Lowest success rate so far
Less than half of students passed the most recent sitting of part one of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE).
The latest statistical report from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) shows that, of the 5,006 candidates who attempted both parts SQE1 in July 2024, only 44% passed. This is the lowest success rate to date and represents a notable drop from the 56% pass rate for the January sitting.
The SQE was formally introduced in September 2021 as the new route to solicitor qualification. SQE1 focuses on functioning legal knowledge (FLK) whilst SQE2 focuses on legal skills.
The report, published yesterday, shows the pass rate was slightly higher among those sitting the exam for the first time, at 48%. The pass rates for the two papers that make up SQE1 — FLK1 and FLK2 — were 55% and 50%, respectively, for all candidates.
Earlier this year, Kaplan, the company responsible for administering the SQE, issued an apology after 175 students were mistakenly informed that they had failed parts of their assessments.
Want to know more about the SQE? Be sure to check it out our SQE Hub for more information on the law schools offering support one the new pathway as well as more information about the assessment itself.