Will assess whether new pathway is on track to achieving its objectives
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has commissioned an independent review to evaluate whether the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) is on track to achieving some of its objectives.
In a bulletin this week, the regulator confirmed that IFF, a social and market research agency, will conduct the first independent evaluation of the new pathway since its launch in 2021.
The SRA said that the review will assess whether the SQE is “providing greater assurance of consistent standards at the point of admission” and “encouraging the development of new and diverse pathways to qualification”.
The marketing agency will survey SQE students, employers, and law schools to gather their insights and experiences with the SQE and qualifying work experience (QWE). A small pilot survey launched last month, with a larger survey set to begin in early 2025.
Last month, Legal Cheek reported a slight drop in the SQE2 pass rate to 74%, while in October, the SQE1 pass rate hit an all-time low of 44%.
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.
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