SQE1 vs SQE2: what each stage tests, format, fees and order

What is the difference between SQE1 and SQE2?

SQE1 tests your ability to apply legal knowledge through single best answer questions. SQE2 tests practical legal skills and the application of law through oral and written tasks. FLK1 and FLK2 are the two knowledge assessments within SQE1. The normal order is to pass SQE1 before enrolling for SQE2. (SRA, SQE1 Assessment Specification) (SRA, SQE2 Assessment Specification) (SRA, SQE Assessment Regulations)

For 2026/27, the assessment fees are £2,006 for SQE1 and £3,086 for SQE2. (SRA news release, 21 April 2026) Choosing how to prepare therefore involves separate decisions about knowledge practice, skills practice and the cost of each stage.

SQE1 vs SQE2 at a glance

Sources: (SRA, SQE1 Assessment Specification) (SRA announcement, 10 September 2026) (SRA, SQE Assessment Regulations) (SRA news release, 21 April 2026) (SRA, SQE2 Assessment Specification)

What does SQE1 test?

SQE1 assesses functioning legal knowledge: applying fundamental rules to realistic client problems at the standard expected of a newly qualified solicitor. It is closed book. Each question offers five possible answers, with one correct answer to select. Knowing a definition is only a starting point; you must recognise which rule applies to the facts and what follows from it. (SRA, SQE1 Assessment Specification)

• FLK1: Business Law and Practice, Dispute Resolution, Contract, Tort, the Legal System of England and Wales, Constitutional and Administrative Law and EU Law, and Legal Services.
• FLK2: Property Law and Practice, Wills and the Administration of Estates, Solicitors Accounts, Land Law, Trusts, Criminal Liability, and Criminal Law and Practice.

Ethics and Professional Conduct runs across both assessments. Questions may combine subjects within an FLK assessment. (SRA, SQE1 Assessment Specification) Our FLK1 vs FLK2 guide explains the subjects in more detail.

FLK1 and FLK2 are sat on separate days at testing centres in England and Wales and internationally, under controlled exam conditions. Each assessment day has two sessions, with a one-hour break between them. (SRA blog, 24 September 2026) Practise reading a problem, identifying the decisive facts and selecting your answer within the available time.

From January 2027, each FLK assessment has 170 questions, split into two sessions of 85. Each session still lasts 2 hours 33 minutes. This replaces 180 questions per FLK assessment and applies to both first sitters and resitters. Subjects are grouped by session, with questions mixed within each session. (SRA announcement, 10 September 2026) Use the format for your sitting when choosing timed practice.

What does SQE2 test, and what is its format?

SQE2 uses simulated legal tasks to assess practical skills and legal knowledge. Its practice contexts include business law, dispute resolution, criminal litigation, property practice, and wills and the administration of estates. Law and skills have equal weighting in the final result. (SRA, SQE2 Assessment Specification)

• Oral: four assessments over two half-days, covering advocacy and client interviewing with an attendance note/legal analysis.
• Written: 12 assessments over three half-days, covering case and matter analysis, legal research, legal writing and legal drafting.

That makes 16 tasks across five half-days. (SRA, SQE2 Assessment Specification) The SRA regulations confirm that oral and written SQE2 form a single assessment, must be taken within the same assessment window and have an overall passing requirement. (SRA, SQE Assessment Regulations) Check the SRA website for your sitting’s timetable.

For preparation, practise producing the required work: an organised analysis, clear advice or a usable draft. Review whether your answer addresses the client’s objective and whether the law supports your proposed action.

How much do the stages cost?

The combined 2026/27 assessment fee is £5,092: £2,006 plus £3,086. The total is our addition of the SRA’s published fees. The increase took effect in September 2026 and applies to candidates booking to take the SQE from October 2026 onwards. (SRA news release, 21 April 2026)

This is an assessment-fee total. Build a separate budget for preparation, travel, accommodation and admission expenses. Check current fees before booking, especially if your stages fall in different academic years. Our guide to the cost of qualifying sets out the wider budget.

Which stage comes first, and are there exceptions?

Normally, you must pass SQE1 before enrolling for SQE2. Passing SQE1 means passing both FLK1 and FLK2. They normally have to be taken within the same assessment window, with exceptions specified for certain resits, mitigating circumstances and reasonable adjustments. (SRA, SQE Assessment Regulations)

Qualified lawyers can apply for SQE1 and/or SQE2 exemptions; being qualified elsewhere does not itself establish which assessments you can omit. Check the SRA’s requirements for your qualification and the exemption decision before planning your route. (SRA, SQE exemptions)

A separate option exists for candidates who meet the LPC transitional requirements: passing the LPC, completing two years’ full-time or equivalent QWE and passing SQE2 can replace a training contract. SQE1 is not required under that option, and admission remains through the LPC route. (SRA, QWE and SQE2 instead of a training contract)

Where does QWE fit, and how long do you have?

QWE can be gained before, during or after the assessments. Candidates who need QWE must register their two years’ full-time or equivalent experience by the time they apply for admission; the requirement does not apply to qualified lawyers. (SRA, qualifying work experience) Passing the exams alone does not complete qualification: the standard SQE route also requires a degree or equivalent and satisfaction of the SRA’s suitability requirements. (SRA, SQE route)

The usual assessment limit is six years from your first SQE assessment, with a maximum of three attempts at each of FLK1, FLK2 and SQE2 within that period. The SRA can extend the period in exceptional circumstances. It does not restart when you pass SQE1. (SRA, SQE Assessment Regulations) Plan space for results and possible resits.

How should your preparation change between stages?

For SQE1, practise selecting an answer and explaining why the alternatives fail on the facts. Record the rule you missed, then return to it in a different problem. For SQE2, retain that knowledge while practising speaking, analysing and writing to a client’s brief. Use feedback to identify gaps in both reasoning and communication.

Start your knowledge practice with the free SQE1 quick test, then explore the SQE1 course. Use the comparison above to keep a separate plan for practical skills preparation before SQE2.

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.