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Published per sitting by the SRA (July 2025: 41% overall, 46% first-time) Pass Rate

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: SQE1 Exam

360

Single-Best-Answer MCQs (FLK1 + FLK2)

SRA SQE1 Assessment Specification

~10 hrs

Total Testing Time Across Both Papers

SRA SQE1 Assessment Specification

41%

July 2025 Overall Pass Rate (46% first-time)

SRA July 2025 SQE1 Statistical Report

£1,934

SQE1 Fee to Sept 2026 (£2,006 after)

SRA cost page (2026)

Twice a year

Sittings (January and July)

SRA SQE

100+

Practice Questions Here

OpenExamPrep question bank

SQE1 is the knowledge stage of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination administered by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and delivered by Kaplan at Pearson VUE test centres. It comprises 360 single-best-answer multiple-choice questions split into two papers - FLK1 (180 questions) and FLK2 (180 questions) - each delivered in two 90-question sessions of 5 hours 6 minutes, for roughly 10 hours of testing in total. The exam is closed book and runs twice a year, in January and July. FLK1 covers business law, dispute resolution, contract, tort, and public law; FLK2 covers property, land law, wills and trusts, and criminal law and practice, with ethics tested throughout. The pass mark is set per sitting by a modified Angoff standard-setting process, so there is no fixed percentage cut-off; the SRA publishes per-sitting pass rates (the July 2025 sitting was 41% overall, down from 56% in January 2025). The assessment fee is £1,934 (£967 per FLK) up to September 2026, rising to £2,006 (£1,003 per FLK) from September 2026, and candidates must also pass SQE2 and complete two years of Qualifying Work Experience to be admitted.

Sample SQE1 Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your SQE1 exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A claimant suffers a personal injury in a road traffic accident on 1 March 2023. She instructs a solicitor on 1 February 2026. What is the primary limitation period within which she must issue proceedings, absent any extension?

A.Six years from the date of the accident

B.One year from the date of instructing the solicitor

C.Twelve years from the date of the accident

D.Three years from the date of the accident or date of knowledge

Explanation: Under section 11 of the Limitation Act 1980, the limitation period for a personal injury claim is three years from the date the cause of action accrued or the claimant's date of knowledge, whichever is later. This special period displaces the ordinary six-year tort period in section 2 for personal injury claims.

2A manufacturer of ginger beer sells a sealed opaque bottle to a retailer. A consumer's friend buys the bottle and gives it to her; she drinks it and finds a decomposed snail inside, suffering illness. The consumer has no contract with the manufacturer. On which leading authority can she base a negligence claim against the manufacturer?

A.Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co [1893] 1 QB 256

B.Hadley v Baxendale (1854) 9 Exch 341

C.Rylands v Fletcher (1868) LR 3 HL 330

D.Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562

Explanation: Donoghue v Stevenson established that a manufacturer owes a duty of care to the ultimate consumer of its products even absent a contract, founding the modern tort of negligence and the 'neighbour principle'. The facts mirror the classic snail-in-the-bottle scenario.

3A claimant company seeks to establish that a firm of accountants owed it a duty of care for a negligent audit on which it relied to make an investment. Which three-stage test from the House of Lords governs whether a duty of care arises in a novel situation?

A.The 'but for' test from Barnett v Chelsea & Kensington Hospital

B.The Wednesbury unreasonableness test

C.The eggshell skull rule from Smith v Leech Brain & Co

D.The test of foreseeability, proximity and that it is fair, just and reasonable, from Caparo Industries plc v Dickman

Explanation: Caparo Industries plc v Dickman [1990] 2 AC 605 established the three-stage test for a duty of care in novel cases: reasonable foreseeability of harm, a relationship of proximity, and that imposing a duty is fair, just and reasonable. It is the orthodox framework for duty of care in negligence.

4A patient attends hospital with stomach pains. A doctor negligently fails to examine him and sends him home, where he dies of arsenic poisoning. Medical evidence shows he would have died even if properly treated. In a negligence claim by his estate, what is the most likely outcome?

A.The claim succeeds because the doctor breached his duty of care

B.The claim fails because a doctor never owes a duty to a patient he refuses to treat

C.The claim succeeds because death is always a foreseeable consequence of poisoning

D.The claim fails because the breach did not cause the death on the 'but for' test

Explanation: On the facts of Barnett v Chelsea & Kensington Hospital Management Committee [1969] 1 QB 428, the breach did not cause the death because the patient would have died anyway. The 'but for' test of factual causation is not satisfied, so the negligence claim fails despite the breach of duty.

5A company advertised a smoke ball, promising £100 to anyone who used it as directed and still caught influenza, and stated it had deposited £1,000 in a bank to show sincerity. A user followed the directions and caught flu. Why is the company contractually bound to pay?

A.Because the advertisement was a mere invitation to treat

B.Because advertisements can never amount to binding offers

C.Because there was no consideration provided by the user

D.Because the advertisement was a unilateral offer accepted by performance, with the bank deposit showing intention to be bound

Explanation: In Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co [1893] 1 QB 256 the Court of Appeal held the advertisement was a unilateral offer to the world, accepted by performing the stipulated conditions. The deposited money showed an intention to create legal relations and the user's inconvenience in using the product was good consideration.

6A carrier negligently delays returning a broken mill shaft, causing a mill to stand idle longer than necessary. The mill owner claims lost profits, but never told the carrier the mill could not operate without the shaft. Which principle determines whether the lost profits are recoverable?

A.Damages are always recoverable for any loss factually caused by the breach

B.Damages are recoverable only if losses arise naturally or were within the parties' reasonable contemplation, per Hadley v Baxendale

C.Damages are limited to a fixed statutory cap under the Sale of Goods Act 1979

D.Damages cannot be recovered for purely economic loss in contract

Explanation: Hadley v Baxendale (1854) 9 Exch 341 limits recoverable damages to losses arising naturally from the breach or within the reasonable contemplation of both parties when contracting. As the carrier was not told of the special circumstances, the lost profits were too remote and not recoverable.

7Two parties agree to a sale of goods. The buyer later argues no contract was formed because the price was not fixed. The goods were delivered and used. Under the Sale of Goods Act 1979, what is the position on price where the contract is silent?

A.The contract is void for uncertainty

B.No contract can exist unless the price is expressly agreed in writing

C.The seller may charge any price it wishes

D.The buyer must pay a reasonable price under section 8 of the Sale of Goods Act 1979

Explanation: Section 8 of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 provides that where the price is not determined by the contract, the buyer must pay a reasonable price, a question of fact in each case. The absence of an express price does not by itself render the contract void.

8A consumer buys a faulty kettle from a trader. The goods are not of satisfactory quality. Which statute governs the consumer's rights and short-term right to reject?

A.The Sale of Goods Act 1979

B.The Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982

C.The Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977

D.The Consumer Rights Act 2015

Explanation: The Consumer Rights Act 2015 governs business-to-consumer contracts and implies terms that goods be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described, with a 30-day short-term right to reject. The 1979 Act now applies mainly to business-to-business sales.

9A claimant issues a money claim for £40,000 against a defendant for breach of a supply contract. The defendant disputes the claim. To which track is the claim most likely to be allocated under the Civil Procedure Rules?

A.The small claims track

B.The fast track

C.The multi-track

D.The intermediate track

Explanation: Under the CPR, the multi-track is the normal track for claims with a value exceeding £25,000 (or more complex claims). A £40,000 claim therefore falls within the multi-track, above the fast track and intermediate track upper limits.

10A defendant is served with particulars of claim. He wishes to dispute the entire claim. Within how many days of service of the particulars of claim must he file an acknowledgment of service or defence to avoid default judgment, absent any extension?

A.7 days

B.3 months

C.28 days

D.14 days

Explanation: Under CPR Part 15, a defendant must file an acknowledgment of service or a defence within 14 days of service of the particulars of claim. Filing an acknowledgment extends the time for the defence to 28 days from service of the particulars of claim.

About the SQE1 Exam

SQE1 is the first stage of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination, the single route to qualifying as a solicitor in England and Wales since September 2021 (when it replaced the LPC and QLTS). It assesses Functioning Legal Knowledge through 360 single-best-answer multiple-choice questions split across two papers: FLK1 (180 questions) and FLK2 (180 questions), with each FLK delivered in two 90-question sessions of 5 hours 6 minutes. The exam is closed book and computer-based, sat at Pearson VUE test centres. FLK1 covers business law and practice (including tax), dispute resolution, contract, tort, and the legal system, constitutional, administrative, and assimilated EU law; FLK2 covers property practice, land law, wills and administration of estates, trusts, criminal law, and criminal practice. Ethics and professional conduct is examined pervasively across both papers, and the pass mark is set per sitting by a modified Angoff standard-setting process rather than a fixed percentage.

Assessment

Two assessments - FLK1 and FLK2 - each containing 180 single-best-answer MCQs delivered in two sessions of 90 questions. Ethics and professional conduct is tested pervasively across both papers.

Time Limit

FLK1 and FLK2 each 5 hours 6 minutes (two sessions); ~10 hours total

Passing Score

Set per sitting (Angoff); not a fixed percentage

Exam Fee

£1,934 total (£967 per FLK) up to September 2026; £2,006 total (£1,003 per FLK) from September 2026 (Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA); assessment delivered by Kaplan at Pearson VUE test centres)

SQE1 Exam Content Outline

14%

Business Law and Practice (incl. tax)

FLK1 - business and organisational structures, partnerships and companies under the Companies Act 2006, financing and insolvency, business taxation, and the management and dissolution of businesses

11%

Dispute Resolution

FLK1 - civil litigation under the Civil Procedure Rules, pre-action conduct, statements of case, case management, disclosure and evidence, interim applications, costs, and ADR

Contract Law

FLK1 - formation, certainty and intention, express and implied terms, misrepresentation and other vitiating factors, discharge and breach, and remedies including damages

Tort Law

FLK1 - negligence (duty, breach, causation, remoteness), psychiatric and economic loss, occupiers' liability, private and public nuisance, Rylands v Fletcher, vicarious liability, defences, and remedies

10%

Legal System; Constitutional, Administrative and EU Law

FLK1 - the legal system of England and Wales, courts and precedent, statutory interpretation, the constitution and parliamentary sovereignty, judicial review, the Human Rights Act 1998, and retained/assimilated EU law

11%

Property Practice (incl. tax and accounts)

FLK2 - residential and commercial conveyancing, investigation and reporting on title, pre-contract searches and enquiries, exchange and completion, leases, SDLT and other taxes, and solicitors' accounts in property work

Land Law

FLK2 - registered and unregistered land, freehold and leasehold estates, co-ownership and trusts of land, easements and covenants, mortgages, and third-party interests

11%

Wills and Administration of Estates; Trusts

FLK2 - the validity and interpretation of wills, intestacy rules, grants of representation, the administration of estates and inheritance tax, and the creation, operation, variation, and breach of express, resulting, and constructive trusts

11%

Criminal Law and Criminal Practice

FLK2 - substantive offences (non-fatal and fatal offences against the person, theft and fraud, criminal damage) and general defences, plus criminal procedure from advising at the police station through plea, trial in the magistrates' and Crown courts, and sentencing

Ethics and Professional Conduct (pervasive)

Tested across both FLK1 and FLK2 - the SRA Principles and Codes of Conduct, conflicts of interest, confidentiality and disclosure, undertakings, anti-money-laundering obligations, and duties owed to clients, third parties, and the court

How to Pass the SQE1 Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Set per sitting (Angoff); not a fixed percentage
Assessment: Two assessments - FLK1 and FLK2 - each containing 180 single-best-answer MCQs delivered in two sessions of 90 questions. Ethics and professional conduct is tested pervasively across both papers.
Time limit: FLK1 and FLK2 each 5 hours 6 minutes (two sessions); ~10 hours total
Exam fee: £1,934 total (£967 per FLK) up to September 2026; £2,006 total (£1,003 per FLK) from September 2026

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

SQE1 Study Tips from Top Performers

1Map your revision directly to the SRA SQE1 Assessment Specification - it lists exactly which topics in each subject are examinable, so you do not waste time on material outside scope

2Drill single-best-answer technique: in SQE1 several options are plausible, so practise eliminating distractors and choosing the single best answer rather than just a correct one, working at roughly 1.7 minutes per question

3Treat ethics and professional conduct as pervasive - the SRA Principles, conflicts, confidentiality, undertakings, and anti-money-laundering rules can be embedded in any FLK1 or FLK2 scenario, so apply them to every fact pattern

4Build subject-by-subject summaries with key statutes and cases (Companies Act 2006, Civil Procedure Rules, Land Registration Act 2002, Inheritance Tax rules) since the exam is closed book and you must recall the law from memory

5Do large volumes of mixed timed questions across both papers under exam conditions to build stamina for two 90-question sessions of over five hours each

6Check the latest SRA statistical report before booking so you understand recent pass-rate trends and can decide whether to sit FLK1 and FLK2 together or in separate windows

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on SQE1 and how is it structured?

SQE1 contains 360 single-best-answer multiple-choice questions in total, split across two papers: FLK1 (Functioning Legal Knowledge 1) with 180 questions and FLK2 with 180 questions. Each FLK is delivered in two sessions of 90 questions, and each session lasts 5 hours 6 minutes, so the assessment involves roughly 10 hours of testing in all. The exam is closed book and sat on computer at a Pearson VUE test centre.

What is the passing score for SQE1?

There is no fixed percentage pass mark. The SRA sets the pass mark separately for each sitting using a modified Angoff standard-setting process, in which a panel judges how a minimally competent candidate would perform on each question. This means the threshold can move slightly from one sitting to the next, and candidates must reach the standard on both FLK1 and FLK2 to pass SQE1.

What is the SQE1 pass rate?

The SRA publishes a statistical report after each sitting. Pass rates vary considerably between sittings: the July 2025 SQE1 sitting had an overall pass rate of 41% (46% for first-time candidates), the lowest since the exam launched, while the January 2025 sitting was 56% overall (60% first-time). Always check the latest SRA SQE1 statistical report for current figures.

How much does SQE1 cost in 2026?

The SQE1 assessment fee is £1,934 in total (£967 per FLK) for candidates sitting up to September 2026. From September 2026 the fee rises to £2,006 in total (£1,003 per FLK), reflecting inflation and the cost of translating the assessment into Welsh. These fees cover only the assessment itself, not any preparation course, which can cost several thousand pounds more.

What subjects does SQE1 cover?

FLK1 covers Business Law and Practice (including tax), Dispute Resolution, Contract, Tort, and the Legal System of England and Wales together with Constitutional, Administrative, and assimilated EU law. FLK2 covers Property Practice (including tax and accounts), Land Law, Wills and Administration of Estates, Trusts, Criminal Law, and Criminal Practice. Ethics and professional conduct is tested pervasively across both papers rather than as a standalone subject.

Do I need a law degree to sit SQE1, and what else must I complete to qualify?

No law degree is required - any degree (or an equivalent qualification or work experience) is sufficient to sit SQE1. SQE replaced the LPC and QLTS route from September 2021. To qualify as a solicitor you must pass both SQE1 and SQE2, complete two years of Qualifying Work Experience, and satisfy the SRA's character and suitability requirements before being admitted to the roll.