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. If you hold a degree in any discipline from any recognised jurisdiction you will be eligible for the SQE.

To qualify you will need to:

• have a degree in any subject (or equivalent qualification or work experience)
• pass both stages of the SQE assessment - SQE1 focuses on legal knowledge and SQE2 on practical legal skills
• have two years' qualifying work experience
• pass the SRA’s character and suitability requirements.

If you are not a law graduate, you do not require a GDL before pursuing the SQE. However, we recommend non-law students take our longest SQE1 Prep course option, the Flexible 40-week course.

SQE1 (Functioning Legal Knowledge)

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:

1. Business Law and Practice; Dispute Resolution; Contract; Tort; Legal System of England and Wales; Constitutional and Administrative Law and EU Law and Legal Services.
2. Property Practice; Wills and the Administration of Estates; Solicitors Accounts; Land Law; Trusts; Criminal Law and Practice.

Ethics and Professional Conduct is 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.

SQE2 (Practical Legal Skills Assessments)

You will be tested on:

• 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. 

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

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

If you are qualified lawyer overseas looking to dual-qualify in England & 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 >

Please click here to read and contact the SRA directly about your request for reasonable adjustments at the test centres.

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

SQE1:

The first session is a Flexible (40-week) and is suitable for students without an English or Welsh law degree. However, this longer course is also available to any other students, especially those working full-time, or re-qualifying international lawyers. The second option is Focused (20-week) course which can be undertaken full-time or part-time, depending on availability or level of familiarity of the assessed subjects. The third option is Accelerated (10-week) course duration. This is only suitable for law graduates with the ability and opportunity to study intensively and full-time. 

The starting dates for SQE1 2024 courses are as follows: 

• 40-week SQE1 Prep course – April 2024
• 20-week SQE1 Prep course –  February 2024
• 10-week SQE1 Prep course –  April 2024

The starting dates for SQE2 2024 courses are as follows: 

• 20-week SQE2 Prep course – March and June 2024
• 10-week SQE2 Prep course - February 2024

Find the SQE enrolment dates here >

The BARBRI SQE course allows you to study when and where you study best over the duration of the course session you choose. 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 in each course, but these are recorded and available to watch on demand if students can’t make them or want to re-watch. 

Learn more about the PSP >

Learn more about the PSP accessibility features >

All course lengths cover the same materials but at require different hours of committed study per week.

The Flexible SQE1 40-week part-time course is 10-12 hours per week of study and we recommend 1 hour of study a day with 1 full day of study on the weekends.

The Focused SQE1 20-week part-time course is 20 hours per week of study and we recommend 3 hours of study per day over the 7-day week period.

The Accelerated SQE1 10-week full-time course will require 40 hours per week of study and is recommended for recent law graduates who can dedicate the time and study intensively.

The 20-week SQE2 course requires 10-15 hours of study per week spread evenly throughout the week.

The 10-week SQE2 course requires a commitment of 15-20 hours of study per week. We wouldn't recommend this option for students who are not BARBRI SQE1 Prep alumni.

The SQE1 Prep course has over 2,000 multiple-choice questions and forms the main foundation of the course content, in addition to the BABRRI 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 that the assessment is in.

If you take any of our SQE2 Prep course you will also have access to this content.

For SQE1 you will receive a hard copy and online version of the Study Guide specifically designed for the SQE. This guide covers each subject area. You will also receive a revision book.  

For SQE2 you will receive a hard copy and online version of a concise workbook to supplement the skills explanations. 

For SQE 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, there will be several multiple-choice practice tests delivered in exam style.  This means that the student must complete all the questions before they can see the answers. We still provide the students with detailed explanations of each question, including why the right answers are correct and why the wrong choices are incorrect.  There will be 4 mock tests throughout the course, which will 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 will replicate the SQE1 assessment specification, a full test of 360 questions.  

SQE2: 

Before you sit SQE2, you’ll complete mock assessments and receive personal feedback from a BARBRI assessor in each skill and subject assessed in SQE2. 

SQE Foundations: 

There is no mock assessment for SQE foundations.

For both SQE1 and SQE2 each student gets assigned a Learning Coach, who acts as a personal mentor. You would be able to book time with your personal Learning Coach to see how you are progressing with your studies. They will also conduct livestream workshops, provide tips, and help you with any problem areas. There will also be scheduled “Strategy Sessions” when the learning coaches will be available for queries and support. 

Additionally for SQE1, we include our “Prep for Success” live workshop series to enhance group cohesion and improve exam readiness.  The SQE1 touchpoint workshops will 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 

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. 

Try it out here.

To get a better idea of what our SQE2 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.

SQE1 Prep costs £2,999. SQE2 Prep costs £3,499. For SQE1 alumni, SQE2 Prep costs - £2,999. 

If you opt to pay with a BARBRI Instalment plan a finance fee of £149 will be applied at checkout.

SQE1 Payment plan  

Flexible (40-week) – up to 8 equal payments 

Focused (20-week) – up to 4 equal payments 

Accelerated (10-week) – up to 2 equal payments 

SQE2 Prep 

Part-time 20-week – up to 4 equal payments 

Full-time 10-week – up to 4 equal payments 

SQE1 + Foundations Payment plan  

Flexible (40-week) + Foundations – up to 8 equal payments 

Focused (20-week) + Foundations – up to 4 equal payments 

Please note that if you enrol after the chosen course start date, it will result in fewer instalment options. 

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

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 alumni, you are also entitled to a £200 discount on SQE1 Prep (confirmed through enrolment).