The SQE1 guide
Everything you need to understand SQE1 before you prepare for it — what the exam is, how it is built, how it is scored, and what it takes to pass.
What SQE1 is
SQE1 is the first stage of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination, the route to becoming a solicitor in England and Wales. It tests your functioning legal knowledge — not by essays, but through single-best-answer multiple-choice questions set at the standard of a day-one newly qualified solicitor. You sit two assessments, FLK1 and FLK2 (Functioning Legal Knowledge 1 and 2).
How it is structured
- 340 questions in total from January 2027 — 170 in FLK1 and 170 in FLK2, each paper sat as two 85-question sessions.
- Single best answer. Each question gives a scenario and five options; one is the single best answer.
- Real pace. Around 1 minute 48 seconds per question, with 2 hours 33 minutes for each session.
- Subjects grouped by session. From January 2027 each session tests a fixed group of subjects, in a random order within the session, and ethics and professional conduct can be tested in any session. The FLK1 and FLK2 guides list which subjects fall where.
- No negative marking. A wrong answer costs nothing more than a blank, so you answer everything.
How it is scored
SQE1 is standard-set: the pass mark is decided for each sitting against a consistent competence standard, so there is no fixed percentage to aim at in advance. That is why practising against the real standard and difficulty matters — you are preparing to clear a bar, not to hit a number. Pass rates have fallen recently, which makes arriving genuinely ready more important than ever (see the SQE1 pass rate).
The subjects you are tested on
FLK1 covers:
- Business Law and Practice
- Dispute Resolution
- Contract
- Tort
- The Legal System of England and Wales
- Constitutional and Administrative Law and EU Law
- Legal Services
FLK2 covers:
- Property Practice
- Wills and the Administration of Estates
- Solicitors Accounts
- Land Law
- Trusts
- Criminal Law and Practice
Ethics and professional conduct run through both papers rather than sitting as a separate subject — you are expected to spot the professional-conduct issue in any scenario.
For the full topic-by-topic breakdown, see the FLK1 guide, the FLK2 guide, or the complete SQE1 syllabus.
How to prepare so you pass
- Cover everything. The exam draws across all of it, so weak spots anywhere cost you marks.
- Practise at exam pace with single-best-answer questions, not just by reading notes.
- Find your weak areas early and close them, rather than discovering them on the day.
- Know your readiness honestly, and book the exam when the data says you are there.
Try a real SQE1 question
This question is taken from the bank. Answer it to see the worked reasoning and the tutor. You do not need to sign up to try it.
On 8 September 2026, a private manufacturing company registered in England has accounts showing assets of £4 million and liabilities of £3.2 million. Three suppliers' invoices totalling £90,000 fell due on 11 August and remain unpaid. The debts are undisputed, there are no set-offs, and the suppliers have refused payment extensions. The company has £10,000 in cash. Its lenders have refused further credit, and its remaining assets cannot be sold or used to raise money before December. Reliable forecasts show customer receipts of £120,000 on 1 December, with no other funds available before then. No statutory demand has been served. If the court accepts this evidence, which statement best describes the company's position under section 123 of the Insolvency Act 1986?
Practise at the real standard
Knowing the SQE1 inside out will not pass it. Being ready will, and in July 2026, 58% were not.
Complete includes
- ✓An AI tutor on every question. The tutor already knows the correct answer
- ✓5 full timed mock papers, plus unlimited drilling — no daily cap
- ✓The whole 2,263-question bank, with worked answers and references, all 137 topics
- ✓Your weak-spot map: exactly where you’re losing marks
One payment, nothing recurring. The 25-question diagnostic is free with no card.
Common questions
What is SQE1?
SQE1 is the first stage of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination — the route to qualifying as a solicitor in England and Wales. It tests functioning legal knowledge through single-best-answer multiple-choice questions across two assessments, FLK1 and FLK2.
How many questions are in SQE1?
From January 2027 there are 340 questions in total — 170 in FLK1 and 170 in FLK2, each paper sat as two 85-question sessions. Up to July 2026 it was 360. Each is a single-best-answer question with five options, where one option is the best answer.
How is SQE1 scored and what is the pass mark?
SQE1 is standard-set, so the pass mark is decided for each sitting against a consistent competence standard rather than fixed in advance. There is no negative marking, so you should answer every question.
How long do you get per question?
About 1 minute 48 seconds per question from January 2027, with 85 questions in each session of 2 hours 33 minutes. Pacing is part of the challenge — practising at that speed matters as much as knowing the law.
When can you sit SQE1?
SQE1 is offered twice a year, typically in January and July, at test centres in the UK and internationally.
How should you prepare for SQE1?
Cover the whole syllabus across both papers, practise single-best-answer questions against the clock, find your weak areas early with honest feedback, and only book the exam when your readiness says you are there.
Exam structure and rules are set by the SRA. See the official SQE site for the definitive assessment specification.