What is the new Solicitors Qualifying Exam?

15
Dec

The Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE), introduced in 2021, is a new system of exams all would-be solicitors must pass.

From September 2021, you no longer need a law degree or law conversion course and the Legal Practice Course (LPC) to become a solicitor–just a pass in both stages of the SQE and two years of qualifying work experience (QWE).

Law schools will be scrapping the LPC and offering new law conversion courses to help students prepare, as well as the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL). The SQE itself is not a course, just two stages of exams (SQE1 and SQE2), for which law schools and universities have developed their own courses.

While you still need two years’ work experience, it can now be split across up to four placements with different organisations, and other kinds of experience like paralegal work or volunteering at a law clinic may also qualify.

To become a solicitor, you must now:

  1. Have a degree or equivalent qualification in any subject
  2. Pass the character and suitability assessment, as in the old system
  3. Pass SQE1 and SQE2
  4. Have two years’ QWE.

 

SQE stage one

SQE1 is about ‘functioning legal knowledge’: not just knowing the law, but knowing how you’d apply it. It contains two exams with 180 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) each, testing how you’d apply your knowledge in real-life scenarios.

The first exam covers:

  1. Business law and practice
  2. Dispute resolution
  3. Contract
  4. Tort
  5. Legal system of England and Wales
  6. Constitutional and administrative Law and EU law and legal Services.

 

The second covers:

  1. Property practice
  2. Wills and the administration of estates
  3. Solicitors accounts
  4. Land law
  5. Trusts
  6. Criminal law and practice.

 

SQE stage two

The second stage is about “core legal skills”. It includes oral as well as written assessments, covers some of the same territory as the LPC, and tests whether you have the practical skills you’ll need to start practising as a solicitor.

SQE2 assesses five key skills:

  1. Client interviewing
  2. Advocacy/persuasive oral communication
  3. Case and matter analysis – including planning negotiations
  4. Legal research and written advice
  5. Legal drafting.

The assessment of these skills spans five practice areas:

  1. Criminal practice
  2. Dispute resolution
  3. Property
  4. Wills and the administration of estates
  5. Business practice.

With four oral and 12 written skills assessments, SQE2 takes multiple days to complete but gives you one overall mark. You’ll probably want to take a preparation course either with an employer or with a higher education provider. While taking a course isn’t compulsory, work experience alone is unlikely to prepare you adequately.

 

Where will SQE assessments take place?

In England and Wales, you’ll be able to sit the written tests at your nearest Pearson test centre (also used for driving theory tests). Oral assessments will initially only be in London, Manchester and Cardiff. You can choose from a number of exam sittings throughout the year.

 

What counts as QWE?

You can do your QWE before, during or after completing your SQE, and there’s no minimum length for a single placement, as long as you don’t exceed four placements in two years.

Each one must be signed off by a solicitor at the organisation or a compliance officer for legal practice, or if necessary, another solicitor with direct experience of your work. Your QWE won’t be assessed by the SRA–it’s up to the solicitor to confirm that it counts. You no longer need to cover a certain number of different areas or types of practice.

There will no longer be a requirement for trainee solicitors to work in a specific number of different areas of law, or experience both contentious and non-contentious practice areas. Many firms are still offering two-year training contracts, or even three-year ones so you can study part-time for SQE at the same time.

 

How much will the SQE cost?

  • SQE1 costs £1,558
  • SQE2 costs £2,422.

This adds up to a total cost of £3,980 to take the SQE (and this is just for the exams–preparation courses are likely to cost extra).

 

What if I’ve already started the GDL or LPC?

Anyone who started a law degree, GDL or LPC before September 2021 can qualify through the old system. They’ll have until 2032 to complete the route and qualify as solicitors. However, they may choose to qualify through SQE if they prefer–and may need to as more firms switch to recruiting people to qualify via the SQE.

Posted by: Branwell Ford