SQE2: Apply your legal knowledge and skills
The SQE2 tests the application of knowledge and legal skills in practical situations.
You will be assessed on 6 legal skills:
You’ll also need to have knowledge of a selection of the SQE1 subjects to apply in practical situations:
The assessors will be examining your ethics and professional conduct throughout.
About BARBRI SQE2 Prep courses
BARBRI offers flexible, highly practical SQE2 Prep courses with video lectures, tons of practice activities, personalised feedback, practice stations and our popular mock exams, plus a large number of group and personal tutor sessions.
Whether you’re looking for an accelerated full-time 10-week course or prefer a more flexible part-time 20-week course to fit around other commitments, we can help you prepare for the SQE2 at the pace that’s right for you.
SQE2 Pass rates
PSP = Personal Study Plan. These results are based on BARBRI students reporting their pass rates across all sittings. Updated June 2024.
What does BARBRI’s SQE2 Prep course include?
Our focus is to help you to think, to understand the law so you can explain it to your client, to problem-solve in any given situation and to find the best options available to your clients so you’re ready for day one as a newly qualified solicitor.
After you’ve booked, we’ll offer you a diagnostic assessment to look for any gaps in your functional legal knowledge needed for the SQE2 exam. That way, you will know exactly where to focus your revision time.
We give you access to the SQE1 Prep course materials relevant to the SQE2 exam for the duration of your SQE2 Prep course. This includes nearly 100 short law videos explaining how to look at the FLK through the problem-solving client lens for SQE2. Whether you’ve studied for the SQE1 with us and would like a refresher, or perhaps did the LPC and need to brush up on all the legal knowledge you’ll need for this exam, our SQE1 Prep materials will help you to confidently and effectively prepare.
You can get early access a month before the SQE2 Prep course starts, so if you want to spend a bit of extra time with the SQE1 prep materials, ensure you book early!
BARBRI SQE2 Prep's faculty of experienced solicitors and barristers, all qualified in England and Wales, will guide you to master the skills required to succeed in SQE2.
Watch two tutors give explanations of each of the six skills in interview-style lectures, carefully crafted for you to understand how to fully interpret the exam criteria, what you should be doing in each situation, how you will be assessed, what the examiners will be looking for, and to give you tips on how to succeed.
You can access these videos online anytime throughout the course, and lectures last about 20 to 30 minutes so that they fit easily into your schedule.
Your SQE2 Prep workbook is available digitally in our online learning platform, and we’ll post a hardcopy book to you too. This is a short workbook to supplement the video skills lectures to help you focus on exactly what you need to learn, including help with problem-solving in example assessment scenarios, hints and tips.
For each skill you’ll be given guided interactive learning assessments so you can apply the knowledge you have gained so far to an exam-style scenario. Each activity breaks down the different steps you’ll need to master the specific SQE2 skill, with automatic feedback.
With our 24 self-practice activities, – 4 per skill – you get the opportunity to have a go at doing a whole exam-level question yourself. You’ll receive instant access to the self-assessment exemplar so you can confidently review your own work. You’ll find out how you’re doing, where you can improve, and you’ll have the opportunity to mark your peers’ written work (and have them mark yours too) – an important step so you can familiarise yourself with the assessment criteria. During your weekly strategy sessions, you can also ask the tutors to review your self-practice activities questions on the self-practice questions or send a question to a subject matter expert.
Through our 8 practice feedback activities (PFA), also called assessment stations, you’ll have the opportunity to complete exam-level assessments and receive personalised feedback and grading from a BARBRI assessor, as if it was an exam, on every SQE2 skill.
You’ll do one PFA per written skill, plus 2 for each oral skill. You need to complete the written assessments by a certain date and time so the tutors have time to carefully mark your activity and send feedback within 3 days – including weekend days. For the oral PFAs, you can book a set time using a convenient Calendly link, including evening slots.
You’ll receive written feedback and a grading for each and every section, not just an overall marking, plus a video from the tutor on how to improve for next time. Many consider our personalised feedback to be the most valuable part of our SQE2 Prep course!
Before you sit the SQE2, you’ll do 12 mock assessments: 6 of these are complete mocks with personal feedback from a BARBRI assessor in each skill and subject assessed in SQE2. You’ll make a fixed appointment for each oral mock exam, with a choice of days, including weekends to accommodate you if you’re on our part-time SQE2 Prep course and work during the day. You’ll have access to another 6 mock exams without individual feedback but with exemplars.
All in all, you’ll have access to 44 exam-style questions with complete, personal feedback and exemplars.
You will also be able to participate in workshops and strategy sessions during the 10 or 20 weeks of your course. There are 3 workshop calls of 60-90 minutes each with your tutors and fellow students where we’ll cover how to study on the course, how to use the material to ensure you give your best possible performance in the exam, and how to prepare for the mocks. These workshops are recorded for those unable to attend the sessions.
In the weekly drop-in strategy sessions, you and other students can ask the two tutors on the call questions about anything from how to tackle questions and improve your skills to queries about your own progress and self-assessment activities. These sessions are not recorded.
In addition, you can instant message your tutor via our platform, and you can also submit a legal question to our subject matter experts via the platform and you’ll receive an answer within 3 working days.
You and your fellow students will be able to form a Whatsapp study group for peer support.
And before the exam, you’ll also have a one-to-one call with a tutor to help you know where to focus your revision.
All these personal contact points in our SQE2 Prep have been designed to give you the best possible student experience.
We are so confident about our SQE2 Prep course, that we offer you a free repeat of the course if you don’t pass the first time – provided you have completed 70% of the tutor calls and practice feedback activities, and you’ve undertaken all the simulated mock assessments. Read more about it here: BARBRI Guarantee | BARBRI
We don’t want cost to be a blocker to you realising your dream of becoming a solicitor. We offer payment plans, you can bill your employer, or you can apply for a student loan with our partner Lendwise. SQE1 Prep alumni also receive a £500 discount on our SQE2 Prep fees. Find out more about the costs and fees – and your finance options, here: SQE Funding
What our students say about our SQE2 Prep course
"The BARBRI prep course was incredibly organised and comprehensive. The mock exams in particular helped to prepare me for the first ever sitting of SQE2. I couldn't have passed without it!"
Holly Moore
Your BARBRI SQE2 Prep course
Watch this video to find out more...
Upcoming BARBRI SQE2 Prep courses:
If you are a BARBRI SQE1 Prep alumni, you are also entitled to a £500 discount (confirmed through enrolment).
BARBRI SQE2 Prep Course
Accelerated
15-20 hours of study per week
Starting 21 October 2024
Preparing for SQE2 January 2025 exam
Candidates who have sat and passed SQE1, or LPC graduates who are exempt from SQE1 and who can commit to an accelerated pace of study with weekly assignment submissions.
£3,499
£2,999
BARBRI SQE2 Prep Course
Flexible
Starting 9 September 2024
Preparing for SQE2 January 2025 exam
Candidates who are looking for the most flexible option to study for the SQE2, who have sat and passed SQE1 or LPC graduates who are exempt from SQE1.
£3,499
£2,999
BARBRI SQE2 Prep Course
Flexible
Starting 11 November 2024
Preparing for SQE2 April 2025 exam
Candidates who are looking for the most flexible option to study for the SQE2, who have sat and passed SQE1 or LPC graduates who are exempt from SQE1.
£3,499
£2,999
*Please note, a late enrolment administration fee of £49 will apply after a course has started.
If you would like to enrol on a course that has already started, please reach out to our team at sqeprep@barbri.com to check availability.
Not ready to enrol?
SQE2 Prep sample course materials
Thinking about enroling in the BARBRI SQE2 Prep course? Download sample course materials and receive a step-by-step guide to your study process on the SQE2 Prep.
Download our SQE2 Funding guide
Here at BARBRI, we are committed to making the SQE accessible to all. Download our funding guide for an overview of the support you can secure to help fund your SQE2 Prep studies.
Don't need a full course? Try SQE2 Mocks
The SQE2 Mocks are an additional study aid for students who are planning to sit an SQE2 assessment soon, providing practical mock assessments in as close to exam conditions as possible.
SQE2 Prep & Exam FAQs
The BARBRI Prep course is £3,499, however as you are a BARBRI SQE alumni, you will receive a £500 discount. Reducing the course fees to £2,999. Contact our team for the relevant coupon code to discount your fees.
Yes, you would be granted access to the SQE1 Prep materials one month prior to the SQE2 Prep course start date. We encourage early enrolments allowing you time to fill in gaps in your knowledge discovered through a diagnostic test at the start of the prep course.
The SQE2 exams is a skills-based assessment against your substantive legal knowledge tested through the SQE1 exams. Hence, you need to retain your substantive knowledge on the key practice areas as the questions may be drawn on underlying black letter law in the selected Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK) subjects covered in SQE1.
You would have to register and book the exams through the SRA’s website directly. For more information on this, please visit the SRA website here.
You can sign up at anytime to join a BARBRI SQE2 Prep course, however we would advise you to ask yourself after you have sat the exam:
- How confident am I that I passed?
- Do I need to enrol straight away to the next course?
- Do I have the time to commit to start studying straight away?
Please ensure you thoroughly read the terms and conditions before enrolling, particularly clause 11, as joining an SQE2 Prep course before receiving your results you are doing so with the knowledge that you will be liable to a £999 transfer fee if you are unsuccessful in your SQE1.
For example, if you choose to enrol for the 10-week Prep for April 2023 exams, and unfortunately find out you were unsuccessful on the SQE1 January 2023, after commencing your SQE2 Prep.
You would need to let BARBRI Student Services team know within 1 week of receiving your results. Our team would then arrange for your current SQE2 course to pause, whilst you returned to study for the SQE1. You will be required to pay all SQE2 fees in full and the transfer fee at this time.
The transfer fee will enable you to study on a later SQE2 Prep course with BARBRI, once you have successfully passed your SQE1.
Transfer is only possible for students who produce evidence of an unsuccessful SQE1 result
From 2024, the exams will take place 4 times a year: in January, April, July and October. The waiting time for the results is between 14-18 weeks after assessment.
Exemptions from the SQE assessments are available to qualified lawyers from certain international jurisdictions.
Individual exemptions exempt international lawyers from particular jurisdictions from SQE2 with proof of two-years’ legal work experience gained either as part of your qualification or after it (or a combination of these). Although you may have an exemption for part of the SQE, you will also need to satisfy the SRA’s English language requirements.
To apply for an exemption, you will need to create a mySRA account and start an application for exemption. Further information about exemptions available to qualified lawyers can be found here.
You can also download an exemptions checklist here for all the steps you need to complete for this process.
Qualifying work experience does not need to be completed before sitting the SQE. You can undergo your QWE before, during or after your SQE assessments.
At the point of applying for admission as a solicitor with the SRA is when you will need to register your two years of QWE. For more information on this, please visit the SRA website here.
BARBRI’s SQE2 Prep course offers diagnostic testing which LPC students will find useful in identifying any gaps in their legal knowledge. Additionally, students will gain access to the relevant SQE1 Prep materials from a month before the SQE2 Prep course begins and for the duration of the course.
There is no English language requirement for the SQE2 exams. However, the SQE2 is made up of written and oral assessments, so candidates should feel comfortable speaking and writing in English.
Please mind that if you are an overseas lawyer, exempt from SQE2, you may need to demonstrate your English language competence. For more information on this, please visit the SRA website here.
We are committed to opening opportunities to all and understand that navigating your journey through the SQE and obtaining QWE can be challenging. We have partnered with several industry-leading organisations to help you understand the range of QWE opportunities available including LawQWE, Strive, FLEX Legal, Taylor Root, MLA Global, Elevate, Reed, Accutrainee and LPCLaw, along with a job search engine powered by Indeed through the CareerHub.
In addition to this We offer one-to-one bookable appointments which last 30 minutes each, hosted via Zoom or telephone delivered by our experienced Careers Consultants. Students can take advantage of a broad range of topics, including advice and guidance around qualifying work experience.
Students watch a video explaining each skill and the assessment criteria then do an online exercise where they complete parts of that skill and receive automatic feedback. They also have 24 self practice exercises to complete of exam level difficulty. They can upload their answers for peer review and then review other students work to become more familiar with the assessment criteria. They also have 8 practice with feedback activities. These are at set times within the course and the students will receive individual feedback on their work and how it would be graded according to the assessment criteria. They also have 6 more assessments within the mock exams – which again they will receive individual feedback. In addition there are strategy sessions each week where students can attend to ask questions of tutors about the course/the assessment and workshops where tutors will review the self practice activities to provide guidance and answer questions. There will be 3 workshop tutor calls with other students and the tutor, and 1 individual call between the tutor and the student.
Yes, the 20 week course requires about 7-10 hours per week study for SQE2 (and any time the student needs to revise SQE1 content) so is designed as a part time course. Written course works must be submitted by a set time to be marked, but are available for over a week before that time so can be done when convenient for the student. The Tutor calls are held during work hours but students can choose the day of the call (subject to availability). There are 2 oral PFAs which must be held at a set time, students get to book their own appointment so can choose a convenient time – again on a first come first served basis. For the mocks they have a choice of days for the fixed oral appointments (including weekends) and the writtens are released on a Friday for submission the following Monday, but can be submitted ahead of time.
Yes, there is a mock for each skill – so 6 in total.
There are 16 assessments in total, the scores for all are averaged out to come up with a composite mark, if that mark is below the pass mark, all 16 must be sat again.
The 16 pieces of individual personal feedback that they receive on exam level assessments.
Yes, you must provide BARBRI with your SQE1 results within 1 week of receiving these. If they are not the results you hoped for, BARBRI will postpone your SQE2 studies for a fee of £999. You can then return to a BARBRI SQE1 Prep, provided you are entitled to a BARBRI guarantee. The SQE2 Prep fees, will be placed on hold until you return to prepare with BARBRI for SQE2 after a successful SQE1 result.
Exemptions are approved by the SRA directly, visit their exemptions page here.
The SQE2 oral and written assessments are held in person, this will take place in London, Manchester or Cardiff.
The oral assessments take place over two consecutive half-days. There is a choice of 4 sittings.
Visit the UK Government website here to check if you need a UK visa for your stay.
As a BARBRI SQE1 Alumni, students will receive a £500 Alumni discount off SQE2. We do not offer any scholarships for the SQE2 at this time.
New student loan programme coming soon.
You can submit an enrolment form via the ‘Bill My Employer’ link on the BARBRI webpage. If your employer is not on the drop-down list, email ukstudentservices@barbri.com and the team will add you to the list.
The SQE is replacing the traditional training contract qualification route in England and Wales, however many firms are still offering training contracts for full or part fees following the SQE qualification route.
All of the SQE2 is closed book.
To be eligible for the BARBRI guarantee, you must complete a minimum of 70% of the assigned Practice Feedback Assessments as well as attend the mock exam. If you are unsuccessful in the SQE2 after doing so, you can provide BARBRI with your exam results and you will be placed on an SQE2 Prep course of your choice which commences within 12 months of exam results.
Next steps
"I completed both SQE1 and SQE2 and qualified as a solicitor last September. I have a non-law degree and to complete the GDL and LPC would have cost close to £30K. Without the introduction of this route I would not be where I am today."
Jenny Green