SQE Tutors & SQE Exam Revision
What is the SQE?
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) is the newly instated assessment, established in 2021 and developed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Designed for candidates with the ambition of qualifying as a solicitor in England and Wales, the examination requires candidates to demonstrate a high level of legal practical skills and knowledge, necessary for successful and effective practice as professional solicitors. The SQE also tests candidates across analytically demanding tasks, with scenarios pertaining to the practice of a solicitor currently practicing in the sector. The SQE exam replaced the Legal Practice Course (LPC) and the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme (QLTS) in 2021, with a transition period in place for candidates who are in the midst of their studies within these examination processes. Our SQE Tutors can support you through the SQE exams and provide revision notes and mock practice.
Who is the SQE for?
The SQE is designed for and open to candidates from a variety of experiences and qualifications including:
+ Apprentices
+ Chartered legal executives
+ Foreign qualified lawyers (in either common law or civil law jurisdiction)
+ Law graduates
+ Non-law graduates
+ Paralegals
Before applying for admission to the Roll of Solicitors, you must fulfil certain standards, such as: hold a degree, have completed two years of qualifying work experience, have passed the two stages of the SQE assessment and meet the SRA character and suitability requirements. It is important to note that it is not a necessity to have all four of these qualifying types to sit the SQE exams. The eligibility checks are held at the beginning of the admission by the SRA, to ensure that the process is also worth your time as much as theirs.
What does the SQE assess?
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination is made up of two main sections, the SQE Stage 1 examination, Functioning Legal Knowledge Assessments, which contains two separate tests concerning substantive and procedural law and the SQE Stage 2 examination, Practical Legal Skills Assessments, which contains 16 tests which assess candidates abilities to fulfil the practical elements of legal work. It is important to note that SQE1 must first be passed before candidates are able to move on and sit the SQE2.
SQE1: SQE1 is comprised of 2, 180 question exams, lasting 5 hours and 6 minutes each and 10 hours and 12 minutes in total. Ethics and professional conduct issues are covered throughout the SQE1 tests, making these subjects imperative to revise before sitting the exams. The FLK assessments are designed so that the questions engage candidates with problems that they would be likely to encounter in their practice as a solicitor, making it a useful exercise as well as a means of testing.
SQE2: SQE2 is comprised of tasks, commonly referred to as ‘stations’ in which various practical skills and legal knowledge will be tested, designed to utilise role-play in order to effectively act out real life scenarios that a solicitor would encounter. This might mean sorting through files, acting in court or communicating with someone who is struggling in an interview. SQE2 is comprised of an oral assessment which tests 2 skills, including interview and legal analysis skills and of a written assessment which tests 4 skills, including case analysis, legal research, legal drafting and legal writing. The SQE2 oral assessment takes place over the duration of two, half days and the SEQ2 written assessment takes place over the duration of three, half days.
SQE Tutors & What score should I be aiming to achieve?
Due to the fact that the SQE has only ran for one year so far, the data for comparative marks is exclusive to the 2021 sittings, which found that 53% of candidates passed both assessments, with 67% passing FLK1 and 54% passing FLK2. It is important to note that FLK1 must be sat and passed before FLK2 can be sat and that candidates will need to show that they have a degree or degree equivalent qualification, that they have completed 2 years of work experience, and also that they have passed the character requirements.
The passing percentage mark for the 2021 SQE tests were:
FLK1 pass mark: 57%
FLK2 pass mark: 56%
The pass marks are created through the SRA “Angoff Panel” of solicitors, who convene and discuss the appropriate pass marks as a team, reaching a consensus driven conclusion, meaning pass marks are not necessarily predictable. The panel decide the pass mark by looking at candidates work as a collective and deciding who has demonstrated that they would be able to competently deliver as a newly qualified English solicitor.
How do I prepare for the SQE?
Reviewing and practicing using online practice papers can be beneficial as they enable one to effectively manage time keeping, whilst also adjusting to the wording of questions and the varying levels of difficulty. Self-assessment of your general areas where you could develop your knowledge further will enable you to be self-aware in your studies, supplementing what you need to practice more and strengthening your pre-existing strengths. Due to the SQE only recently having been established and used, reviewing the SQE resources and content windows will enable you to narrow down your revision to a refined and purposeful selection of materials, also furthering your basic understanding of what is required of you and why it is important to take the SQE. It is important to remember that the content in the SQE will contain exams over a period of days, so revising in this style will enable you to understand the stresses and time management aspect of the test, also enabling you to establish healthy coping mechanisms for a demanding role. The SQE requires oral and written test skills, making practicing interview style questions and scenarios to involve verbal communication a useful strategy when preparing for the SQE. Ultimately, the more time you spend practicing, the more confident and prepared you are likely to feel when taking your SQE, a feeling which should be reflected in your score outcome. Online and in-person tutoring can enable you to receive one on one, specially tailored support, enabling you to feel supported in your endeavours and to receive individualised resources and sessions that can develop your knowledge and expand your strengths.
SQE Tutors & Tuition London
Mayfair Consultants offer private tuition for clients preparing to take the SQE exam, and those seeking to learn more about their aptitude for Law. If you are preparing for this test, or for an interview in Law, our tutors can guide you through the whole process and help address potential weaknesses in your performance. We also offer private tuition for younger students with a budding interest in Law – including those taking Law AS- and A-Levels. Many of our tutors have direct experience of the Law sector and /or hold advanced qualifications in the field, making them best-placed to meet clients’ needs. If you’d like arrange private lessons or have any questions about our medicine tuition services please call us on Tel: +44 (0) 207 665 6606 or you can send us an email via our contact form.
Useful SQE Tutors and Students links:
https://www.sra.org.uk/become-solicitor/sqe/
https://www.qlts.co.uk/sqe/assessments/overview/#1619397560325-5b6f9c3d-a614
https://www.law.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/sqe/
https://www.legalnewswales.com/news/first-sqe1-results-a-historic-moment-for-the-legal-sector/
https://www.bpp.com/insights/first-wave-of-sqe-results-affirms-value
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/government-legal-service-gls-legal-trainee-scheme-how-to-apply–2