An update on SQE fees, terms and conditions, publication of the SQE Annual Report, and taking the SQE in Welsh

Apr 10, 2024

SQE fees

The SRA has agreed an increase in the candidate fee for the SQE assessment. Across the two exams this means SQE1 will go up from £1,798 to £1,888 and SQE2 from £2,766 to £2,902 (an overall increase of 5%). The fee rise will take effect from September 2024. It will therefore apply to any candidate that books to take the SQE2 in October 2024 and subsequent assessments.

This increase is due to inflation and an additional charge towards the costs of providing for candidates to sit the SQE in Welsh if they wish.

Learn more: Costs and fees

Terms and conditions

We have updated the SQE assessment terms and conditions. These take effect from 10 April 2024 and apply to candidates who make a new booking. They will therefore apply to any candidate that books to sit the July 2024 SQE1 and the July 2024 SQE2 and subsequent assessments.

The changes are minor, do not alter the SQE assessment and are intended to provide further clarification for candidates. The changes are summarised below and we would encourage all candidates to read the terms and conditions before they book an assessment.

  • Paragraph 7.5. This paragraph has been amended to remove reference to the clerical check. We updated the approach to clerical checks in June 2023 and the amendment brings the terms and conditions in line as that standalone process now no longer applies.
  • Paragraph 13.2. References to “scheduled” in this paragraph have been changed to “booked” to better reflect language used in the terms and conditions and other policies.

SQE Annual Report

The annual report covers the period October 2022 to July 2023 in which there were four assessment sittings - two for SQE1, which tests candidates’ functioning legal knowledge, and two for SQE2, testing both the application of legal knowledge and skills. It includes information such as assessment analyses, summary of candidates’ results, pass rates by demographic characteristics and candidate performance by practice areas. It also has a feedback and continuous improvement section (Table 21) which summarises some of the key areas brought to our attention for improvement, and what we are doing in response. You may also find it helpful to view the SQE annual conference which is available online. There are sections that provide a general update on the SQE and that focus on supporting candidates and training providers.

Taking the SQE in Welsh

We have updated the information on the website about taking the SQE in Welsh. We have also added all of the SQE1 sample questions in Welsh to the website. The information will help candidates decide whether they would like to sit the SQE in Welsh. You can find information on when you can take the SQE in Welsh (noting that two SQE1 and two SQE2 assessments will be available each year in Welsh), and a new process for giving advance notice if you plan to do so, which will first apply to the October 2024 SQE2 assessment. The webpage also provides information such as what elements of the assessment will be in Welsh, guidance on what proficiency of Welsh is required for the SQE, the translation process and reference material. We will also provide a translation of that updated webpage in the coming weeks.

Learn more: SQE Reports and SQE in Welsh