Originally set for release in late 2023
Aspiring solicitors seeking clarity on SQE training provider performance will face further delays, as the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) attributes the setback to “unexpected problems” with the data.
The regulator initially pledged to publish pass rates by training provider in “late 2023” but missed the deadline, citing a lack of “sufficient data“.
By October 2024 — 10 months past the initial target date — the SRA still hadn’t published the data. Instead, it said it was working with a third party to develop an interactive tool that would help candidates search the information more effectively
Now, this week, the regulator has admitted it is still not ready to release the statistics, blaming “unexpected problems” with data quality.
In its latest update, the SRA said:
“We had expected to be able to publish some data in autumn 2024. However, we found some unexpected problems with the quality of the data. These problems arose from the options given to candidates when they were surveyed. We considered publishing the data, with appropriate caveats. But we decided this would not be useful for candidates nor support the development of a healthy market.”
As a result, the SRA says it will now wait until after the July 2025 SQE1 sitting to collect additional data. In the meantime, the regulator has promised updates in future bulletins and pointed to other available resources to help candidates choose a preparation provider.
This latest delay is likely to frustrate both law schools and aspiring solicitors, particularly given the growing concerns around SQE1 pass rates — which hit a record low of 44% in the most recent sitting. The publication of training provider-specific data was meant to help candidates make more informed choices and was a key promise in the SRA’s transition away from the Legal Practice Course.
In the absence of official data, some law schools have begun publishing their own pass rate breakdowns, relying on students voluntarily disclosing their results. Others, however, have opted not to share any performance data at all.
While the SRA insists it remains “committed” to publishing the statistics, it now appears that aspiring solicitors won’t see them until later this summer at the earliest.