BARBRI SQE Prep FAQs

The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) is a single, national licensing examination that all aspiring solicitors will take before qualifying into England and Wales. The SQE also refers to the route to qualifying, which includes the SQE1 ad SQE2 exams, plus the requirement to do two years of Qualifying Work Experience. The SQE is replacing the traditional Legal Practice Course and its two-year training contract requirement at a single employer. 

To qualify you will need to:

• have a degree in any subject (or equivalent Level 6 qualification, such as an apprenticeship)
• pass both stages of the SQE assessment: SQE1 focuses on legal knowledge and SQE2 on practical legal skills
• have two years of Qualifying Work Experience (QWE)
• pass the SRA’s character and suitability requirements.

Read more here: How do I become a Solicitor in England and Wales

No, if you're from a non-law-degree background, you can now do the SQE without needing a conversion course like a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL). However, we do recommend non-law students take our longest SQE1 Prep course option, the Flexible 40-week course.

We also offer an optional 6-week online Foundations in Law course to help you get to grips with common legal terms, the law system and other important building blocks to give you the confidence you need to move on to the SQE.

Read more here: Don't have a law degree? Do you need to complete a GDL before the SQE? 

You will be tested on the application of Functioning Legal Knowledge by single best answer multiple choice questions. 

The two SQE1 Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK) assessments comprise the following subject areas:

FLK1: Business Law and Practice; Dispute Resolution; Contract; Tort; Legal System of England and Wales; Constitutional and Administrative Law and EU Law and Legal Services.

FLK2: Property Practice; Wills and the Administration of Estates; Solicitors Accounts; Land Law; Trusts; Criminal Law and Practice.

Ethics and professional conduct are examined pervasively across both FLK exams, and principles of Taxation are assessed in the context of Business Law and Practice, Property Practice, and Wills and the Administration of Estates.

The SQE2 exam tests your ethics and professional conduct, and you’ll be required to demonstrate that you can apply fundamental legal principles in a way that addresses a client’s needs and concerns, rather than your ability to memorise legal knowledge.

You will be tested on six skills:

• client interviewing with linked attendance note/legal analysis
• advocacy
• case and matter analysis
• legal research and written advice
• legal drafting
• legal writing.

The subjects assessed in SQE2 are Property, Probate, Business, Criminal, and Dispute Resolution.

Read the SQE2 Assessment Specification for more detail on what will be tested.

Please note candidates are assessed to the standard of a day-one newly qualified solicitor. 

The SQE1 assessment tests your functioning legal knowledge (FLK). It is a computer-based multiple-choice exam of 360 questions and it can be sat at a PearsonVue test centre worldwide.

You will receive scenario-based questions and you'll need to choose the best answer out of five plausible options for each.

The total time exam time is 10 hours and 12 minutes, which is split into two sessions over the course of two days. Each day will be as follows:

• Exam session 1: 153 minutes (90 questions)
• Break: 60 minutes
• Exam session 2: 153 minutes (90 questions)

You'll roughly have 1 minute 40 seconds to answer each question. We advise that you do the questions you're most confident in first, then return to the ones you need to spend some time on, and leave enough time at the end to revise your answers.

Sample questions can be found on the SRA website.

The SQE2 assessment is a skills-based examination of 16 written and oral skills assessments. The written elements of the exam are computer-based and can be sat worldwide at a PearsonVue test centre. The oral elements must be taken in person in England or Wales.

Written assessments:

There are 12 written assessments over three half-days, and cover:

• Case and matter analysis
• Legal research and written advice
• Legal drafting
• Legal writing

Oral assessments:

There are four oral assessments, which take place over two half-days. These will assess your practical skills via role-play, covering court-based scenarios, solicitor-client interactions and file reviews.

The SQE2 oral legal skills test covers:

• Client interviews and attendance note
• Advocacy

You may find that you are exempt from parts of the SQE.

If you have undertaken the Legal Practice Course (LPC), you may be exempt from the SQE1.

If you are qualified lawyer with work experience in another jurisdiction looking to dual-qualify in England and Wales via the SQE, you may find that your home jurisdiction is in the list of exemptions for either the SQE1 or SQE2. 

For details on exemptions, whether you qualify, as well as how to apply for these, please check out the SRA website.

You can read here about the SRA's process for requesting reasonable adjustments at the test centres and contact the SRA directly.

For information on how BARBRI supports you during the learning process, please visit our Student Support page.

SQE1:

All our course durations cover the same content and include the exact same resources. 

Flexible: 40 weeks / 10-12 hours per week

Our longest course is part-time and especially suitable for students without an English or Welsh law degree, or those who are working full-time or have other commitments, as well as re-qualifying international lawyers who may need some additional time to get to grips with the common law system. The time commitment is around 10-12 hours per week. We recommend one hour of study a day with one full day of study on the weekends.

Focused: 20 weeks / 20 hours per week

This course can be undertaken full-time or part-time, depending on your availability and your level of familiarity with the subjects. It is suitable if you graduated with a UK degree in the last three years or you’re familiar with the common law through legal experience. It requires 20 study hours per week and we recommend three hours of study per day over the seven-day week period, and we recommend a part-time job. If you work full time, you may want to consider the Flexible option instead. 

Accelerated: 10 weeks / 40 hours per week

This full-time course is the fastest way to qualify and is only suitable for recent UK law graduates with the ability and opportunity to study intensively and full time. It requires 40 hours of study per week. 

SQE2:

Flexible: 20 weeks / 10-12 hours per week

Our part-time SQE2 course is suited to candidates who have sat and passed SQE1 (or LPC graduates who are exempt from SQE1), and who are looking for the most flexible option to study for the SQE2 exam. The course requires 10-12 hours of study per week, spread out evenly throughout the week. 

Accelerated: 10 weeks / 15-20 hours per week

This is our full-time Accelerated course is the fastest way to qualify and is suitable to those who have passed the SQE1, or LPC graduates who are exempt from SQE1, and who can commit to an accelerated pace of study with weekly assignment submissions. We would not recommend this option for students who did not complete the BARBRI SQE1 Prep course with us.

The SRA sets two SQE1 exam periods during each year: January and July.
There are four SQE2 exam periods every year: January, April, July/August and October.

Our SQE Prep courses run up to the start of each exam period. For instance, our prep courses to prepare you for the SQE1 January exams, will have the following rough starting dates:

• Flexible 40-week: April
• Focused 20-week: August
• Accelerated 10-week: October

For the enrolment dates of our upcoming courses, see our SQE1 Prep and SQE2 Prep pages.

The BARBRI SQE courses are all fully flexible, allowing you to study when and where you study best. While your study time, days and location are extremely flexible, you should plan on spending the recommended hours per week over the relevant course session.

There are certain live sessions like workshops in each course, but these are recorded and available to watch on demand if you can’t make them, or want to re-watch.

Our AI-enabled Personal Study Plan allows you to block time out in your own study calendar, and it then schedules the bite-sized learning content for you, taking out the hassle and time commitment of drawing up your own study schedule. All you need to do is log in and do the next module the PSP recommends. 

Learn more about the PSP >

Learn more about the PSP accessibility features >

The SQE1 Prep course has over 3,000 multiple-choice questions, which form the main foundation of the course content, in addition to the BARBRI workbooks, pre-recorded lectures and extensive mentor support. This way you will not only familiarise yourself with the substantive content of the exam, but also learn the crucial skill of applying this knowledge in the multiple-choice format the assessment will be in.

If you take any of our SQE2 Prep courses, you will also have access to MCQs in the relevant topics that will be covered in the SQE2 exam.

For SQE1 you will receive a hard copy plus digital version of the workbooks we specifically designed for the SQE. These guides cover each subject area. You will also receive a revision book.

For SQE2 you will receive a hard copy and digital version of a concise workbook to supplement the skills explanation videos.

For Foundations in Law, we will provide you with an online workbook to supplement the coursework.

Yes, we will ship to the address you include in your myBARBRI account. There are no additional fees for international shipping.

SQE1:

In addition to the main practice multiple-choice questions (MCQs), we also deliver several MCQ tests in exam style.  This means you must complete all the questions before you can see the answers.

There will be 4 mock tests throughout the SQE1 Prep course, which include two 90-question practice tests for each of the two assessment areas.

Finally, the SQE1 preparation course concludes with a full simulated exam which replicates the SQE1 assessment specification – a full test of 360 questions. 

With both practice and mock test MCQs, we provide you with detailed explanations of each question, including why the right answers are correct and why the wrong choices are incorrect. 

SQE2:

As part of your SQE2 Prep course, you’ll complete several different types of assessments:

• Guided interactive activities: 

For each skill you’ll be given guided interactive learning assessments so you can apply the knowledge you have gained so far to an exam-style scenario. Each activity breaks down the different steps you’ll need to master the specific SQE2 skill, with automatic feedback. 

• Self-practice activities:

With our 24 self-practice activities – 4 per skill – you get the opportunity to have a go at doing a whole exam-level question yourself. You’ll receive instant access to the self-assessment exemplar so you can confidently review your own work. You’ll find out how you’re doing, where you can improve, and you’ll have the opportunity to mark your peers’ written work (and have them mark yours too) – an important step so you can familiarise yourself with the assessment criteria. 

During your weekly strategy sessions, you can also ask the tutors to review your self-practice activities questions on the self-practice questions or send a question to a subject matter expert. 

• Practice feedback activities (PFAs)

Through our 8 practice feedback activities (PFA), also called assessment stations, you’ll have the opportunity to complete exam-level assessments and receive personalised feedback and grading from a BARBRI assessor, as if it was an exam, on every SQE2 skill.  

You’ll do one PFA per written skill, plus 2 for each oral skill. You need to complete the written assessments by a certain date and time so the tutors have time to carefully mark your activity and send feedback within 3 days – including weekend days. For the oral PFAs, you can book a set time using a convenient Calendly link, including evening slots.  

You’ll receive written feedback and a grading for each and every section, not just an overall marking, plus a video from the tutor on how to improve for next time. Many consider our personalised feedback to be the most valuable part of our SQE2 Prep course! 

• Mock exams

Before you sit the SQE2, you’ll do 12 mock assessments: 6 of these are complete mocks with personal feedback from a BARBRI assessor in each skill and subject assessed in SQE2. You’ll make a fixed appointment for each oral mock exam, with a choice of days, including weekends to accommodate you if you’re on our part-time SQE2 Prep course and work during the day. You’ll have access to another 6 mock exams without individual feedback but with exemplars.  

All in all, you’ll have access to 44 exam-style questions with complete, personal feedback and exemplars during your SQE2 preparation. 

Foundations in Law:

There is no final test or exam associated with the Foundations in Law course, and as such, no mock assessments.

Via the BARBRI app, you can access lectures, video assignments, overview, reading, essay, and review assignments that are actively linked to PDF documents or content. 

Google Chrome is our suggested internet browser for using BARBRI.com. If you are using a Mac, please download Google Chrome or Safari for the best experience. If you are using a PC, please download Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox for the best experience. 

The SQE Prep courses will be available for access up until the last day of the relevant SQE exam period, regardless of which day you choose to sit. 

For both SQE1 and SQE2 Prep, each student gets assigned a learning coach, a qualified solicitor or barrister who acts as a personal mentor throughout your exam preparation. You can book unlimited sessions with your learning coach to see how you are progressing with your studies.

Additionally for SQE1:

You can join livestream workshops, during which the learning coaches provide tips and help you with any problem areas. Furthermore, there are scheduled strategy sessions, during which learning coaches are available for queries and support. We also include our Prep for Success live workshop series to enhance group cohesion and improve exam readiness. The SQE1 touchpoint workshops cover:

• Guidance on how to use the materials and access/work through the course
• How to approach multiple choice question exams
• Wellness, mindfulness and resilience
• Pre-mock guidance
• Post-mock analysis

Additionally for SQE2: 

You are able to participate in workshops and strategy sessions during the 10 or 20 weeks of your SQE2 Prep course. There are 3 workshop calls of 60-90 minutes each with your tutors and fellow students, during which we cover how to study on the course, how to use the material to ensure you give your best possible performance in the exam, and how to prepare for the mocks. These workshops are recorded for those unable to attend the sessions. 

In the weekly drop-in strategy sessions, you and other students can ask the two tutors on the call questions about anything from how to tackle questions and improve your skills to queries about your own progress and self-assessment activities. These sessions are not recorded. 

In addition, you can instant message your tutor via our platform, and you can also submit a legal question to our subject matter experts via the platform and you’ll receive an answer within 3 working days.  

You and your fellow students will be able to form a Whatsapp study group for peer support.  

And before the exam, you’ll also have a one-to-one call with a tutor to help you know where to focus your revision. 

All these personal contact points in our SQE2 Prep have been designed to give you the best possible student experience. 

BARBRI will contact you via Personal Study Plan (PSP) messages where you will be provided with important information that you can access through your SQE1 onboarding and journey, including: 

• BARBRI Welcome Pack 
• Student Handbook 
• Career Hub access links  
• Introduction to your learning coach and their updates 
• Study groups 
• Exam booking information 
• Important updates 

We will also contact you via emails to inform you when your course is live and via text messages for learning coach updates.  

Yes, you can sign up for our SQE Prep Preview to see what our course looks like inside. There is no cost involved. You will be able to view and test out all the features of the online Personal Study Plan (PSP) and view the main types of course content on the SQE1 Prep.

Register for your demo account here.

To get a better idea of what our SQE2 Prep course looks like, and to find out if this is the right option for you, you can download a sample of the SQE2 course materials. You’ll receive a real, abbreviated sample chapter that provides an insight into what will be covered during your course.

Download the SQE2 Prep sample course materials here.

You have one opportunity to defer your SQE1 Prep studies for a fee of £399. You can choose to defer to any SQE1 Prep course that starts within 12 months of your deferral notice. This is a new course and not an extension of your previous studies. You must submit a deferral notice before the first day of your SQE1 exam date.  

Read more on our SQE Contract Details & Requirements page.

Our SQE1 Prep and SQE2 Prep courses include the BARBRI Guarantee. Should you fail, you will be able to join - for free - any SQE1 Prep course that starts within 12 months of receiving your exam results. You can only use the BARBRI Guarantee once, and you cannot defer this repeat course. 

Learn more about the BARBRI Guarantee here.

SQE1 Prep:

Flexible (40-week): £3,299

Focused (20-week) + Accelerated (10-week): £2,999 

SQE2 Prep:

Flexible (20 week) + Accelerated (10 week): £3,499

Or £2,999 for SQE1 alumni

Please note, the prep courses include all study materials, but do not include the actual exams. You need to book and pay for the exams directly via the SRA on the their website.

Yes, we offer various ways to pay for your prep course.

Payment plans

If you opt to pay with a BARBRI Instalment plan, you can pay £199 upon enrolment, and spread the balance out over a few instalments. A finance fee of £149 will be applied at checkout.

For the full details on the payment plans and options, follow the link here.

Student loans

We have partnered with various student loan providers. Visit our Student Loans page for all the information.

Yes, there are several SQE scholarship options available, including a Public Sector SQE Scholarship (£600 off SQE1 Prep course fees), Essay Competition SQE Scholarship (partial or full funding off SQE1 Prep course fees) and a Humanitarian SQE Scholarship (50% off SQE1 Prep course fees).

If you are a BARBRI SQE1 alumni, you are also entitled to a £500 discount on SQE2 Prep courses. If you're a BARBRI Bar Review alumni, you can receive £200 discount on a SQE1 Prep course (confirmed through enrolment).

You can enrolment via the Employer Funded Options tab on the BARBRI SQE1 Prep or SQE2 Prep pages. If your employer is not on the drop-down list, email ukstudentservices@barbri.com and the team will add your employer to the list.

Only one discount code can be applied for the same product. The discount that best benefits you will be applied. 

Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) is the work experience part of qualifying as a solicitor. This was introduced in September 2021 along with the launch of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). It involves at least two years’ full-time (or part-time equivalent) QWE.

The competencies list is extensive and includes:

• ethics
• professionalism and judgement
• technical legal practice
• working with others
• managing yourself at work

Your QWE must be confirmed by a solicitor or a Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP). They will have to either be working in the organisation where the QWE is obtained or have direct knowledge of the candidate’s work.

If you are unsure whether a role will cover all or any of these competences, you should ask your current employer, line manager or the hiring organisation for confirmation. You should also get their buy-in on confirming your experience because, without this, you will not be able to apply for admission as a solicitor.

Qualifying Work Experience can be gained in a single two-year block or in stages across a maximum of four organisations. Some of your QWE can come from prior experience, before starting an SQE Prep course. This time can be ‘banked’ or even combined with your studies. It is also possible to complete your QWE between sitting your SQE1 and SQE2 exams. 

You can also obtain QWE in different roles within the same organisation. This applies when each role gives you an opportunity to develop a different competence. 

QWE can be paid or unpaid work and could include time spent:

• on placement during a sandwich degree;
• working in a law clinic;
• at a voluntary or charitable;
• organisation such as Citizen Advice or a law centre;
• working as a paralegal (either in a law firm or an in-house legal department);
• on a training contract.

Splitting your QWE across a maximum of four organisations is a flexible, new approach. However, if you chose to do this across multiple organisations, please mind the chosen area of law you eventually want to specialise in. The more aligned each role is to the area of law you want to practise, the better.

Remember your end goal is to secure a newly-qualified solicitor position. On top of the competences set out by the SRA, your experience should also aim to give you exposure to the practice area(s) you are interested in.

The same also applies to the types of clients you work with, and if appropriate, the sectors and industries they operate in. For example, if you aim to become a commercial solicitor, you may choose paralegalling in a commercial law firm over volunteering in a law clinic.

The legal job market is competitive, so you would need to ease your way into a role that is the closest match to the type of solicitor you want to become.

What is refreshing about the new qualification is that achieving the required QWE quota is much more flexible than the previous LPC. This flexibility allows for parallel part-time study in preparation for the SQE assessments. Considering the SQE is more affordable than the current route, this promises a new generation of solicitors from a diverse range of backgrounds and circumstances. This can only benefit clients from all walks of life who want to identify with and draw upon the experiences of the counsel who represents them.

Equally, those who prefer to work part-time while studying for the SQE exam-based elements are also able to do so. They would have to be sure that their employment opportunities can count towards the QWE. 

QWE under the new qualification system is more flexible than the traditional training contract route. In obtaining QWE, the aim is for aspiring lawyers to have the opportunity to develop the solicitor competencies required by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). It can include voluntary work and is not limited to work in one organisation. And, unlike a traditional training contract, QWE does not require experience in three different areas of law. The qualifying legal work experience can be accumulated over a maximum of four different positions and does not need to be done consecutively.

QWE can be undertaken before, during, or after the SQE1 and SQE2 exams. This means that you could already have, or be in the process of accumulating, your time for QWE since it is possible to claim it retrospectively. If you acquire the necessary two years’ worth of QWE before the introduction of the SQE in 2021, all that would remain for you to complete qualification is to pass the two-stage SQE. 

The benefit of QWE is that you have more options for acquiring the necessary experience without the obstacle of trying to secure a training contract within a very competitive environment. More firms will likely offer a wider range of options for obtaining QWE outside of a traditional training contract.

In theory, yes. However, your experience must be confirmed by one of the following:

• a solicitor of England and Wales in the organisation you are working for;
• another nominated solicitor of England and Wales, outside your organisation, who has direct knowledge of your work;
• the Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP), if your organisation has one, can confirm your experience. 

Please note that barristers are not eligible to take on this role of confirming.

If you are already a qualified lawyer overseas, then you do not need to evidence QWE and can proceed with the assessment stages. For more information on that, please visit the SRA website here.

No, but from an employability perspective, it would be sensible to avoid a lengthy gap between passing your SQE exams and your QWE. If you complete your QWE with more than one organisation, then a short gap between each role is unlikely to put you at a disadvantage. However, you must try to avoid lengthy periods away from work or studies. This is a risk as it makes you less attractive as a candidate, particularly for competitive roles with high-profile employers.

You can get QWE in various settings, including private practice, in-house legal departments, law clinics, and other charitable organisations. It can also include paid and non-paid experience, including paralegalling or a training contract. There is no preference for a specific type of organisation, the choice is yours. However, it is useful to think ahead to the area(s) of law you want to specialise in and the environment you want to work in, in the future.

For example, if your QWE comes from the not-for-profit sector, switching to the private sector, as a newly-qualified solicitor (NQ), may prove to be difficult.

Yes. The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) requirement is for two years, or equivalent gained on a part-time basis. The SRA has not defined what full-time (or equivalent) means and expects employers or those confirming QWE to adopt a common-sense approach.

QWE can be paid or on a pro bono basis. Pro bono work is when someone needs help but doesn’t qualify for legal aid and can’t afford to pay for legal advice. As a student, you can give free advice to the individual in question, under supervision. In return, you get the opportunity to put your skills and theory into practice. Plus, you will be able to meet qualified professionals working in this area and extend your network of contacts.

If you’re in a position to undertake voluntary work on an unpaid basis, the Citizen’s Advice Bureau partners with many legal organisations so that students can deliver pro bono advice to those in need.

There is also the opportunity to work with initiatives such as StreetLaw, which originated in the US and now operates across the globe. It links local community groups, such as schools and prisons, with students who can research and deliver workshops on a particular area of interest to them.

Many universities also have free legal advice clinics where you help members of the public, while guided by qualified lawyers. Universities also often partner with miscarriage of justice programmes and other initiatives. It’s worth getting in touch with your legal career centre to find out what are the options.

In theory, this should be possible. We recommend discussing this with your employer. Your QWE must be confirmed by a solicitor or Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (or COLP). They will have to be either be working in the organisation where the QWE is obtained or have direct knowledge of the candidate’s work. They will need to check your day-to-day responsibilities and how these have helped you to develop some or all of the SRA competences. From your perspective, you will need to keep an appropriate record of your experience.

The work carried out by paralegals can vary. Some roles involve more admin and have less exposure to the law and fewer interactions with clients. If you are currently applying for paralegal roles, pay particular attention to the job specification or description.

Consider discussing your needs with the recruiter in advance. This can help manage both of your expectations.

If you are a lawyer from outside England and Wales, qualified overseas, your professional experience can be taken into account by the SRA. It would still have to:

• meet the competencies set out by the SRA; and,
• be signed off by a solicitor of England and Wales, or a COLP.

You may also need to prove English language proficiency through a test. You can contact the SRA directly for any further information on this.

There is also the possibility to apply for exemptions for the SQE exam-based elements. You can find out more information on this here.

So, there you have it – that’s SQE’s Qualifying Work Experience explained. If you have any further questions you can visit our QWE FAQs. Or if you would like more information about our upcoming SQE Prep courses, speak to our team here.

QWE has to be signed off by a qualified solicitor or a compliance officer, within or outside of the organisation, who has knowledge of your work. The purpose of this is not to assess the competence of the skills demonstrated, but rather ascertain the time of the experience, whether it developed any of the competencies outlined by the SRA, and that there are no character and suitability issues that arose.

You can work in up to 4 different places, over 2 years to build up your Qualifying Work Experience. All your experience has to relate to the SRA’s statement of solicitor competence and be confirmed by a solicitor, that is a lot of competencies to cross check and confirmations to manage. The Flex Legal Journal will let you record your experience, manage approvals, and track your progress online against the SRA’s framework.

Qualifying Work Experience does not need to be completed before sitting the SQE. You can undergo your QWE before, during or after your SQE assessments.

It's only at the point of applying for admission as a solicitor with the SRA that you will need to register proof of your two years of QWE. For more information on this, please visit the SRA website.

We are committed to opening opportunities to all and understand that navigating your journey through the SQE and obtaining QWE can be challenging. We have partnered with several industry-leading organisations to help you understand the range of QWE opportunities available including LawQWE, Strive, FLEX Legal, Taylor Root, MLA Global, Elevate, Reed, Accutrainee and LPCLaw, along with a job search engine powered by Indeed through the CareerHub.

In addition to this We offer one-to-one bookable appointments which last 30 minutes each, hosted via Zoom or telephone delivered by our experienced Careers Consultants. Students can take advantage of a broad range of topics, including advice and guidance around qualifying work experience.

Yes, you would be granted access to the SQE1 Prep materials one month prior to the SQE2 Prep course start date. We encourage early enrolments allowing you time to fill in gaps in your knowledge discovered through a diagnostic test at the start of the prep course.

The SQE2 exams is a skills-based assessment against your substantive legal knowledge tested through the SQE1 exams. Hence, you need to retain your substantive knowledge on the key practice areas as the questions may be drawn on underlying black letter law in the selected Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK) subjects covered in SQE1.

You can sign up at anytime to join a BARBRI SQE2 Prep course, however we would advise you to ask yourself after you have sat the exam:

• How confident am I that I passed?
• Do I need to enrol straight away to the next course?
• Do I have the time to commit to start studying straight away?

Please ensure you thoroughly read the terms and conditions before enrolling, particularly clause 11, as joining an SQE2 Prep course before receiving your results you are doing so with the knowledge that you will be liable to a £999 transfer fee if you are unsuccessful in your SQE1.

For example, if you choose to enrol for the 10-week Prep for April 2023 exams, and unfortunately find out you were unsuccessful on the SQE1 January 2023, after commencing your SQE2 Prep.

You would need to let BARBRI Student Services team know within 1 week of receiving your results. Our team would then arrange for your current SQE2 course to pause, whilst you returned to study for the SQE1. You will be required to pay all SQE2 fees in full and the transfer fee at this time. 

The transfer fee will enable you to study on a later SQE2 Prep course with BARBRI, once you have successfully passed your SQE1.

Transfer is only possible for students who produce evidence of an unsuccessful SQE1 result

BARBRI’s SQE2 Prep course offers diagnostic testing which LPC students will find useful in identifying any gaps in their legal knowledge. Additionally, students will gain access to the relevant SQE1 Prep materials from a month before the SQE2 Prep course begins and for the duration of the course.

There is no English language requirement for the SQE2 exams. However, the SQE2 is made up of written and oral assessments, so candidates should feel comfortable speaking and writing in English.

Please bare in mind that if you are an overseas lawyer, exempt from SQE2, you may need to demonstrate your English language competence. For more information on this, please visit the SRA website here.

There are 16 assessments in total, the scores for all are averaged out to come up with a composite mark, if that mark is below the pass mark, all 16 must be sat again.

The 16 pieces of individual personal feedback that they receive on exam-level assessments.

Visit the UK Government website here to check if you need a UK visa for your stay.  

The SQE is replacing the traditional training contract qualification route in England and Wales, however many firms are still offering training contracts for full or part fees following the SQE qualification route.  

All of the SQE2 is closed book.