ONLY APPLICABLE FOR ASSESSMENTS FROM 1 SEPTEMBER 2025

SQE2 assessment specification

Updated July 2025

Guidance on the SQE2 Assessment Specification

A number of questions have been raised about the interpretation of the Assessment Specifications and particularly the detail of the Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK).

It is not helpful or appropriate to specify the FLK in minute detail. Doing so can raise as many questions as it answers and can lead to the creation of an unnecessarily large and unwieldy volume of information.

However reading the Assessment Specification holistically should assist those asking for more detail. Within the Assessment Specification for SQE2, the following sections are particularly useful: Practice Areas, Level of Legal Detail Required, Application of Law, Correct and Comprehensive Application of Law, and Legal Materials as well as the information (Overview, Assessment Objectives and Assessment Criteria) about each of the assessments.

It is worth noting particularly that:

  • The questions in SQE2 are designed to test legal skills within the context of the application of fundamental legal rules and principles at the level required of a competent newly qualified Solicitor. They are not designed to test specialist practice which is unlikely to be encountered at the level of a Day One Solicitor.
  • Questions test central areas that are clearly covered by the FLK.

To ensure the fairness and integrity of the SQE, information about the Assessment Specifications will be released to all stakeholders at the same time. There will be an annual review of the FLK to

  • Update to reflect changes in the law and practice
  • Offer clarification in the light of feedback from stakeholders where necessary considering the information above.
  • Make any other essential changes.

Any questions raised by stakeholders will be fed into this annual review process.

Overview of the SQE2 assessment

Legal skills assessments

The legal skills assessments in SQE2 are:

  • client interview and attendance note/legal analysis
  • advocacy
  • case and matter analysis
  • legal research
  • legal writing
  • legal drafting.

Further detail about each of these assessments is given in Assessments in SQE2.

Although there is no separate assessment called negotiation, all deliveries of SQE2 will contain at least one assessment involving negotiation. Negotiation may be assessed in either interview and attendance note/legal analysis and/or case and matter analysis and/or legal writing.

Practice areas

The practice areas in which these legal skills are assessed are:

  • Criminal Litigation (including advising clients at the police station)
  • Dispute Resolution
  • Property Practice
  • Wills and Intestacy, Probate Administration and Practice
  • Business organisations, rules and procedures (including money laundering and financial services).

Questions in these practice areas may draw on underlying black letter law in the Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK) as follows:

  • Criminal Litigation: Criminal liability
  • Dispute Resolution: Contract law and tort
  • Property Practice: Land law
  • Wills and Intestacy, Probate Administration and Practice: Trusts
  • Business organisations, rules and procedures: Contract law.

Professionalism and ethics will be core parts of SQE2. Questions on ethics will be pervasive throughout SQE2. Ethical issues will not be flagged and candidates will need to identify any ethical and professional conduct issues and exercise judgment to resolve them honestly and with integrity.

Questions involving taxation may arise in Property Practice; Wills and Intestacy, Probate Administration and Practice; and Business organisations, rules and procedures.

Detail of the examinable content covered is given in Annex 1. Property Practice is under the headings freehold and leasehold real estate law and practice and core principles of planning law. Annex 1 is a sub-set of the FLK in SQE1. For the avoidance of doubt the legal system of England and Wales, constitutional and administrative law and EU law, legal services (apart from money laundering and financial services) and solicitors’ accounts are not examined in SQE2. Money laundering and financial services are examinable in the context of business organisations, rules and procedures.

The cut off date for the law upon which candidates are examined in the SQE will be four calendar months prior to the date of the first assessment in an assessment window. Candidates will be tested on the law as it stands at that date. They will not be tested on the development of the law. For the avoidance of doubt, changes in the law which are implemented on the calendar date four calendar months prior to the first SQE assessment in an assessment window may be examined.


Explore the SQE2 specification

Learn more by exploring the pages below:


SQE2 sample questions

Sample questions give you an idea of the style of questions which may be used to test your ability to apply fundamental legal principles and rules.

Try the SQE2 sample questions

Ready to register for the SQE?

Create your personal SQE account and book your assessments.

Register for SQE 

Have you passed the SQE?

Find out what happens after passing the SQE and admission to the roll of solicitors.

Learn more

Ready to register for the SQE?

Create your personal SQE account and book your assessments.

Register for SQE 

Have you passed the SQE?

Find out what happens after passing the SQE and admission to the roll of solicitors.

Learn more about Have you passed the SQE?