To prepare for the SQE2, it is useful to keep in mind that all the assessments are aligned with the Threshold Standard.

The Threshold Standard reflects the standard expected of a newly qualified solicitor and is the minimum standard that you must meet in order to qualify. It requires, for example, that newly qualified solicitors can apply fundamental legal principles effectively to individual cases. The focus of the SQE2 assessments is on evaluating your understanding and ability to apply the law effectively and not just recite fundamental legal principles.

You may also find it helpful to consider the Statement of Solicitor Competence (‘SoSC’).

We have a range of SQE2 sample questions. These should be read in conjunction with the relevant Performance Indicators. The Performance Indicators for each assessment provide examples of behaviour that meets the standard of a newly qualified solicitor, as well as behaviour which falls short.

A solicitor qualified in England and Wales (a ‘solicitor assessor’) will assess your advocacy skills and a trained actor (‘actor assessor’) will assess your interviewing skills. You will be examined by a different assessor for each of the oral assessments.

All solicitor and actor assessors receive training in the design and assessment of the SQE2 oral assessments.

Solicitor assessors are specifically trained to evaluate your advocacy skills, knowledge and application of the law. To ensure accuracy and consistency in marking, all solicitor assessors also participate in additional training events delivered prior to each assessment window, keeping their expertise up to date.

Actor assessors are not legally qualified and will not assess the accuracy of any legal advice that you provide during your client interview assessment.

Actor assessors are specifically trained to evaluate your interviewing skills. Their training focuses on accurately assessing these skills and playing the role of the client. Actor assessors learn how to play the role of the client through bespoke training delivered by a third-party provider with specific expertise in training actors for assessment role plays.

A solicitor qualified in England and Wales with relevant subject matter expertise will mark your written assessments and your attendance note/legal analysis based on the client interview assessment. You will be examined by one marker for each written assessment and attendance note/legal analysis (‘marker’).

Solicitor assessors, actor assessors, and markers use their professional judgement to mark your assessment, rather than a predetermined mark scheme.

Assessors and markers will grade your performance against the assessment criteria for each SQE2 task on a scale from A - F. They will then award an overall grade of pass, marginal pass, marginal fail or fail to reflect the standard of your performance as a whole.

Using professional judgement as a basis to grade a candidate's performance is used in other high stakes professional examinations, such as medical examinations. This approach is a robust and reliable method of assessment. All assessors and markers are trained to grade your performance in this way (see below).

All SQE2 candidates will complete 16 tasks. You will be examined by one assessor or marker for each task. To ensure that all assessors and markers evaluate your performance at the level of a newly qualified solicitor, they must undergo compulsory training for the assessment they are marking. Assessors and markers are not permitted to assess or mark your assessment unless they have completed the training.

As part of the training, assessors assessing the oral assessments will watch and mark pre-recorded mock candidate performances, and following this, there will be facilitated discussion about the marking. This approach ensures the consistent and accurate application of the standard of the newly qualified solicitor and the criteria for skills and law. Markers marking the written assessments also prepare for marking through facilitated discussion and practising their marking as part of the training.

Training events for all assessors and markers are facilitated by a team of Academic Facilitators who are all qualified solicitors experienced in SQE2 assessments and assessment marking.

The SRA quality assures the SQE2 question writing process and collaborates with the academic team to ensure the SQE2 assessments are robust and set at the appropriate standard.

Kaplan employs several strategies to foster and maintain consistent and accurate marking. During the live assessments, and the marking period for the written assessments (including the attendance notes), a team of experienced Kaplan academics with relevant subject matter expertise continuously monitors the marking process. Academic team members review marked scripts and candidate responses during the live assessments and facilitate discussions with markers/assessors to ensure a consistent approach.

Additionally, Kaplan has a team of expert analysts who monitor the performance of the marking in each assessment window in conjunction with the academic team. Working collaboratively, the analysts and the academic team aim to ensure that all markers and assessors are applying the standard consistently and follow the decisions taken during the relevant markers' meetings / solicitor assessors’ training day. Where a potential issue is identified, steps will be taken to resolve the issue including a further review of marked scripts / candidate responses and, if necessary, a member of the academic team will facilitate an additional marker / assessor meeting to ensure the standard is applied appropriately.