This brand new method of testing your willingness to become a lawyer in England and Wales requires a completely new method of preparation and this is what BARBRI offers. BARBRI has been the overwhelming choice of law students in the United States for decades. 2. EQE Level 1All applicants must pass SQE Level 1, regardless of the degree or other qualifications they already hold. SQE Level 1 primarily assesses your legal knowledge through multiple-choice exams. You must complete step 1 of the EQS before proceeding to step 2 of the EQS. On the other hand, once the SQE starts, anyone who wants to move to this new path to qualification can do so. So, if you started your law school before entering the SQE, you can opt for the SQE and do QWE instead of an apprenticeship contract. This means that you can wait to see what the EQS looks like before deciding which route you want to follow, as long as you started before the start of the EQS.

We took a close look at the SRA`s plans as they have unfolded over the past few years. Peter Crisp, our external pro-vice-chancellor, is one of the leading opinion leaders on what the SQE will mean for law students and how to provide the best education and preparation for the exam. There is nothing to be done at this stage. It is not yet clear when the ETS will be introduced and what it will include. We know that it won`t be until 2021 at the earliest, and that anyone who starts their studies before that can choose the path to follow. Read our EQS guide explaining what you can expect from this qualification pathway: However, the qualification pathway will change with the introduction of the EQS. Here, we explain why the change is happening, what to expect from the new assessment, how it will affect current and future students, and the expected costs. Of course, future lawyers need to know what the cost of qualification will be. LawCareers.Net will provide you with this information as soon as it is available. The Conseil des services juridiques (CSL) approved the introduction of the EQS on October 28, 2020. See the SRA announcement and our briefing on the BCA decision and its assessment of issues and risks.

Under the current system, to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales, you must either: The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) is the new assessment for qualified lawyers and replaces the Legal Practice Course (LPC). The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has introduced the new standardised assessment with the aim of ensuring high and consistent standards at the point of entry into the profession and allowing for greater flexibility in qualification. For example, you could take out a two-year apprenticeship contract at a law firm in the city, or work pro bono at your teaching hospital for six months and then work as a paralegal for 18 months. To be eligible through the SQE pathway, you must: This information applies to individuals who qualify through the SQE pathway. Learn more if you want to qualify through the LPC route. The SQE differs from the LPC in that it is no longer a one-year „course“ that must be completed, but in the form of two sets of exams. If the GDL and LPC exams have been set and scored by the course providers themselves, and standards may vary from provider to provider, the EQS is a centrally determined and scored assessment, meaning that all qualified lawyers take the same exams. As of September 2021, the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and the Legal Practice Course (LPC) will expire and will be replaced by the new Lawyer Qualification Examination (SQE). With this change comes a whole new way to test your legal knowledge and skills.

SQE2 covers „basic legal skills“ and includes oral and written assessments. The emphasis on the everyday skills of the legal profession, such as drafting contracts and interviewing clients, means that it shares some similarities with LPC exams. SQE2 tests whether your practical skills are up to par with a newly qualified lawyer. However, most law firms prefer to train their own lawyers, so it is likely that many lawyers will continue to complete their two-year QWE in the same firm, similar to the old training contract system. The SRA has published a few proposals, and we expect the SQE to have the following key features: There are four things you need to qualify as a lawyer through SQE. You must: For law graduates, the qualification under the new system may look like this: Ultimately, the SQE will provide a standardised and flat test that cancels out the current differences between separate providers who set their own limits and pass the score for LPC and GDL. The first tests for SQE1 will take place in November 2021. In addition to the two exams, candidates must also complete two years of work experience, as consultations show the benefits of practical work experience. However, unlike the current system, the SQE does not limit the traineeship to training contracts. As a result, a qualifying internship can be carried out in any legal institution. If you are a qualified lawyer or currently work in the legal field, you do not need any work experience. Here too, you can find practical tests on the SRA website.

A breakdown of costs shows that SQE1, which tests legal knowledge through a series of computerised assessments, will cost between £1,100 and £1,650, while fees for SQE2, which tests practical legal skills, will range from £1,900 to £2,850. You can take all ten exams at the same time or in two groups of five. Some SQE2 exams are taken on a computer, while others take the form of mock interviews and role plays. The SRA proposals show that the ETS will be divided into two phases; SQE1 and SQE2 and are assessed on a pass/fail basis. Kaplan has been confirmed as an assessment provider and will partner with Pearson to leverage its extensive network of testing centres in England and Wales. There will be at least two meetings a year, probably in June and December. In addition to the exams, you must also complete two years of qualifying work experience. This qualifying work experience would take the form of a „training contract“ under the CAP, and while it is still likely that law firms will offer two years of professional training, under the ETS, it is not strictly necessary that you complete all of the training with an employer, nor that it must be completed in one session.

You can do internships with up to four different employers, and qualifying work experience can go beyond the traditional „trainee seats“ within a company. You`ll need a degree before taking the SQE exams, but unlike its predecessor, it`s no longer necessary to have earned a law degree or, if you studied a non-legal degree, a conversion course like the GDL. However, it should be noted that it would be incredibly difficult to pass the SQE without prior university studies in law and SQE preparatory studies. Course providers have already started adapting their previous refresher courses to the new qualification methodology and offer a variety of refresher courses in addition to EQS preparation courses, including a new version of the GDL known as the Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL). The first step, SQE1, includes „functional legal knowledge“. It tests not only your knowledge of the law, but also how you would apply it in real-life situations as a lawyer. What constitutes qualifying work experience to become a lawyer? It is likely that SQE1 assessments will be a mix of multiple-choice, research and writing questions. This first phase of the exams is taken on the computer in an assessment window – meaning that they must all be taken together in the same session. SQE1 must be passed in full before SQE2 is attempted, but this is the only time limit. The two-year qualifying work experience can be completed at any time throughout the EQS, but the SRA expects the majority of graduates to pass SQE1 before starting their peak working hours.