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UK
Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE1)
1000 questions
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About this exam
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE1) is the central knowledge assessment for people seeking to qualify as solicitors in England and Wales. It tests whether candidates can apply functioning legal knowledge to client-focused scenarios, rather than simply recall legal rules. Graduates, career changers and candidates with legal qualifications from outside the UK may all pursue the SQE route, subject to the requirements for admission. SQE1 is usually taken before SQE2, alongside the separate qualifying work experience and character and suitability requirements.
SQE1 consists of two multiple-choice assessments: Functioning Legal Knowledge 1 (FLK1) and FLK2. Across them, candidates encounter subjects including business law and practice, dispute resolution, contract, tort, property practice, wills and estates, trusts, criminal law and the English legal system. Solicitors’ professional conduct and ethics run through the assessment, with client care, confidentiality, conflicts and solicitors’ accounts also important areas to review. Preparation involves learning the assessment specification, applying rules to unfamiliar facts and practising under timed conditions; check current SRA guidance for the latest format and arrangements.
How to prepare for SQE1
- Use the current SRA SQE1 assessment specification to map FLK1 and FLK2 topics, then identify gaps across both papers.
- Review professional conduct, client care, confidentiality, conflicts and solicitors’ accounts alongside the substantive law; practise applying each rule to short client scenarios.
- Build timed single-best-answer question sessions into your revision, analyse why distractors are wrong, and confirm assessment arrangements using official SRA guidance.
FAQ
Who is eligible to sit the SQE1?
There are no formal eligibility requirements to sit the SQE assessments. To qualify as a solicitor through the SQE route, candidates must meet the SRA’s requirements, including a degree or equivalent qualification, passing SQE1 and SQE2, completing qualifying work experience and satisfying character and suitability checks.
What is the format of the SQE1 exam?
SQE1 has two assessments, FLK1 and FLK2, made up of multiple-choice questions requiring a single best answer. The assessments test application of legal knowledge to practical scenarios. Check the SRA’s current information for the latest details on timing and assessment arrangements.
What subjects should I study for SQE1?
Study the subjects in the current SRA assessment specification, including areas such as business law and practice, dispute resolution, contract, tort, property practice, wills and estates, trusts, criminal law and the English legal system. Professional conduct and ethics are assessed throughout, so include them in your revision across both FLK papers.