SQE1 pass rate: every sitting since 2021
July 2026 pass rate: 42%. The SRA published it on 29 September 2026. 42% of the 6,260 candidates who sat both papers passed both (47% of first-time candidates), up slightly on 41% in July 2025. Sources: the SRA’s announcement and the SQE1 Statistical Report July 2026 (checked 6 October 2026).
The SQE1 pass rate was 42% in July 2026, up slightly on the record low of 41% in July 2025, with 53% in January 2026 between them. The table below gives the SRA’s figures for every sitting since the exam began. The sections after it explain why the rate varies and what that means for your preparation.
Reflects the July 2026 sitting · every figure verified against the SRA source, last verified 6 October 2026 · download the data (CSV) — free to cite with attribution.
The latest sitting (July 2026)
- 42% overall pass rate, up slightly on July 2025’s record low of 41%.
- 47% of first-time candidates passed.
- 6,260 candidates sat both papers. The SRA’s announcement gives 6,315, which includes 55 who used an attempt but did not sit one paper; 1,303 of those 6,315 (about 21%) were resitting.
Every SQE1 sitting, 2021–2026
| Sitting | Candidates | First-attempt | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 2021 | 1,073 | 53% | 53% |
| July 2022 | 1,829 | 55% | 53% |
| January 2023 | 3,031 | 54% | 51% |
| July 2023 | 3,475 | 56% | 53% |
| January 2024 | 6,061 | 59% | 56% |
| July 2024 | 5,006 | 48% | 44% |
| January 2025 | 6,782 | 60% | 56% |
| July 2025 | 5,851 | 46% | 41% (record low) |
| January 2026 | 7,863 | 58% | 53% |
| July 2026 | 6,260 | 47% | 42% |
Overall means candidates who passed both FLK1 and FLK2, and the candidate count is those who sat both papers. The rate has moved between 41% and 56% across the ten sittings. Since 2024, January sittings have run higher (53% in January 2026, 56% in January 2025) and July sittings lower (42% in July 2026, 41% in July 2025, 44% in July 2024). November 2021’s first-attempt rate equals its overall rate because every candidate at the inaugural sitting was sitting for the first time.
How many candidates eventually pass
A single sitting’s rate does not show how many candidates pass eventually. The SRA reports that across all attempts about 54% pass first time, a further 10% on the second attempt, and 2% on the third — a cumulative pass rate of roughly 66%. Around two-thirds of everyone who attempts SQE1 passes eventually. Each resit costs the full fee again, and you can take each SQE assessment up to three times within a six-year period.
Do practice scores predict real results? A pre-registered pilot
Before the July 2026 results were released on 8 September 2026, we registered the mock performance of Lawdojo’s July-sitting cohort, so the comparison between practice scores and real outcomes can be checked against a record made in advance. We will publish what the comparison shows either way.
The registration rule, fixed on 14 July 2026:
- Finalised full 90-question Lawdojo mock papers only.
- First attempt per paper.
- Completed before 00:00 UTC on 13 July 2026 — the day the July FLK1 window opened, so every registered score predates the assessment.
- Where a candidate completed more than one eligible paper, their registered score is the mean across those papers.
Cohort registered: 4 candidates, 6 eligible papers. Score cells below n=10 are withheld — at this sample size, published bands would be identifiable. Instead, the underlying extract is committed by hash below. Outcome-matched scores will be published only for candidates who consent, and in aggregate only once the cohort is large enough that no one can be identified.
Commitment: SHA-256 f1a4b59f93984dbd27fbbb072ffb4a55c1e179dc697915148fdf5487d1b2a1d6 over the canonical extract — a UTF-8 CSV with LF line endings, header user_prefix,completed_utc,paper,correct,total,pct, one row per eligible paper, sorted by completion time. The extract will be published on this page with the first comparison, and no later than the SRA’s January 2027 pass-rate update, so the hash can be independently verified.
Limitations: four candidates establish a collection method, not a predictive model. The cohort is self-selected paying users, and whether each registered candidate actually sat in July is confirmed only as candidates report their outcomes. Lawdojo mock percentages are not equivalent to official SQE1 scores. Each FLK has its own pass mark, set by the SRA’s assessment board for each sitting with statistical equating (SRA marking methodology). The comparison will therefore be reported as mock score against pass/fail outcome, never as a score-to-score equivalence.
Where it stands: the SRA does not give Lawdojo anyone’s result, so each outcome comes from the candidate. As at 6 October 2026, outcomes are in for 0 of the 4 registered candidates. The SRA has now published the July 2026 pass rate. The extract and the comparison follow once enough outcomes are in to report without identifying anyone, whatever it shows. The registration repeats for the January 2027 cohort.
Publication date amended 14 September 2026 (originally 8 September 2026): outcomes come from candidates, not the SRA. Extract publication amended 6 October 2026 (originally with the July 2026 pass-rate update): outcomes are in for none of the four registered candidates, so the extract will be published with the first comparison, and no later than the SRA’s January 2027 pass-rate update. The commitment hash above is unchanged.
Why the pass rate is what it is
SQE1 is standard-set. The mark needed is fixed for each sitting against a consistent competence standard, so you cannot aim at a set percentage in advance — you have to be ready against the standard itself. The assessment is broad, covering 137 topics of functioning legal knowledge across two papers, and it rewards candidates who are solid everywhere rather than strong in a few subjects. A lower pass rate reflects the cohort that sat while the standard is held constant.
What this means for you
Treat the pass rate as a prompt to check where you stand before you book. In July 2026, 58% did not pass. In January 2026, when the rate recovered to 53%, nearly half did not. Practise at the standard and pace of the exam, find your weak areas early and work on them before you sit.
- Practise single-best-answer questions against the clock, the way the exam tests you.
- Cover the whole syllabus — both papers, all 137 topics — because the exam does.
- Track your readiness honestly, so you book when the data says you are ready.
See where you'd stand — try one
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.
A man signs his written will, intending to give it effect, in the physical presence of his niece's husband and a neighbour, who are together throughout. Each witness then signs in the man's presence. The will leaves £20,000 to the niece and the residue to a registered charity. The neighbour has no beneficial interest under the will. There are no other witnesses, and the man makes no later will or codicil. The niece and her husband are married throughout. After the man's death, his solvent estate is administered in England and Wales. No issue of capacity or undue influence arises. What is the effect of the witnessing on the niece's legacy?
Practise at the real standard
In July 2026, 58% did not pass SQE1, and even in January 2026 nearly half did not. Find out where you stand before you book.
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Common questions
What is the SQE1 pass rate?
In the most recent sitting with published figures, July 2026, the SRA reported an overall pass rate of 42% and a first-attempt pass rate of 47%. That is up slightly on July 2025, which at 41% overall (46% first-attempt) was the lowest since the exam began. The January 2026 sitting came in at 53%. Across every sitting since 2021 the overall rate has ranged between 41% and 56%.
What is the SQE1 pass mark?
There is no fixed pass mark. SQE1 is standard-set, so the mark needed is decided for each sitting against a consistent competence standard and the difficulty of that paper. You cannot aim at a set percentage in advance. Prepare against the standard the exam applies instead.
Do you have to pass both FLK1 and FLK2?
Yes. SQE1 is made up of two papers — Functioning Legal Knowledge 1 and 2 — and the overall pass rate counts only candidates who passed both. You need to be solid across the whole syllabus, not strong in one paper and weak in the other.
Why does the SQE1 pass rate swing between sittings?
Since 2024, January sittings have run higher (56% in January 2025, 53% in January 2026) and July sittings lower (44% in July 2024, 41% in July 2025, 42% in July 2026). July sittings typically have a higher proportion of resitting candidates (SRA). Each sitting is standard-set to the same competence level, so the rate reflects the cohort that sat. Lawdojo divides the syllabus into 137 topics, and you need to be prepared across all of them.
How many people eventually pass SQE1?
About two-thirds. The SRA reports that across all attempts roughly 54% pass on the first try, a further 10% on the second, and 2% on the third — a cumulative pass rate of about 66% of everyone who attempts SQE1.
How many times can you resit SQE1?
You can take each SQE assessment up to three times within a six-year period. Each resit costs the full fee again. Be ready before you book the first attempt.
Is SQE1 getting harder?
The standard is held constant between sittings, so a lower pass rate reflects the cohort that sat rather than a change in the standard. What has changed is volume: candidate numbers have grown from 1,073 at the first sitting in 2021 to 7,863 in January 2026.
Sources — the SRA/official results publication for every sitting: Nov 2021 · Jul 2022 · Jan 2023 · Jul 2023 · Jan 2024 · Jul 2024 · Jan 2025 · Jul 2025 · Jan 2026 · Jul 2026; The SQE four years on — facts and figures (cumulative figures and attempts); SQE Annual Report 2021/22 (Nov 2021 first-attempt breakdown). Figures as reported by the SRA; overall pass rate counts candidates who passed both papers. Every figure on this page was checked against the linked source on 6 October 2026. Cite this page freely with attribution; the dataset is downloadable as CSV.