How to become a solicitor in England and Wales: six stages

How do you become a solicitor in England and Wales?

Through the SQE route you need four things: a degree in any subject or an equivalent qualification, passes in SQE1 and SQE2, two years’ full-time or equivalent qualifying work experience (QWE), and the SRA’s character and suitability requirements. For 2026/27 the two assessments cost £2,006 (check the official website) and £3,086 (check the official website). (SRA, SQE route) (SRA news release, 21 April 2026)

The six stages below follow that order, but they overlap: you can gain QWE before, during or after the assessments. (SRA, qualifying work experience) Each stage says what it involves and links to the guide or tool that covers it in detail. Terms such as QWE, FLK or NQ are explained in the solicitor qualification glossary.

Sources: (SRA, SQE route) (SRA, degree check) (SRA, SQE training options) (SRA, qualifying work experience) (SRA, admission and fees). By our addition, the SRA fees for a first-time candidate with a UK degree come to £5,262; preparation, resits and living costs are extra. The qualification costs guide explains each fee, and the solicitor qualification cost calculator adds your own figures, and the solicitor payback calculator shows when qualifying pays for itself.

Which route applies to you?

• You have a degree in any subject, or an accepted equivalent: the SQE route, stages 1 to 6. A law degree is not required – see becoming a solicitor without a law degree. (SRA, SQE route)
• You have no degree: a solicitor apprenticeship, available in England but not in Wales. It can start after A levels, typically takes five to six years, counts as your QWE and has its SQE training and assessments paid through the apprenticeship levy. (SRA, solicitor apprenticeships) Some equivalent qualifications also meet the academic requirement. (SRA, degree and equivalent qualifications) Weighing the two? See solicitor apprenticeship or degree.
• You are a graduate who wants to qualify while employed: a graduate solicitor apprenticeship, which typically takes two to three years and counts as QWE (SRA, solicitor apprenticeships), or a paid QWE role alongside your own preparation.
• You started a law degree, the GDL or the LPC under the old system: you may still qualify through the LPC route if you meet the SRA’s transitional requirements. (SRA, LPC transitional requirements) Check which route applies to you, or enter your dates in the LPC or SQE route checker.
• You are already a qualified lawyer: you do not need QWE (SRA, qualifying work experience), and exemptions from parts of the SQE may apply – see SQE exemptions for qualified lawyers and, for lawyers admitted in a US state, US attorneys qualifying in England.

Coming to law from another career? See changing careers to become a solicitor. Still weighing the Bar? Compare solicitor vs barrister, or the SQE and CILEX routes.

Stage 1: do you meet the academic requirement?

You need a degree in any subject or an equivalent level 6 qualification. (SRA, SQE route) The SRA checks it through mySRA; for a UK or Irish degree the check costs £36 (check the official website). (SRA, degree check) You do not need the degree to sit the assessments, only for admission (SRA, SQE Q&A), so settle how you will meet the requirement before you pay any fees.

Stage 2: how will you prepare?

The SRA does not prescribe a preparation course: a course for non-law graduates, a master’s programme or self-study are all options. (SRA, SQE training options) Compare what each costs and how many hours a week you can give it – the study-time calculator checks whether a plan fits beside a job. The costs guide separates the SRA fees from what you choose to spend, and self-funding before a training contract weighs paying for it yourself.

Stage 3: how do you pass SQE1?

From January 2027, SQE1 has two assessments, FLK1 and FLK2, each with 170 single best answer questions. (SRA announcement, 10 September 2026) In 2027 FLK1 runs on 11–15 January 2027 (check the official website) and FLK2 on 18–22 January 2027 (check the official website), then again on 12–16 July 2027 (check the official website) and 19–23 July 2027 (check the official website). You have up to three attempts at each paper, and six years from your first SQE assessment to sit the rest. (SRA, SQE Assessment Regulations)

• Format: how SQE1 is structured, what each paper covers, single best answer questions
• FLK1 subjects: Business law and practice, Dispute resolution, Contract, Tort, The legal system, Legal services
• FLK2 subjects: Property practice, Wills and estates, Solicitors accounts, Land law, Trusts, Criminal liability, Criminal practice; across both papers, ethics and professional conduct
• Revision: a study plan, how to revise, revising while working full time, revising as a parent or carer, the FLK revision planner and the exam pace calculator
• Sittings and results: 2027 dates and booking, exam day at the test centre, reasonable adjustments, exam nerves, waiting for results, pass mark and results, the score explainer, pass rates by sitting, resits and time limits, the resit and six-year window checker, what to do after failing a paper and training contracts after a fail

Stage 4: what does SQE2 involve?

SQE2 tests practical legal skills – interviewing, advocacy, case and matter analysis, legal research, writing and drafting – in legal practice contexts. (SRA, SQE2 Assessment Specification) On this route you take it after passing SQE1 (SRA, SQE training options); the fee for 2026/27 is £3,086 (check the official website). The SQE1 and SQE2 comparison sets out the differences.

Stage 5: how do you get qualifying work experience?

You need two years’ full-time or equivalent QWE, paid or voluntary, in up to four organisations, each period confirmed by a solicitor of England and Wales or a COLP. A training contract is one way to gain it; paralegal work, a law clinic or other legal roles can count if they meet the SRA’s criteria. (SRA, qualifying work experience) Read the QWE guide; the QWE calculator adds up your placements against the two years, and paralegal pay and QWE covers earning it as a paralegal. On pay, the Law Society’s guidance since 2026 is at least the real Living Wage (Law Society Gazette, 25 September 2026 (secondary source)) – see what the real Living Wage means for trainees, trainee and NQ salaries and the take-home pay calculator.

Stage 6: what happens before admission?

You must pass the SRA’s background checks and meet its character and suitability requirements. (SRA, SQE route) You must tell the SRA about everything relevant to that assessment. (SRA, character and suitability) If you are concerned about a possible issue, you can apply for an early assessment: it is voluntary, there is no fee, and the SRA is not bound by that decision when you later apply for admission. (SRA, early assessment of character and suitability) Screening costs £34 (check the official website) and admission to the roll £100 (check the official website); a practising certificate has a separate fee. (SRA, admission and fees)

How long does it take to qualify?

There is no fixed length. QWE alone takes two years full-time or equivalent, but it can run alongside preparation and the assessments. (SRA, qualifying work experience) Apprenticeships give a sense of the whole route: the SRA says one started after A levels typically takes five to six years, and a graduate apprenticeship two to three. (SRA, solicitor apprenticeships) For SQE1 itself, choose a sitting and work back from it with the FLK revision planner.

What this means for you: where to start this week

1. Check that your degree or qualification meets the academic requirement (stage 1).
2. Find your route in the list above, and check the transitional rules if you started under the old system.
3. Take the free SQE1 quick test to see how applied questions work and where you stand by subject.
4. Pick a sitting and work back from it: how many weeks you have, and how many hours a week you can give.
5. Look for a role that can count as QWE, and ask early who would confirm it.
6. If you are concerned about anything that might affect your suitability, consider the SRA’s early assessment.

Our SQE1 course covers both papers with explained single best answer questions. This page is general information about the route, not legal advice.

Which mistakes slow people down?

• Waiting for the exams before looking for QWE. Experience can come before, during or after the assessments. (SRA, qualifying work experience)
• Assuming a training contract is required. It is one way to gain QWE, not the only one.
• Assuming the LPC is open to everyone. It depends on the transitional requirements. (SRA, LPC transitional requirements)
• Budgeting for SQE1 only. SQE2 costs more: £3,086 (check the official website) against £2,006 (check the official website) in 2026/27.
• Leaving a suitability question until admission. The SRA offers an early assessment, without a fee. (SRA, early assessment of character and suitability)

What does this page cover?

Last updated

30 October 2026

Based on

SRA pages on the SQE route, QWE, apprenticeships, suitability and fees; the fact register for fees and 2027 dates

Includes

The six stages, who takes which route, SRA fees for 2026/27, the 2027 SQE1 sittings, links to every SQE1 guide and tool

Not included

Barristers and chartered legal executives, qualifying in Scotland or Northern Ireland, preparation course prices

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.