Blog: 29 April 2022 - Fiona Anthony LLG Training Director

The first candidates sitting the new Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) have now had the opportunity to take both parts of the exam and it will be interesting to see the evaluation of the results in the coming months.  The SQE was introduced in September 2021, with the first part of the exam being taken that month, and the second part in April 2022. It is currently an alternative route to qualification, running alongside the traditional route of LPC plus training contract, but as the LPC is phased out over the next ten years, the SQE is something we need to become more familiar with. 

There are essentially 4 steps to qualification under the SQE route. The candidate must: 

• have a degree level qualification (which does not have to be in law) 
• complete SQE1 and SQE2 exams 
• undertake two years of qualifying work experience  
• satisfy the SRA’s character and suitability requirements   

The SQE refers to exams only, which are centrally set and marked to ensure consistency. There is no requirement to do a preparation course (unlike the LPC) but it is likely that students will struggle without one. 

The SQE consists of: 

• SQE1 – two exams of 180 questions each, testing 'functioning legal knowledge' through multiple-choice questions. Test yourself with these sample questions    
• SQE 2 – an assessment of practical skills. 

The total cost of the SQE exams is just over £4,000. 

All candidates will need to complete at least two years’ qualifying work experience (QWE).  There is no minimum length of time for placements and QWE can be done in up to four different workplaces. The candidate doesn’t have to rotate seats and could concentrate on one area of law. 

There are different approaches that employers can take towards QWE:

• They can simply employ someone as a paralegal, who arranges and pays for the SQE themselves and works for a period of two years in total. This gives the candidate complete control over their training and requires very little input from the employer. The employer signs off the QWE but only to confirm the placement has taken place, not vouching for the quality of the candidate’s work. 
• Alternatively, the employer can be more proactive and treat the QWE as if it were a training contract and might even consider offering a graduate entry apprenticeship. 

This allows a candidate to work as a paralegal for 4 days a week, study for 1 day a week and the tuition fees (for the preparation course) and exam fees may be funded through the apprenticeship levy.  

This new route to qualification offers flexibility for candidates and employers alike and is something we will be hearing more about over the coming months and years. 

Fiona Anthony

LLG Training Director