SQE for Indian lawyers

Lawyers qualified in India qualify as solicitors of England and Wales through the SQE, and may apply to the SRA for exemptions from SQE1 and/or SQE2. India and England share common law roots, but the SQE tests English law and practice, so check every rule.

The route in five steps

1. Check exemptions. Qualified lawyers may apply to the SRA for exemptions from SQE1 and/or SQE2 based on their qualification. See SRA qualified lawyers. Start early and do not assume a result.
2. Sit SQE1. Two closed-book papers, FLK1 and FLK2, at a Pearson VUE centre. See SQE1.
3. Sit SQE2. You must pass SQE1 first. The written tasks can be sat at a Pearson VUE centre abroad. See SQE2.
4. Travel for the oral. The four oral tasks, advocacy and client interviews, are in England and Wales.
5. Finish the other requirements. The SRA page explains what else you must show.

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

Law to revise as an Indian lawyer

India and England share common law ideas, which helps. But statute, procedure and professional rules differ.

• Contract. India has the Indian Contract Act 1872, a statute. England relies on case law and statute together. For example, under the Indian Act, consideration can be past, but in English law past consideration is generally not good consideration. Revise contract law.
• Tort. Learn negligence, duty of care tests and occupiers' liability in the English form. See tort.
• Civil procedure. English litigation runs under the Civil Procedure Rules, not the Code of Civil Procedure. See dispute resolution.
• Property. Registered land and the English conveyancing process are different. See property practice.
• Trusts, wills and probate. English trusts and the probate process are separate topics. See trusts and wills and administration of estates.
• Professional conduct. Solicitors follow the SRA Principles and Code, not Bar Council of India rules. See SQE2 ethics.

Language and speaking tips

Many Indian lawyers have strong English, but some habits cost marks.

• Avoid long, formal court phrases in a client interview. The client is a layperson.
• Use "you" with the client, and give clear next steps.
• Practise a neutral British pace. Speak slowly enough to be clear.
• In the advocacy task, learn how to address the judge correctly and answer the judge's questions directly. See the advocacy guide.

A worked mini example: past consideration

This short question shows how a familiar rule can change between India and England.

Priya repairs her neighbour Tom's fence while he is away. He did not ask her to do it. When Tom returns, he thanks her and promises to pay her £300. He later refuses to pay. Can Priya enforce Tom's promise under English law?

1. Yes, because Tom made a clear promise to pay.
2. Yes, because Priya did the work before the promise.
3. No, because the work was done before the promise and Tom did not ask for it.
4. No, because a promise to pay money must always be in writing.
5. No, because neighbours can never make contracts.

Answer: 3. In English law, consideration must not be past. Priya's work was finished before Tom's promise, and Tom did not ask her to do it, so there is no good consideration. Under the Indian Contract Act 1872, past consideration can be valid, so an Indian lawyer might pick option 2. If Tom had asked Priya to do the work and both understood she would be paid, the answer could be different. Revise these exceptions in contract law.

Common mistakes and checklist

• Using home-law answers. Check each point against English law.
• Long, formal sentences. Speak simply.
• Forgetting the client. Advice must be client-focused.
• Leaving ethics out. It is tested throughout SQE2 without a flag, and from 1 September 2026 it has its own criterion in the marking of written and advocacy tasks.

1. Apply for exemptions through the SRA.
2. Check dates: SQE dates and costs: SQE fees.
3. Choose centres for SQE1 and the SQE2 written tasks, and plan the trip for the oral.
4. Practise out loud, using SQE2 mock practice and SQE1 practice questions.
5. Read how to prepare for the SQE.

Questions

Related

• QLTS replaced by the SQE
• 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.