News release

Reports find SQE to be robust with improvements made

21 April 2026

We have published a suite of annual reports on the fourth full year of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). Together, these reports provide assurance on the robustness of the assessment and detail improvements in delivery and candidate support. They also set out how we continue to evaluate and improve the system.

The SQE plays a central role in setting the standard for entry to the profession and maintaining public confidence in legal services. We continue to focus on the effectiveness, delivery and understanding of the SQE across the sector in 2026.

Introducing these reports, Sarah Rapson, SRA Chief Executive, said: 'These reports should reassure employers and candidates that the SQE is a robust and rigorous assessment. Setting a high bar at the point of qualification is key to our mission to drive public trust in legal services.

'The Independent Reviewer, Ricardo Le, notes the steps that have been taken to improve the experience of candidates. The impact of these measures is demonstrated by improvements in candidate feedback, shown in the quality assurance report.

'Yet there is more to do. While it is often the case that new assessments take time to gain acceptance, confidence in the SQE is not as high as we would like it to be. We are engaging more closely with the profession and candidates, and carrying out extensive evaluation. We are committed to making further changes to improve the SQE and to continue to build confidence in it.'

SQE Independent Reviewer Annual Report

In his 2025 annual report, the SQE Independent Reviewer describes the two-part assessment as 'challenging to deliver' but 'robust and defensible'.

He notes 'some small issues as expected with an assessment of this scale and complexity', but praises the on-site support provided to candidates and the process for agreeing and communicating reasonable adjustments.

He also commends Kaplan, the SQE assessment provider, as having 'a culture that is constantly looking to improve and remain at the forefront of professional exams.'

SQE Annual Report

Kaplan has also published its annual report covering the 2024/25 academic year. In this period:

• 13,081 candidates took one or more of the FLK1 and FLK2 assessments that form SQE1
• the pass rate for the January 2025 SQE1 sitting (56%) was the same as in 2024; the July 2025 sitting had a slightly lower pass rate than the same sitting in 2024 (41% compared to 44%)
• 5,752 candidates took an SQE2 assessment
• the overall pass rate for SQE2 rose from 76% to 81%, perhaps reflecting the lower proportion of candidates in this period who were sitting SQE2 without having sat SQE1, under the transitional arrangements – as a group these candidates typically perform less well
• solicitor apprentices, who formed a higher proportion of SQE candidates than in 2024, continued to perform well.

Quality assurance report

Our latest quality assurance report details the SQE's use of subject matter experts and the roles of the Independent Psychometrician and Independent Reviewer.

It also includes candidate feedback. Overall SQE1 satisfaction rates have fallen slightly. However, most candidates expressed satisfaction with specific elements of the assessment process:

• 84% of candidates were satisfied or very satisfied with administration on the day of the assessment
• there were also improvements in scores for the booking process and requesting reasonable adjustments compared to the previous year
• when asked about each aspect of the assessment, satisfaction levels were all above 62%.

This report also provides information on how we and Kaplan make sure the SQE is delivered to a high quality and standard, and how we pursue continuous improvement.

SQE fees

We have also confirmed the fees for the SQE from September 2026.

Making sure that the quality of the SQE is maintained, and that it remains a valid, reliable, secure and fair assessment which meets our accessibility commitments, is one of our priorities.

The annual increase in SQE fees reflects inflation and a small annual additional uplift towards the costs of translating the assessments into Welsh.

The increase will take effect from the start of the new academic year in September 2026 and apply to any candidate that books to take the SQE from October 2026 onwards.

The fees for 2026/2027 will be:

• SQE1: £2,006 (£1,934 for 2025/26)
• SQE2: £3,086 (£2,974 for 2025/26).