QLTS replaced by the SQE

The QLTS has closed. Lawyers qualified in other countries now become solicitors of England and Wales through the SQE. You may be able to apply for exemptions from SQE1 and/or SQE2 based on your qualification, so start with the SRA qualified lawyers page.

What the QLTS was and what replaced it

The Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme was the route for lawyers from other jurisdictions. It no longer runs. The route now is the same as for everyone else: the Solicitors Qualifying Examination. The SQE has two stages. SQE1 tests functioning legal knowledge. SQE2 tests practical legal skills. You must pass SQE1 before SQE2. See SQE1 and SQE2.

What changed for you

• One framework. There is no separate lawyers' exam. You sit the same assessments as UK candidates, unless you are exempt.
• Format. SQE1 is two closed-book single best answer papers, FLK1 and FLK2. Each paper had 180 questions up to the July 2026 sitting. From January 2027 each has 170 questions, split into two sessions. SQE2 is 16 stations, 4 oral and 12 written.
• Skills are tested. SQE2 tests how you do the work: interview, advocacy, research, writing, drafting and case analysis. Knowing the law is not enough.
• Where you sit. SQE1 and the written parts run at Pearson VUE centres, including abroad. The oral assessments are in England and Wales.
• Attempts. Three attempts at an assessment within six years.

Exemptions in general terms

The SRA says qualified lawyers may apply for exemptions from SQE1 and/or SQE2 based on their qualification. Qualifying work experience can also be exempted for qualified lawyers. The outcome depends on your own qualification and experience, and the SRA decides. We do not list outcomes by country. Read the SRA page and apply early: SRA guidance for qualified lawyers.

What the SQE expects, with a worked example

Many lawyers know the law but lose marks on how they present it. Take a station where the client asks if they can end a contract. A weak answer lists every contract rule. A strong answer does four things:

1. States the answer in the first line: "Yes, you can end the contract, because the supplier has broken a condition of it."
2. Applies the rule to the client's facts.
3. Gives the next step, with a time limit.
4. Uses plain words the client understands.

SQE2 criteria reward relevant facts, a logical structure, clear and concise language and a client focus, together with correct law and ethics. Practise that shape. A short, structured answer is easier to follow than a long one.

Common mistakes by qualified lawyers

• Assuming your home law is the same. Check the English rule each time.
• Giving a lecture instead of advice to a client.
• Skipping ethics. Ethics is tested throughout SQE2 without a flag, and from 1 September 2026 it has its own criterion. Know the SRA Principles and Code of Conduct. See SQE2 ethics.
• Practising only reading and not speaking. The oral stations need spoken English at a steady pace.
• Leaving the exemption application late.

Checklist

1. Read the SRA qualified lawyers page.
2. Apply for any exemptions you may be eligible for, and keep the evidence.
3. Find your dates: SQE dates.
4. Budget the fees: SQE fees.
5. Plan your preparation: how to prepare for the SQE.
6. If you need to travel to England or Wales for the oral, check visa rules on GOV.UK.

This page is not immigration advice. For visas and the right to work or study in the UK, use GOV.UK visas and immigration.

Questions

Related

• SQE for foreign lawyers
• SQE1: format, subjects and how to prepare
• SQE2: what it tests and how to prepare
• How to prepare for SQE1 and SQE2

Sources: SRA: Qualified lawyers; Law Society: SQE1 and SQE2 assessments; SRA: SQE assessment dates. Checked 10 November 2026.