Key facts
- Each SQE1 assessment day has two sessions of 85 questions, 2 hours 33 minutes each, with a one-hour break between them (SRA).
- Sessions and break add up to 6 hours 6 minutes, not counting check-in (our calculation).
- FLK1 and FLK2 are on separate days: in January 2027, FLK1 runs 11–15 January 2027 (check the official website) and FLK2 18–22 January 2027 (check the official website).
- Before each assessment you make a Fit to Sit declaration that you know of no reason why your performance would be adversely affected.
- At about 1.8 minutes a question, you should be near question 40 after 1 hour 12 minutes of a session (our calculation).
What happens on an SQE1 assessment day?
An SQE1 assessment day has two sessions of 85 questions, each lasting 2 hours 33 minutes, with a one-hour break between them, at a test centre under controlled exam conditions. That is 6 hours 6 minutes without check-in: bring ID that meets the SRA’s requirements and arrive well before your reporting time. (SRA blog, 24 September 2026)
FLK1 and FLK2 are sat on separate days. In January 2027, FLK1 runs 11–15 January 2027 (check the official website) and FLK2 18–22 January 2027 (check the official website); in July 2027, FLK1 runs 12–16 July 2027 (check the official website) and FLK2 19–23 July 2027 (check the official website). The SRA’s booking email gives your centre, your reporting time and the start time. (LawCareers.Net, SQE assessments: what to expect (secondary source)) SQE1 is closed book. (SRA, SQE1 Assessment Specification)
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Arrival | Before your reporting time; one preparation provider suggests at least 30 minutes early. (Celebar, exam day at Pearson VUE (secondary source)) Late arrivals are refused entry. (LawCareers.Net, SQE assessments: what to expect (secondary source)) |
| Check-in | ID check, digital photograph, signature and palm vein scan; personal items go into a locker. (Celebar, exam day at Pearson VUE (secondary source)) |
| Before the start | Fit to Sit declaration and confirmation that the content is confidential; a test administrator logs you in. (LawCareers.Net, SQE assessments: what to expect (secondary source)) |
| Session 1 | 85 questions, 2 hours 33 minutes |
| Break | One hour |
| Session 2 | 85 questions, 2 hours 33 minutes, on a different group of subjects |
Sessions and break: (SRA blog, 24 September 2026) From January 2027 each session covers a fixed group of subjects, with ethics possible in every session. (SRA announcement, 10 September 2026) Our guide to how SQE1 is structured lists them.
What should you check in the week before?
- Your booking email: the day, the centre’s address, the reporting time and the start time.
- Your ID. You must comply with the SQE ID and Security Requirements. (SRA, SQE Assessment Regulations) A careers website says you need two forms of ID, preferably one of them the ID you registered with (LawCareers.Net, SQE assessments: what to expect (secondary source)); a preparation provider says the name on your booking must match your photo ID exactly and recommends a current passport. (Celebar, exam day at Pearson VUE (secondary source)) Check the SRA’s ID requirements on its SQE website now, not on the morning.
- The journey, with a margin for delays. If the centre is new to you, find it before the day.
- The exam interface: the SRA’s sample questions page links to a demonstration of SQE1 on the Pearson VUE platform. (SRA, SQE1 sample questions)
- Any reasonable adjustments you agreed, and what they mean on the day.
- Your last full timed session early in the week; after that, short reviews and normal sleep.
What should you bring, and what stays in the locker?
| Bring with you | Into the locker | Provided at the desk |
|---|---|---|
| ID that meets the SRA’s requirements; prescription glasses; any accessibility items agreed in advance | Phone and other personal items; water, a snack for the break, tissues, a spare layer of clothing | An erasable whiteboard and marker pen, handed back at the end |
Sources: (Celebar, exam day at Pearson VUE (secondary source)) (LawCareers.Net, SQE assessments: what to expect (secondary source)) Taking in materials or aids that the regulations or an invigilator have not expressly permitted counts as malpractice, and so does removing papers or other materials from the room. (SRA, SQE Assessment Regulations)
What happens at check-in?
Expect an ID check, a digital photograph, a digital signature and a palm vein scan, repeated each time you enter or re-enter the room; you may be asked to turn out your pockets. (Celebar, exam day at Pearson VUE (secondary source)) Before the start you make a Fit to Sit declaration. (LawCareers.Net, SQE assessments: what to expect (secondary source)) By making it you state that you know of no reason why your performance would be adversely affected during the assessment, or why you might later claim mitigating circumstances. (SRA, SQE Assessment Regulations) Other exams may run at the same centre, so check that you are in the right room. (LawCareers.Net, SQE assessments: what to expect (secondary source))
How should you pace each session?
85 questions in 2 hours 33 minutes average about 1.8 minutes each; some take longer, some less. (SRA, SQE1 sample questions) Checkpoints help more than a per-question limit:
| After question | Time used | Time left |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 0:36 | 1:57 |
| 40 | 1:12 | 1:21 |
| 60 | 1:48 | 0:45 |
| 85 | 2:33 | 0:00 |
On screen you can flag questions, move backwards and forwards and review answers within the time limit. A break you take during a session generally uses your time rather than pausing it. (Celebar, exam day at Pearson VUE (secondary source)) Rehearse your own pace with the exam pace calculator, and see how to work through single best answer questions.
How do you use the one-hour break?
- You may leave the centre, but you must be back at least 10 minutes before the second session starts; latecomers are refused entry to it. (LawCareers.Net, SQE assessments: what to expect (secondary source))
- Expect the check-in steps again when you re-enter. (Celebar, exam day at Pearson VUE (secondary source))
- Eat, drink and move. Session 2 covers a different group of subjects, so session 1 is finished business.
- Do not discuss questions: you confirmed that the content is confidential.
What if something goes wrong on the day?
- You feel unwell beforehand. Remember what the Fit to Sit declaration says. A mitigating circumstances claim can also cover not attending an assessment for reasons such as illness, but not failing to attend both FLK1 and FLK2. (SRA, SQE Assessment Regulations) Read the SRA’s Fit to Sit and Mitigating Circumstances policies before your sitting, so you know what each choice means for an attempt.
- Something goes wrong at the centre. Tell the invigilator at once and note the time. (Celebar, exam day at Pearson VUE (secondary source)) A mistake or irregularity in the administration or conduct of the assessment can be a mitigating circumstance; claims follow the SQE Mitigating Circumstances Policy, so check its time limits. (SRA, SQE Assessment Regulations)
- Conduct. Communicating with another candidate during an assessment is malpractice. A candidate the Assessment Board finds to have engaged in malpractice or improper conduct fails that assessment and will not normally be permitted to sit an SQE assessment again. (SRA, SQE Assessment Regulations)
What should you do between FLK1 and FLK2?
Check how many days your booking leaves between the two papers. Rest on the evening after FLK1 and leave its questions behind; a post-mortem cannot change the mark. From the next day, switch to short mixed reviews of the FLK2 session subjects and one timed set, and plan the second assessment day exactly like the first.
Common mistakes on SQE1 exam day
- A name on the booking that does not exactly match the ID.
- Planning to arrive for the start time rather than the reporting time.
- Spending five minutes on one question instead of flagging it and moving on.
- Leaving the centre in the break without a margin to be back 10 minutes early.
- Signing the Fit to Sit declaration without thinking about how you feel.
- Posting about the questions afterwards.
What this means for you
Much of exam day can be settled in the week before: ID, journey, reporting time, interface. Practise at least one full session of 85 questions in 2 hours 33 minutes before the day. The free SQE1 quick test shows where you stand by subject, and our SQE1 course includes mock exams.
What this page covers
- Last updated
- Based on
- SRA format and SQE Assessment Regulations; two dated secondary sources for test-centre procedures
- Includes
- The day’s timeline, a week-before checklist, what to bring, check-in, pace checkpoints, the break, problems on the day
- Not included
- The SRA’s full list of accepted ID, reasonable adjustments, remote or overseas arrangements
Frequently asked questions
What do you need to bring to SQE1?
ID that meets the SRA’s SQE ID and Security Requirements: a careers website says two forms of ID, and a preparation provider says the name must match your booking exactly. Bring prescription glasses and any accessibility items agreed in advance; personal items go into a locker, and a whiteboard and pen are provided.
How long is an SQE1 exam day?
Two sessions of 2 hours 33 minutes and a one-hour break add up to 6 hours 6 minutes, plus check-in. FLK1 and FLK2 are sat on separate days.
Is there a break in SQE1?
Yes, a one-hour break between the two sessions. According to a careers website you may leave the centre, but you must be back at least 10 minutes before the second session starts.
What happens if you are late for SQE1?
A careers website says late arrivals are refused entry, including latecomers to the second session after the break. Check your reporting time in the booking email and plan to arrive well before it.
Are FLK1 and FLK2 on the same day?
No. In January 2027, FLK1 runs 11–15 January 2027 (check the official website) and FLK2 18–22 January 2027 (check the official website); in July 2027, FLK1 runs 12–16 July 2027 (check the official website) and FLK2 19–23 July 2027 (check the official website).
What does the Fit to Sit declaration mean?
By signing it before the assessment, you state that you know of no reason why your performance would be adversely affected, or why you might later claim mitigating circumstances. Read the SRA’s Fit to Sit and Mitigating Circumstances policies before your sitting if you might be unwell.
Related tools and pages
Sources
- Solicitors Regulation Authority: Understanding SQE1: what employers need to know (24 September 2026). Accessed 28 October 2026.
- Solicitors Regulation Authority: Important changes to SQE1 for January 2027 onwards (10 September 2026). Accessed 25 October 2026.
- Solicitors Regulation Authority: SQE1 sample questions. Accessed 21 October 2026.
- Solicitors Regulation Authority: SQE1 Assessment Specification (applicable for assessments from 1 September 2026). Accessed 25 October 2026.
- Solicitors Regulation Authority: SRA SQE Assessment Regulations (regulations 3–7, 9–13 and 15). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- LawCareers.Net, Law Business Research (careers website, secondary source): SQE assessments: what to expect (The Oracle) (5 May 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Celebar, celebar.com (preparation provider, secondary source): Exam Day at Pearson VUE: Check-In, ID and Rules for SQE1 & SQE2 (21 July 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- BPP University (training provider, secondary source): SQE exam dates 2027. Accessed 24 October 2026.
- Solicitors Regulation Authority: Assessment dates published for 2027 assessments (5 December 2025).
High Performer Certs is an independent study platform. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), and it is not authorised or accredited by the SRA or the SQE assessment provider. The SQE and SOLICITORS QUALIFYING EXAMINATION trade marks are the property of and are used under licence from the Solicitors Regulation Authority.