  • Tort
  • The Legal System (The Legal System of England and Wales and Sources of law, Constitutional and Administrative law and EU law, and Legal services).
FLK Assessment 2
  • Property Practice
  • Wills and the Administration of Estates
  • Solicitors Accounts
  • Land Law
  • Trusts
  • Criminal Law and Practice
Please be aware that in addition to the above, ethics and professional conduct will be examined pervasively across the two assessments (ie it could crop up anywhere).
Each substantive topic is allocated a percentage of the assessment paper (e.g. ‘Legal services’ will form 12-16% of the FLK1 assessment) and is broken down further into ‘Core Principles’. Candidates are advised to read the SQE1 Assessment Specification in full (available on the SRA website: https://www.sra.org.uk/sra/policy/solicitors-qualifying-examination/sqe1-functioning-legal-knowledge-assessment-specification/).
Assessment dates for SQE1
The first dates for SQE1 assessment are 8th and 11th November 2021.
Thereafter the SQE1 assessment dates will be in July 2022, January 2023 and July 2023.
Cost of taking the SQE
The cost of taking the SQE assessment is as follows: 
SQE1: £1,558 
SQE2: £2,422 
These are the fees for taking the SRA’s assessments. If you wish to enrol on a training course or any other form of preparation, you will have additional costs which will vary depending on your choices.