Surrey Law Society Patron, The College of Legal Practice, has highlighted key findings from the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s newly published Four Years On – Facts and Figures report, analysing performance and candidate data since the introduction of the SQE in 2021.

Alice Payne, Head of Business Development & Marketing at the College of Legal Practice, notes that the findings offer practical guidance for L&D teams and firms reviewing individual SQE pathways, helping ensure candidates receive the appropriate level of preparation and support. In her review, she highlights the following key headlines:

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• First-time pass rates range from 46–60% for SQE1 and 69–84% for SQE2. Variations reflect differences in candidate cohorts across sittings.
• University ranking (12%) and degree classification (11%) are the strongest predictors of SQE1 performance. While relevant for recruitment considerations, firms are encouraged to balance this against diversity and social mobility objectives.
• Ethnicity accounts for 8% of SQE1 score variance, while socio-economic background and disability appear to have more limited impact. The findings reinforce the importance of proactive support, including mentoring, representation and structured supervision for ethnic minority candidates.
• Neurodivergent candidates who received reasonable adjustments achieved slightly higher scores and pass rates. The SRA is continuing to improve its reasonable adjustments process, encouraging early dialogue and planning.
• Solicitor apprentices outperform the wider cohort, with average pass rates of 71% (SQE1) and 93% (SQE2). Apprentices are also more likely to come from less privileged socio-economic backgrounds, reinforcing the profession’s commitment to apprenticeship pathways.
• Qualified lawyers, non-native English speakers and LPC graduates have, on average, lower pass rates. The report suggests that firms should avoid compressing preparation time for these cohorts, particularly where candidates are balancing client-facing work with study.

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Why this matters for firms

The report provides useful evidence for firms seeking to combine strong SQE performance with meaningful commitments to diversity, inclusion and social mobility.

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Read the full report

You can access the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s full “Four Years On – Facts and Figures” report here:
https://www.sra.org.uk/sra/research-publications/sqe-four-years-facts-figures/.