Important information regarding the January 2025 SQE1 booking process

Sep 18, 2024

Booking process for the January SQE1 assessment

This will operate in the same way as recent booking windows, using a short online seat reservation form. This is to provide a quicker and simpler way for candidates to book a seat for this assessment. There will be no queueing process to complete the form.

Please note that the seat reservation form for all eligible candidates will be sent on 1 October. We will also write to candidates with this information.

SQE pre-booking steps

Candidates who are eligible to sit SQE1 and wish to sit the January SQE1 should complete their pre-booking steps by 5pm (UK time) on 27 September. If you do not complete these steps we will not be able to reserve you a seat.

Seat reservation form

We will email all candidates who are already eligible to take the January SQE1 a seat reservation form at approximately 6pm (UK time) on 1 October. The form will remain open until 5pm (UK time) on Sunday 6 October. It will contain full instructions and only take a few minutes to complete. It will ask you to confirm if you want to sit the SQE1 in January and information on your preferred assessment locations. You must complete the form if you want us to reserve you a seat for the January SQE1 (see below if you require reasonable adjustments). There is no queuing system to complete the form but we will adopt a process of allocating seats on a first come first served basis - i.e. in the order in which we receive completed forms. You will receive confirmation of submission of your form by email. If you miss the email with the seat reservation form, there will be a link on our website on 2 October for you to access the form. If you do not intend to sit the January SQE1 you do not need to complete the form.

Candidates requiring reasonable adjustments

Completing the pre-booking steps is the only means of requesting reasonable adjustments. Completing the seat reservation form is how you tell us about your preferred location if your adjustments are agreed. Seats are allocated on a needs basis and there is no further action that candidates need to take regarding booking seats online. Once the Equality and Quality team agree to the request for adjustments, they source an appropriate seat and ask the candidate to pay and complete the booking.

Booking window

To facilitate the administration of the reservation system, we will pause the booking window from 1 October up to and including 10 November.

Completing your booking

For those who do not require reasonable adjustments, once the booking window re-opens on 11 November, you will see the seat reserved for you in your candidate account and we will ask you to make payment to complete your booking. You do not need to accept the seat. If you do not take any further action or do not make payment by 5pm (UK time) on 12 November your reservation will lapse. Once you have secured your seat by making payment, you can reschedule your booking via your candidate account up until 5pm (UK time) on 14 November if you find a seat you feel is more suitable. But to do so you will need to make payment to secure your seat.

For the avoidance of doubt, if you do not make payment to complete your booking by 5pm on 12 November the seat reserved for you will lapse. The booking window will however remain open until 14 November, allowing a further period of time for candidates that have completed their booking to reschedule (subject to seat availability).

Booking window closure

The booking window will remain open until 5pm (UK time) on 14 November. If you want to make your own booking between 11 November and 14 November, you can use the self-service booking system via your candidate account if you want to book a seat (subject to availability).

We will update the Timings page of the website to reflect these changes.

Our aim

The process for reasonable adjustment candidates is described above. For all other candidates, we will endeavour to allocate a seat to every candidate that completes the seat reservation form. There will be no queueing process to complete the reservation form and no need for you to manually search for a test centre location. We believe that this approach to the booking process provides a quick and simple way for candidates to book a seat and we will continue to assess the impact of this approach and seek feedback from stakeholders.