The SQE is one of the more expensive professional assessments a law graduate sits, and its rules on attempts decide how expensive it becomes. The fee rises each academic year, and the regulations cap how many times you can fail before you must wait out a six-year window and start again with nothing carried forward. This page sets out both from the Solicitors Regulation Authority's own publications, alongside the Myndaq SQE1 course. For what SQE1 covers, see the SQE1 syllabus and FLK subjects.
What the SQE costs
The SRA's April 2026 announcement set these fees:
- SQE1 — £2,006 (it was £1,934 for 2025/26)
- SQE2 — £3,086 (it was £2,974 for 2025/26)
In the SRA's words, the increase takes effect "from the start of the new academic year in September 2026 and apply to any candidate that books to take the SQE from October 2026 onwards". The two stages therefore cost £5,092 in assessment fees alone at the new rates, before any preparation course you choose to take, and before any resit. A candidate who books before the rise and one who books after it pay different amounts for the same assessment, so if your sitting falls near the change, check which rate your booking date attracts.
The SRA quotes one SQE1 fee, and FLK1 and FLK2 are normally taken in the same assessment window (see below). Its announcements do not publish separate prices for FLK1 and FLK2; if you are resitting only one, check the price in the booking system before assuming it is half.
Booking FLK1 and FLK2 together
The SQE Assessment Regulations require FLK1 and FLK2 to be taken in a single assessment window. The exception is a candidate who has attempted both, passed one and failed the other, and is resitting only the one they failed. To pass SQE1 you must reach the overall pass mark in each of FLK1 and FLK2.
Attempts and the six-year window
- Three attempts at each assessment. A candidate who fails FLK1 and/or FLK2 at the first attempt has two further opportunities to take the assessment(s) they failed.
- Six years. You have six years from the date you first sat an SQE assessment to sit the remaining assessments.
- Three fails means waiting. If you fail FLK1 and/or FLK2 three times within that period, you must wait until the six years expire before reapplying — and previous passes are not carried forward.
- The same applies if you still have assessments to sit when the six years end: you must reapply, and earlier passes do not count.
These are the rules that turn a fee into a budget. A candidate who needs one resit of SQE1 is paying for SQE1 twice; a third failure can cost not only a third fee but every pass you had.
How likely a resit is
Pass rates tell you how to budget honestly:
- First-time SQE1 pass rates have ranged from 46% to 60% across sittings, according to the SRA's January 2026 facts-and-figures publication.
- 66% of everyone who has attempted SQE1 — including those who needed more than one attempt — has now passed.
- The SRA reported the January 2025 SQE1 pass rate at 56% and July 2025 at 41%.
Put plainly: a substantial share of candidates sit SQE1 more than once. If a second fee would be a hardship, that is a reason to delay your first attempt until your practice scores are consistently comfortable, not to book early and hope.
Where you can sit
SQE1 is delivered electronically at Pearson VUE test centres in the UK and internationally; the SRA reports that the written assessments have been taken in 50 different countries. Candidates in India should check the booking system for a nearby centre when their window opens.
What else to check before paying
- Your eligibility for exemptions. The SRA publishes SQE exemptions for qualified lawyers; they can change what you need to book.
- The SRA's fund for disadvantaged candidates, listed on its SQE pages.
- The booking windows and dates for your chosen sitting, published on the SQE assessment website.
Quick answers
How much does SQE1 cost?
£2,006 for candidates booking to sit from October 2026 onwards (it was £1,934 for 2025/26).
How much does the whole SQE cost?
£5,092 in assessment fees at the new rates: £2,006 for SQE1 and £3,086 for SQE2.
How many times can I take SQE1?
Three attempts at each of FLK1 and FLK2, within six years of your first SQE assessment.
Can I take FLK1 and FLK2 separately?
Normally no — they are taken in the same window. The exception is resitting only the one you failed after passing the other.
What is the SQE1 pass rate?
First-time pass rates have ranged from 46% to 60%; the July 2025 sitting was 41% and January 2025 was 56%.
