SQE1 subjects: the full syllabus
Every SQE1 subject in one place. SQE1 spans 13 subject areas across two papers, FLK1 and FLK2, broken into 137 topics. Here is the whole map, in plain English.
For single topics taken step by step, with a worked example and a question to check yourself, see SQE1 topics explained simply.
The two papers at a glance
| Paper | Subject areas | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| FLK1 | Business Law & Practice, Dispute Resolution, Contract, Tort, Legal System (incl. Constitutional/Admin & EU), Legal Services | 170 (180 up to July 2026) |
| FLK2 | Property Practice, Wills & Administration of Estates, Solicitors Accounts, Land Law, Trusts, Criminal Liability, Criminal Practice | 170 (180 up to July 2026) |
Ethics and professional conduct are not a separate subject — they can come up in any question on either paper. You need to pass both FLK1 and FLK2 to pass SQE1.
FLK1 subjects
The first paper, covered in detail on the FLK1 guide.
Business Law & Practice
FLK1 · 18 topics
- Business & organisational characteristics (sole trader, partnership, LLP, company)
- Legal personality & limited liability
- Company incorporation & constitution (articles, memorandum)
- Company decision-making & resolutions (board, members, meetings, written resolutions)
- Directors — appointment, duties, removal
- Shareholders — rights & protection (incl. unfair prejudice, derivative claims)
- Share capital — allotment, transfer, maintenance of capital
- Partnership law (Partnership Act 1890)
- Limited liability partnerships
- Financing a business — equity, debt, charges & registration
- Corporate insolvency (liquidation, administration, CVA, receivership, wrongful/fraudulent trading)
- Personal insolvency (bankruptcy, IVAs)
- Income tax
- Capital gains tax (incl. business reliefs)
- Corporation tax
- Value added tax
- Inheritance tax & business property relief
- Taxation of partnerships & sole traders
Dispute Resolution
FLK1 · 13 topics
- Analysis of claim — causes of action, forum, merits
- Pre-action conduct & protocols
- Limitation periods
- Parties, issue & service, statements of case
- Tracks & case management
- Interim applications (summary judgment, interim payments, injunctions, security for costs)
- Disclosure & inspection
- Evidence — witness, expert, hearsay
- Settlement & Part 36 offers
- Trial, judgment & interest
- Costs
- Enforcement of judgments
- ADR — mediation & arbitration
Contract
FLK1 · 14 topics
- Formation — offer & acceptance
- Consideration & intention to create legal relations
- Privity & third-party rights
- Terms — express, implied, interpretation
- Exemption clauses & unfair terms (UCTA / CRA 2015)
- Misrepresentation
- Mistake
- Duress & undue influence
- Illegality
- Discharge — performance & breach
- Frustration
- Remedies — damages (incl. remoteness, mitigation)
- Equitable remedies (specific performance, injunctions)
- Unjust enrichment & restitution
Tort
FLK1 · 10 topics
- Negligence — duty of care
- Negligence — breach & standard of care
- Negligence — causation & remoteness
- Pure economic loss & psychiatric harm
- Employers' liability & vicarious liability
- Occupiers' liability (1957 & 1984 Acts)
- Product liability (Consumer Protection Act 1987)
- Nuisance & Rylands v Fletcher
- Defences (consent, contributory negligence, illegality)
- Remedies & damages in tort
Legal System (incl. Constitutional/Admin & EU)
FLK1 · 10 topics
- Courts — structure & jurisdiction
- Sources of law & doctrine of precedent
- Statutory interpretation
- Parliamentary sovereignty & rule of law
- Separation of powers & constitutional conventions
- Royal prerogative
- Judicial review — grounds, standing, remedies
- Human Rights Act 1998 & ECHR
- Retained/assimilated EU law post-Brexit
- Legal personnel & the judiciary
Legal Services
FLK1 · 6 topics
FLK2 subjects
The second paper, covered in detail on the FLK2 guide.
Property Practice
FLK2 · 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
FLK2 · 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
FLK2 · 7 topics
Land Law
FLK2 · 9 topics
Trusts
FLK2 · 10 topics
Criminal Liability
FLK2 · 10 topics
Criminal Practice
FLK2 · 10 topics
Is the syllabus changing?
The SRA is consulting until 3 December 2026 on proposed changes to this syllabus. If adopted, they would first be assessed in January 2028. The January 2027 and July 2027 sittings use the syllabus on this page. See the proposed SQE1 syllabus changes, subject by subject.
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.
Two individuals carry on a catering business as an ordinary partnership in England. Their agreement allocates the first GBP 20,000 of each year's profit to one partner for managing the business and divides the remainder equally. They call the priority allocation her 'salary'. The year's profit exceeds GBP 20,000. How is her GBP 20,000 allocation treated for income tax purposes?
Practise at the real standard
SQE1 spans 137 topics across these subjects, and 58% did not pass in July 2026. Find the ones costing you marks.
Complete includes
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Common questions
How many subjects are in SQE1?
SQE1 covers 13 subject areas across two papers — six in FLK1 and seven in FLK2. Between them they break down into 137 discrete topics. Ethics and professional conduct run through every question rather than sitting as a separate subject.
What subjects are in FLK1?
FLK1 covers Business Law and Practice, Dispute Resolution, Contract, Tort, the Legal System of England and Wales (including constitutional, administrative and retained EU law), and Legal Services.
What subjects are in FLK2?
FLK2 covers Property Practice, Wills and the Administration of Estates, Solicitors Accounts, Land Law, Trusts, Criminal Liability, and Criminal Practice.
Do you have to pass every subject?
You are not marked subject by subject — FLK1 and FLK2 are each scored as a whole, and you need to pass both to pass SQE1. Because questions are drawn across the entire syllabus, a weak subject anywhere pulls your paper score down, so full coverage is the safe approach.
More: the SQE1 guide for the whole exam, the latest SQE1 pass rate, and an honest look at how to prepare in SQE1 prep compared.
Exam structure and rules are set by the SRA. See the official SQE site for the definitive assessment specification. The subject and topic map reflects Lawdojo's syllabus coverage.