The short answer
- Choose the SQE route if you want the title solicitor and a qualification not tied to one area of law, you have a degree, or a level 6 qualification the SRA accepts as equivalent or you can gain two years’ qualifying work experience, paid or voluntary, in up to four organisations.
- Choose the CILEX route if you want to qualify without a degree while you work in a legal job, you already know the area of law you want to practise in or you prefer to study and pay stage by stage.
Key facts
- The SQE route asks for a degree or equivalent, SQE1 and SQE2 – £2,006 (check the official website) and £3,086 (check the official website) in 2026/27 – and two years’ qualifying work experience.
- The CILEX route needs no degree: the CPQ has three stages and costs around £13,000 from the Foundation stage, depending on the specialism, and less with an existing legal qualification (check the official website).
- To qualify as a CILEX Lawyer you need at least three years' relevant practical experience (check the official website); you qualify with practice rights in at least one specialist area.
- ONS (2026 provisional): median full-time pay is £57,198 for solicitors and lawyers and £40,000 for legal professionals n.e.c., the group that includes legal executives.
- Moving across later: CILEX Practitioners and Chartered Legal Executives do not need qualifying work experience; they can apply for an individual SQE2 exemption if they have experience or qualifications beyond their CILEX qualification (check the official website).
How do they compare?
| Criterion | the SQE route | the CILEX route |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator | Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) | CILEx Regulation |
| Title on qualifying | Solicitor of England and Wales | CILEX Lawyer (Chartered Legal Executive), with practice rights in at least one area |
| Degree | Any subject, or an equivalent level 6 qualification, including CILEX level 6 qualifications | Not needed; no formal entry requirements for the Foundation stage |
| Assessments and course | SQE1 £2,006 (check the official website) and SQE2 £3,086 (check the official website); a preparation course is optional | The CPQ in three stages: around £13,000 from the Foundation stage, depending on the specialism, and less with an existing legal qualification (check the official website) |
| Work experience | Two years’ full-time or equivalent QWE, before, during or after the SQE | at least three years' relevant practical experience (check the official website), assessed by CILEx Regulation |
| Typical time | QWE takes two years full-time and can run alongside SQE1 and SQE2 | Foundation and Advanced 18 months to two years each, Professional 12 to 18 months; three years in all if you progress faster |
| Median full-time pay (ONS, 2026) | Solicitors and lawyers: £57,198 | Legal professionals n.e.c., including legal executives and paralegals: £40,000 |
| Moving across | Higher rights of audience can be added after admission | To become a solicitor: CILEX Practitioners and Chartered Legal Executives do not need qualifying work experience; they can apply for an individual SQE2 exemption if they have experience or qualifications beyond their CILEX qualification (check the official website) |
What is the difference between the two routes?
The SQE route makes you a solicitor: a degree or an equivalent qualification, SQE1 and SQE2 – £2,006 (check the official website) and £3,086 (check the official website) in 2026/27 – and two years’ qualifying work experience. The CILEX route makes you a CILEX Lawyer: no degree, three stages of the CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ) and practice rights in at least one area of law. (SRA, SQE route) (LawCareers.Net, CILEX (secondary source))
They are not either-or. A chartered legal executive can later qualify as a solicitor without qualifying work experience, so the CILEX route can also be a way into the solicitor route. This page compares what can be checked: entry, time, cost, what you can do once qualified, pay and moving across. It is general information, not legal or careers advice.
What does each route involve?
Solicitor (SQE route): a degree in any subject or an equivalent qualification, SQE1 and SQE2, two years’ full-time or equivalent qualifying work experience (QWE) and the SRA’s character and suitability requirements. (SRA, SQE route) The SRA accepts regulated qualifications at level 6 or above as equivalent to a degree, and says this includes CILEX level 6 qualifications. (SRA, degree and equivalent qualifications) QWE can be paid or voluntary, gained in up to four organisations, before, during or after the assessments. (SRA, qualifying work experience)
CILEX Lawyer (CPQ): three stages, each a qualification in its own right – Foundation (paralegal work), Advanced (advanced paralegal work) and Professional, which leads to CILEX Lawyer status with practice rights in at least one specialist area. No degree is required and there are no formal entry requirements for the Foundation stage. (LawCareers.Net, CILEX (secondary source)) You need at least three years' relevant practical experience (check the official website), and your qualifying experience is assessed by CILEx Regulation. (CILEX, qualifying as a CILEX Lawyer)
The two routes have different regulators: the SRA for solicitors, CILEx Regulation for CILEX members. Talks about moving the regulation of CILEX members to the SRA ended in May 2026. (Legal Futures, 8 May 2026 (secondary source))
How long does each route take?
On the SQE route, the fixed block is QWE: two years’ full-time or equivalent. It can run alongside your SQE preparation, so the time after your degree can be close to two years if you start QWE early. (SRA, qualifying work experience) Without a degree, add the time for the degree or the equivalent qualification.
On the CILEX route, CILEX estimates 18 months to two years each for the Foundation and Advanced stages and 12 to 18 months for the Professional stage, at your own pace. (CILEX, general FAQs) You can qualify in three years if you progress faster, and with a law degree or another legal qualification you need not start at Foundation. (LawCareers.Net, CILEX (secondary source)) CILEX asks you to complete each stage within three years of registering for it. (CILEX, how to apply for CPQ)
What does each route cost?
| Cost | SQE route | CILEX route |
|---|---|---|
| Assessments and course | SQE1 £2,006 (check the official website) and SQE2 £3,086 (check the official website): £5,092 (check the official website) together. A preparation course is optional (SRA, SQE training options); courses for SQE1, or SQE1 and SQE2, were listed from £4,700 (an online SQE1 course) to £18,500 (an LLM covering SQE1 and SQE2 in London) (Chambers Student, course providers compared (secondary source)) | The CPQ: around £13,000 from the Foundation stage, depending on the specialism, and less with an existing legal qualification (check the official website). You can pay a stage up front, spread it over twelve months by Direct Debit or arrange for your employer to pay (CILEX, how to apply for CPQ) |
| Degree | Needed, or an equivalent qualification | Not needed |
| Master’s Loan | Only for a full master’s course such as an LLM | Not available: the CPQ is not a master’s course |
A Master’s Loan is only available for a master’s course, not for a postgraduate diploma or certificate, and not if you already hold a master’s degree. (GOV.UK, Master's Loan eligibility) On both routes, add the pay you would give up if you studied instead of working. The solicitor qualification cost calculator adds up the SQE route with your own figures.
What can you do once you qualify?
- As a solicitor you have rights of audience in some courts on admission; for the higher courts you add the civil or criminal higher rights qualification. (SRA, higher rights of audience) The qualification is not tied to one area: SQE1 alone covers subjects from contract and dispute resolution to property, wills and criminal practice. (SRA, SQE1 Assessment Specification)
- As a CILEX Lawyer you qualify with practice rights in at least one specialist area, and CILEX Lawyers can go on to become judges, coroners or advocates in open court. (LawCareers.Net, CILEX (secondary source)) With practice rights, CILEX Lawyers carry out one or more reserved or regulated legal activities – such as advocacy, some conveyancing and probate work, or immigration work – without supervision. (CILEX, general FAQs)
If you work in litigation without litigation rights of your own: on 31 March 2026 the Court of Appeal allowed the appeal in the Mazur case ([2026] EWCA Civ 369) and held that an unauthorised person can lawfully carry out litigation tasks for and on behalf of an authorised individual, who keeps responsibility for them. (Court of Appeal, 31 March 2026) (Local Government Lawyer, 7 April 2026 (secondary source)) Practice rights still decide what you may do on your own.
What do solicitors and legal executives earn?
The ONS puts the median full-time job for “solicitors and lawyers” at £57,198 a year, and for “legal professionals n.e.c.” at £40,000 (tax year to April 2026, provisional). (ONS, ASHE 2026 provisional, Table 14) Legal executives sit in the second group, together with paralegals, conveyancers and litigation executives. (ONS, SOC 2020 Volume 1) Occupation data, not the effect of a qualification: the second group mixes qualified CILEX Lawyers with paralegals at every stage, so neither figure is the pay of a newly qualified lawyer. The guide to trainee and NQ solicitor salaries has the full spread for solicitors.
Can a CILEX Lawyer become a solicitor later?
Yes. According to the SRA, CILEX Practitioners and Chartered Legal Executives do not need qualifying work experience; they can apply for an individual SQE2 exemption if they have experience or qualifications beyond their CILEX qualification (check the official website). You do not need a separate degree check: the certificate of good standing you submit with your admission application is enough. (SRA, chartered legal executives) The SRA’s page mentions only an individual SQE2 exemption, so plan on sitting SQE1 – £2,006 (check the official website) in 2026/27. Our free SQE1 quick test shows what its single best answer questions feel like.
That makes a two-step plan possible: qualify through CILEX while you work, then take the SQE without a second stretch of work experience. Whether it is quicker than going straight for the SQE depends on whether you have a degree and how fast you move through the CPQ.
What is the bigger decision?
It is less “which title sounds better” than how you want to learn and what you can carry. The CILEX route spreads study and cost over stages while you earn, and asks you to commit to an area of law early. The SQE route asks for a degree or equivalent and two large assessments, and leaves the area of law open for longer. If you have family commitments or cannot stop working, the pace you can keep up for several years matters more than the headline time.
Common mistakes when choosing
- Treating CILEX as a lesser version of the same job: it is a separate qualification with its own regulator and practice rights.
- Assuming the SQE route needs a law degree: any subject, or an equivalent qualification, will do.
- Comparing the two ONS medians as if they showed what a qualification adds.
- Forgetting that CILEX Lawyers can move to the solicitor route later without QWE.
- Choosing a CILEX specialism without checking that your employer does that kind of work.
What this means for you
- Write down your starting point: degree or not, legal job or not, and the area of law you want.
- If you have no degree and already work in a legal team, look hard at the CPQ – and keep the route to solicitor in mind for later.
- If you have a degree, read how to become a solicitor and check whether your work counts as QWE.
- Changing career later in life? Becoming a solicitor at 30, 40 or 50 covers funding and time.
Our SQE1 course prepares you for the first SQE assessment with explained single best answer questions.
What this page covers
- Last updated
- Based on
- SRA pages on the SQE route, degree equivalence, QWE, higher rights and chartered legal executives; CILEX pages and a dated careers guide on the CPQ; the Court of Appeal’s judgment in the Mazur case; the fact register for SRA fees, the CPQ cost and the experience rules; ONS ASHE 2026 provisional
- Includes
- Entry, stages, time, costs, loans, practice rights, pay data, moving from CILEX to solicitor
- Not included
- The Bar, CILEX fees for individual modules, Scotland and Northern Ireland, legal or careers advice
CILEX is a trade mark of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives. It is named only to identify the qualification; CILEX is not connected with this page.
Who should choose which?
| If you … | Usually fits |
|---|---|
| have no degree and want to qualify while you work | the CILEX route |
| want the title solicitor, or a role that asks for it | the SQE route |
| have a degree and can find work that counts as QWE | the SQE route |
| work in one area such as conveyancing, probate or litigation and want practice rights in it | the CILEX route |
| want to keep the solicitor route open without a degree | the CILEX route first, then the SQE without QWE |
Frequently asked questions
Can a CILEX Lawyer become a solicitor?
Yes. The SRA says CILEX Practitioners and Chartered Legal Executives do not need qualifying work experience; they can apply for an individual SQE2 exemption if they have experience or qualifications beyond their CILEX qualification (check the official website). No separate degree check is needed; the certificate of good standing is enough. The SRA mentions only an SQE2 exemption, so plan on sitting SQE1.
Do you need a degree for the CILEX route?
No. There are no formal entry requirements for the Foundation stage of the CPQ, and no degree is required to qualify as a CILEX Lawyer.
Is the CILEX route cheaper than the SQE?
The CPQ costs around £13,000 from the Foundation stage, depending on the specialism, and less with an existing legal qualification (check the official website); you pay stage by stage and can spread a stage over twelve months. On the SQE route, SQE1 costs £2,006 (check the official website) and SQE2 £3,086 (check the official website) in 2026/27, and a preparation course is optional – but you also need a degree or an equivalent qualification.
How long does it take to qualify through CILEX?
CILEX estimates 18 months to two years each for the Foundation and Advanced stages and 12 to 18 months for the Professional stage; faster progress can mean three years in all. You also need at least three years' relevant practical experience (check the official website).
Who regulates CILEX Lawyers?
CILEx Regulation. Talks about moving the regulation of CILEX members to the SRA, which regulates solicitors, ended in May 2026.
Do solicitors earn more than legal executives?
There is no like-for-like figure. The ONS median for full-time solicitors and lawyers is £57,198 and for legal professionals n.e.c., which includes legal executives and paralegals, £40,000 (2026 provisional). This is occupation data, not the effect of a qualification.
Related tools and pages
Sources
- Solicitors Regulation Authority: Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) route (August 2025). Accessed 25 October 2026.
- Solicitors Regulation Authority: Degree and equivalent qualifications explained (23 July 2025). Accessed 25 October 2026.
- Solicitors Regulation Authority: Qualifying work experience (26 January 2024). Accessed 25 October 2026.
- Solicitors Regulation Authority: SQE training options (28 January 2026). Accessed 25 October 2026.
- Solicitors Regulation Authority: Higher rights of audience (1 October 2025). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Solicitors Regulation Authority: SQE1 Assessment Specification (applicable for assessments from 1 September 2026). Accessed 25 October 2026.
- Solicitors Regulation Authority: Chartered legal executives: becoming a solicitor (no QWE needed; degree requirement met by the certificate of good standing; individual SQE2 exemption) (5 March 2025). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- LawCareers.Net, Law Business Research (careers website, secondary source): CILEX: the CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ) – stages, entry, cost, time, three years' practical experience, practice rights (16 January 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX): How to apply for CPQ? (stage prices at CILEX Law School, correct at 1 March 2024; pay up front, by Direct Debit over twelve months or through your employer; each stage to be completed within three years of registration). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX): How to qualify as a CILEX Lawyer: qualifying experience assessed by CILEx Regulation. Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX): CILEX Lawyer: general FAQs (CPQ stages and estimated duration: Foundation and Advanced 18 months to two years each, Professional 12 to 18 months; practice rights: reserved or regulated legal activities without supervision). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Legal Futures (legal news, secondary source): SRA and CILEX end talks on transferring regulation of legal executives (CILEx Regulation remains the regulator) (8 May 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Court of Appeal (Civil Division), Find Case Law, The National Archives (Open Justice Licence): Mazur and others v Chartered Institute of Legal Executives [2026] EWCA Civ 369 (appeal allowed: an unauthorised person may carry out tasks within the conduct of litigation for and on behalf of an authorised individual, who keeps responsibility) (31 March 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Sharpe Pritchard LLP in Local Government Lawyer (legal commentary, secondary source): CILEX and others v Mazur and others [2026] EWCA Civ 369: unauthorised persons may carry out litigation work for, and under the supervision of, an authorised individual (7 April 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Chambers Student, Chambers and Partners (careers guide, secondary source): Legal course providers compared (Bar course and SQE course fees for 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- GOV.UK (Student Finance England): Master's Loan: eligibility. Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Office for National Statistics (Open Government Licence v3.0): Earnings and hours worked, occupation by four-digit SOC: ASHE Table 14 – 2026 provisional, Tables 14.7a (annual pay, gross), 14.7b (coefficients of variation) and 14.9a (paid hours worked, total), full-time employee jobs, United Kingdom (22 October 2026). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions of unit groups – section 5 and table 4 (legal occupations). Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Solicitors Regulation Authority: Reports find SQE to be robust with improvements made (including SQE fees for 2026/27) (21 April 2026). Accessed 25 October 2026.
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