What happens if you fail SQE1?

Failing SQE1 is recoverable. You can resit, you keep any part you have already passed, and many successful solicitors qualified on a second attempt. With the July 2025 pass rate a record-low 41%, a lot of capable people are in this position. Here is how the resit rules actually work, and how to come back ready.

How many attempts you get

SQE1 has two parts, FLK1 and FLK2. You have three attempts at each part, and you cannot resit a part you have already passed. So if you passed FLK1 and fell short on FLK2, you resit FLK2 only — your FLK1 pass stands.

The six-year window

All your attempts have to fall within a six-year window that starts on the first day of your first SQE assessment. Inside that window you need to pass both parts of SQE1 (and later SQE2). It is a generous timeframe, but it is worth planning your resit properly rather than rushing back in.

If you use all three attempts

If you use all three attempts at the same part without passing, you have to wait until your six-year window expires before you could begin the SQE again — and previous passes would not carry forward. That is the real reason a resit should be a prepared one: you want to be on the right side of the standard when you go back, not simply back in the room.

What to do next

  1. Read your feedback. The SRA provides performance information by subject area. It tells you where the marks were lost — start there.
  2. Rebuild coverage across the whole syllabus. A fail usually means gaps, often in areas you under-practised. Treat full coverage of the 13 subject areas as the goal.
  3. Practise at the real standard. Drill single-best-answer questions at exam pace and learn hard from the ones you get wrong.
  4. Only rebook when your readiness says you are there. A readiness read across every topic is a better signal than a date in the diary. See how to prepare for SQE1.

Try a real SQE1 question

Straight from the bank. Answer it, then see the worked reasoning and the tutor — no signup to try.

A man prepares a syringe of heroin at the request of his adult friend, who is fully conscious and lucid. He hands the loaded, ready-to-use syringe to the friend. The friend takes it, injects himself, suffers a reaction and dies. The man is charged with unlawful act manslaughter. The prosecution argues that supplying and preparing the drug was an unlawful and dangerous act that caused the death. There is no suggestion the friend was pressured, deceived or lacked capacity. Which of the following is the best analysis of the man's liability for unlawful act manslaughter?

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Common questions

How many times can you resit SQE1?

You have three attempts at each part of SQE1 — FLK1 and FLK2 — within a six-year window that starts on your first SQE assessment. If you pass one part you keep it and only resit the part you failed.

What is the six-year window?

You must pass all parts of the SQE within six years of your first assessment. The clock starts on the first day of your first attempt at any SQE assessment, and all attempts must fall inside it.

What happens if you fail SQE1 three times?

If you use all three attempts at the same part without passing, you cannot sit it again until your six-year window has expired, after which you would start the SQE afresh — previous passes would not carry forward. This is why a planned, ready resit matters far more than a quick one.

Do you have to resit the whole of SQE1 if you fail one part?

No. FLK1 and FLK2 are assessed separately, and you cannot resit a part you have already passed. If you passed FLK1 but failed FLK2, you resit FLK2 only. Always check the current rules on the official SQE site, as the SRA sets them.

More: the latest pass rate, how to prepare, and free practice questions.

Independent SQE1 preparation for study — not legal or careers advice. Resit rules and the assessment window are set by the SRA and can change; see the official SQE results and resits page for the definitive rules.