What is the SQE?
Who is the SQE for?
Costs and fees
Case studies
Dates and locations
Assessment information
The assessment day
Results and resits
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The monitoring and maximising diversity survey has been updated. Please return to the survey to reconfirm your answers and complete the new section at the end.
You must do this to remain eligible for the SQE. You will not be able to book your next assessment until you have updated your answers.
You will only be allowed three attempts at SQE1 and three attempts at SQE2. These have to be taken within six years from the first attempt of an SQE assessment. The clock starts from the first day of the first assessment you sit.
You will get your results approximately 5-6 weeks after sitting SQE1, and approximately 14-18 weeks after sitting SQE2. The actual date of your results will be confirmed closer to your assessment.
We will send you an email notifying you that the results are available in your SQE account. Results will only be posted within your account on the SQE website and will not be sent out to you. You will be able to save them as a PDF.
Please note that, unless you have an exemption from sitting SQE1, you cannot book SQE2 until you have received your results for SQE1. Similarly, you cannot book to re-sit an assessment until you have received your results for your previous attempt at that assessment.
SQE1 is a single-best-answer multiple-choice test. Each question will have one answer that is considered to be correct and will score a mark of 1 if you choose it. All other responses, including where multiple responses are recorded, will be awarded a score of 0. Your total score for the assessment is a percentage based on the proportion of correct responses across the assessment.
We also have a video explaining how the passmark for SQE1 is set. This presentation was originally delivered as part of the April 2025 SQE annual conference and provides information on the process we follow to set the passmark. It includes an explanation of concepts such as the Modified Angoff method, candidate cut score, equating, the Standard Error of Measurement and scaled scores.
Learn more: Marking and standard setting policy
We have some resources that will help you understand more about what’s included your SQE1 results.
Learn more: Understanding what’s included in your SQE1 results
A number of steps take place after an SQE1 sitting. Results data must be transferred from all Pearson VUE test centres to Kaplan and then checked for completeness to ensure we have results for all of the candidates. We then combine this with EDI data provided in the pre-booking survey. This is cross checked to ensure all candidate information required for the psychometric analysis to take place has been received.
A detailed analysis of the assessment is undertaken by the Kaplan psychometric team and an independent psychometrician. Cross checks are carried out continuously to ensure the integrity of the data and its interpretations. Analysis includes calculating test and item levels statistics, and performance across a range of measures to support the validation of the exam. If we find any issues such as a question performing in an unexpected way, this information is passed to the academic team to be investigated. When all the data checks have been concluded a provisional pass mark is set before the analysis moves to calculating the pass rates by different key demographic measures such as sex, ethnic background, disability, age, experience and various socio-economic factors. You can see this breakdown in the SQE1 Statistical Report.
Information is then prepared for the assessment board. Their role is to confirm if the outcomes of the assessment are valid and set the pass marks for FLK1 and FLK2. The quintiles are then calculated with final results checked for accuracy before they are released to candidates.
You may find it helpful to review the SQE1 Statistical Reports to help you better understand your results. They set out some feedback on the SQE1 assessments, consisting of FLK1 and FLK2, and their performance.
Learn more: SQE reports
You will be assessed on six different legal skills in six types of exercise across 16 stations or exercises, 12 written stations and 4 oral stations. The 12 written stations assess the candidate's skills of case and matter analysis, legal research, legal writing and legal drafting, while the four oral stations test skills across the areas of advocacy, interviewing and attendance note/legal analysis. Each station is an individual ‘assessment’ or ‘exercise’ that candidates take as part of SQE2. Advocacy (Dispute Resolution) is one station, legal drafting (Business organisations, rules and procedures) is another station, and so on.Your interview will be marked by the assessor playing the role of the client and will be marked on skills only. The attendance note and all other exercises will be marked by a solicitor who will assess you on both skills and application of law.
Learn more: SQE2 assessment specification
Performance in each of the exercises or stations will be assessed on a scale from A to F, with trained assessors making global professional judgments. Their judgements are related to the standard of competency of the assessment as set out in the SQE2 Assessment Specification, namely that of the just competent Day One solicitor (defined as level three of the SRA’s Threshold Standard).
Each station has assessment criteria which are set out in the SQE2 Assessment Specification. Marking is based on performance on each of the assessment criteria for that station judged on a scale from A-F as follows:
This grading will then be converted into numerical marks so that A = 5 marks and F = 0 marks. Candidates will see the numerical marks on their results page rather than the letter equivalents. A candidate can receive a score of 0 even if they have attempted a question. A score of 0 indicates that they have been judged to be well below the competency requirements for that assessment criterion or criteria, not that their answer has not been considered or not been marked. Please see the short explanatory video for more information on this.
The marking criteria for each of the exercises has been divided into marks for skills and marks for application of law. Each station has a percentage score calculated from the marks awarded for application of law, and for skills. Therefore the marks relating to legal skills are averaged into a single ‘skills’ score, and marks for the application of legal knowledge into a single ‘law’ score. These are combined with equal weighting to provide a total score for each station. The final candidate percentage score is an average of the 16 station totals. This is to make sure that adequate weighting is given to the quality of the advice provided.
We have some resources that will help you understand more about what’s included your SQE2 results.
Learn more: Understanding what’s included in your SQE2 results
Overall SQE2 pass marks are calculated using the station scores for each group of candidates who sit the same assessment. There can be multiple oral and written papers in an assessment window. This is to ensure that the assessment exercises for each day remain confidential, so that all candidates are treated fairly.
Despite there being different questions, they are all set at a similar difficulty level and test the same skills and application of legal knowledge. However, because questions can vary from day to day, a pass mark will be calculated for each set of dates and unique combination of stations. This is based on the written and oral questions which have been attempted.
As a result, the pass mark for SQE2 may differ across dates to reflect any small changes in the difficulty levels of the stations. To maintain equivalent standards, and to be fair to candidates, station scores adjust to compensate for any changes in difficulty.
The same approach is taken in successive sittings of both SQE1 and SQE2. This means the pass mark reflects the level of difficulty of actual questions used, so as to ensure a consistent standard and fairness between candidates, and over time.
Please see the Assessment Specification for more on the stations and scoring methods. Find out more about how the pass mark is set in the Marking and Standard Setting Policy.
There are also links to other information provided at the bottom of your online results page. This will help you to book your next assessment or resit, understand how the pass mark is set for the assessment, review the assessment regulations and appeals policy, understand how you can apply to the SRA for admission to the roll of solicitors of England and Wales, and contact us if you have any queries.
You may find it helpful to review the SQE2 Statistical Reports to help you better understand your results. They set out some feedback on the SQE2 assessments and their performance.
If something has happened that you believe has impacted your performance during an assessment, this could be a mitigating circumstance under the mitigating circumstances policy.
For further information on mitigating circumstances claims, please refer to the mitigating circumstances page and FAQs.
Learn more: Mitigating circumstances
Learn more: Mitigating circumstances FAQs
Since the SQE was introduced, the clerical check process has not found any error in the calculation and collation of marks for any candidate that has made a request since. We follow a rigorous approach to the calculation and collation of candidate marks and the quality assurance process associated with this.
We therefore updated the approach to clerical checks by amending the Appeals policy in June 2023. We removed the option for candidates to request a clerical check for future assessments. If a candidate does make an appeal, a clerical check will be completed as part of the process of the appeal.
This change does not impact a candidate’s right to request information about their marks in accordance with the UK GDPR.
You can appeal against the decision of the Assessment Board if you fail your assessment.
Learn more: Appeals - fees
You may make a first stage appeal on one or more of the following grounds only:
Following a first stage appeal you may make a final appeal on the following ground only:
If you wish to make a first stage or a final appeal you must do so in writing via the Appeals Form which is available in your candidate account.
If you have concerns or questions, please contact us.
Learn more: Appeals policy
Once you’ve passed SQE2, your End Point Assessment, Kaplan SQE will request a certificate from the appropriate government body that states that you have completed your apprenticeship. Your results alone do not prove that you’ve completed your apprenticeship.
We will send your results to your training provider and/or employer.
Learn more: SQE for apprentices
You have six years from the date you first sat an SQE assessment to complete the entire SQE. The clock starts from day one of the first sitting of your first assessment.
If you fail FLK1 and/or FLK2 at the first attempt, you will have two further opportunities to take the assessment(s) you failed (FLK1 and/or FLK2).
If you fail FLK1 and/or FLK2 three times during this six-year period, you must wait until that six year period expires before re-applying, and previous passes will not be carried forward.
If you fail SQE2 at the first attempt you will have two further opportunities to take that assessment within six years from the date you first sat an SQE assessment.
If you fail SQE2 three times during this six year period, you must wait until that six year period expires before re-applying, and previous passes will not be carried forward.
You cannot book to re-sit an assessment until you have received your results for your previous attempt at that assessment (i.e. if you want to re-sit SQE2, you need to have received your results for your previous attempt of SQE2).
You cannot resit an assessment you have passed to improve your marks under any circumstances.
Learn more: Resits fees
Create your personal SQE account and book your assessments.
Find out what happens after passing the SQE and admission to the roll of solicitors.