We have updated the SQE assessment terms and conditions. These take effect from 21 September 2022 and apply to candidates who make a new booking from this date. They will therefore first apply to candidates that book to sit the January 2023 SQE1.

The amendments have been made in light of our experience in dealing with candidates during the last SQE1 and SQE2 assessments. The changes do not alter the SQE assessment and are intended to provide further clarification for candidates and also include the addition of some new provisions. The changes are primarily in the areas of cancellation rights and charges, changes to SQE Assessment Regulations and mitigating circumstances.

We would encourage all candidates to read the terms and conditions before they book an assessment. Some of the changes include:

• a new paragraph 9.7 provides that the SRA may at any time propose an amendment to an assessment booking. There is a further addition that the candidate (or candidate representative) is entitled to receive a full refund if the amendment is not accepted. This paragraph does not apply to any changes made to the Assessment Regulations or associated policies including the Mitigating Circumstances Policy
• further wording has been added at paragraph 9.10 to provide that a refund of all or part of the fee for the assessment can be authorised in accordance with the SQE Mitigating Circumstances Policy depending on the circumstances
• an addition to paragraph 10.1 clarifies what is already our practice; that if the Assessment Regulations are amended after the date an assessment booking has been made but before the relevant assessment takes place, the amended version of the Assessment Regulations shall be provided to the candidate. In such cases, candidates will be subject to those amended Assessment Regulations and will need to agree to them before sitting their assessment. We will email these to candidates before their assessment
• further wording in paragraph 10.2 helps make it clearer that candidates must agree to the pre-assessment documents which include the Fit to Sit Policy, Fit to Sit Declaration, Candidate Confidentiality Policy, Confidentiality Agreement and SQE Assessment Regulations. To help ensure candidates have reviewed important assessment related information, we will be emailing copies of the key documents to candidates shortly before they sit an assessment
• additional wording has been included in paragraph 13.2 to provide that any candidate who fails to attend all of the assessments for which they are booked to sit within an assessment window cannot make a claim for mitigating circumstances. And that, in these cases of non-attendance, the appropriate cancellation charges shall apply.

  Therefore, by way of example:

  SQE1: if a candidate is due to take both FLK1 and FLK2 in an SQE1 sitting, and:

  • they do not attend one of them for a particular reason, they will need to use the mitigating circumstances process rather than the cancellations process if they wish to make an appropriate claim
  • they attend neither assessment, they will need to use the cancellations process

  SQE2: if a candidate is booked to take SQE2 but:

  • is unable to sit some of the assessment (e.g. they miss one day), they will need to use the mitigating circumstances process rather than cancellations process
  • they do not attend any of the assessment days, they will need to use the cancellations process
• linked to the point above, further wording to help clarify that any candidate who fails to attend all of the assessments for which they are booked to take within an assessment window, will not be considered to have attempted any assessments (paragraph 13.3)
• updates to the liability provisions relating to the SRA in paragraph 15.

Our policies page also provides links to the key policy documents relating to the SQE. It also includes links to other helpful documents including the Assessment Regulations.

Learn more: Policies