SQE1 · Paper 2 of 2
FLK2: what is on the second SQE1 paper
FLK2 is the second of the two SQE1 assessments. It tests your functioning legal knowledge across seven subject areas, in 66 topics, through 180 single-best-answer questions. Here is what it covers and how to get ready for it.
What FLK2 is
FLK (Functioning Legal Knowledge) is the knowledge half of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination. SQE1 splits it into two papers, FLK1 and FLK2. FLK2 is the second paper, sat over two timed sessions in a single day. Every question is set at the standard of a day-one newly qualified solicitor, and professional conduct can come up in any scenario.
How FLK2 is structured
- 180 questions, split across two timed sessions in one day.
- Single best answer. A scenario, five options, one best answer.
- About 1 minute 42 seconds per question. Pace is part of the test.
- No negative marking. A wrong answer costs the same as a blank, so you answer everything.
- Standard-set. The pass mark moves with each sitting, so you are clearing a bar, not chasing a fixed score.
The seven FLK2 subjects
These are the subject areas FLK2 draws from, with the topics under each. Lawdojo has verified questions across all of them.
Property Practice
10 topics
- Investigation of title (freehold & leasehold)
- Pre-contract searches & enquiries
- Contract & exchange
- Pre-completion & completion
- Post-completion (SDLT/LTT, registration)
- Leasehold — grant & assignment
- Leasehold covenants & remedies for breach
- Planning & building regulations
- Mortgages & security in conveyancing
- Property taxation (SDLT, VAT, CGT)
Wills & Administration of Estates
10 topics
- Validity of wills
- Will interpretation, codicils & revocation
- Intestacy rules
- Property passing outside the will / succession estate
- Personal representatives — appointment & powers
- Grants of representation & probate procedure
- Administration — collecting, paying debts, distributing
- Inheritance tax on death
- Post-death variations & disclaimers
- Claims against estates (Inheritance (PFD) Act 1975)
Solicitors Accounts
7 topics
- Client money vs business money
- SRA Accounts Rules — principles & obligations
- Client account operation — receipts & payments
- Transfers & mixed payments
- Interest on client money
- VAT & disbursements in accounts
- Breaches, records & reconciliations
Land Law
9 topics
- Estates & interests in land (legal vs equitable)
- Registered land & registration
- Unregistered land & third-party rights
- Co-ownership & trusts of land
- Easements & profits
- Freehold covenants
- Leases — essential characteristics & types
- Mortgages & enforcement
- Proprietary estoppel & licences
Trusts
10 topics
- Creation & the three certainties
- Formalities & constitution of trusts
- Beneficial entitlement & types of trust
- Purpose & charitable trusts
- Resulting trusts
- Constructive trusts
- Trustees — duties & powers
- Breach of trust & remedies
- Tracing (common law & equity)
- Fiduciary duties & liability
Criminal Liability
10 topics
- Actus reus & mens rea
- Causation in crime
- Homicide — murder & manslaughter (incl. partial defences)
- Non-fatal offences against the person
- Theft & related offences
- Robbery & burglary
- Fraud & related offences
- Criminal damage
- General defences
- Inchoate offences & parties (attempt, accomplices)
Criminal Practice
10 topics
- Police station advice & PACE
- Right to silence & interviews
- Bail
- Classification of offences & allocation
- Magistrates' court procedure
- Crown Court procedure & plea
- Evidence (confessions, character, hearsay, identification)
- Sentencing
- Appeals
- Youth court basics
How to prepare for FLK2
- Cover all seven subjects. The paper draws across everything, so a weak area anywhere costs marks.
- Drill the numeric topics — Solicitors Accounts, stamp duty, inheritance tax and intestacy sums reward repetition under the clock.
- Practise single-best-answer questions at exam pace. The format and the clock are half the difficulty.
- Track your readiness honestly, and book when the data says you are there.
Common questions
What does FLK2 cover?
FLK2 covers seven subject areas: Property Practice, Wills and the Administration of Estates, Solicitors Accounts, Land Law, Trusts, Criminal Liability, and Criminal Practice. Ethics and professional conduct run through every question rather than sitting as a separate subject.
How many questions are in FLK2?
FLK2 has 180 single-best-answer questions, sat over two timed sessions in one day. Each question gives a scenario and five options, and one is the single best answer.
How is FLK2 scored?
FLK2 is standard-set, so the pass mark is decided for each sitting against a consistent competence standard. There is no negative marking, so you answer every question. You need to pass both FLK1 and FLK2 to pass SQE1.
Which FLK2 subjects do candidates find hardest?
Solicitors Accounts and the numeric parts of Property Practice and Wills (stamp duty, inheritance tax, intestacy sums) tend to catch people out, because they combine rules with arithmetic under time pressure. Practising the calculations is what closes that gap.
How long do you get per question in FLK2?
About 1 minute 42 seconds per question. Pacing is part of the challenge, so practising at that speed matters as much as knowing the law.
Next: FLK1 and its subjects, the full SQE1 syllabus, and the latest SQE1 pass rate. For the whole exam in one place, read the SQE1 guide.
Exam structure and rules are set by the SRA. See the official SQE site for the definitive assessment specification. Subject coverage reflects Lawdojo's syllabus map.