SQE for Pakistani lawyers

Lawyers qualified in Pakistan qualify as solicitors of England and Wales through the SQE, and may apply to the SRA for exemptions from SQE1 and/or SQE2. Pakistan shares common law roots with England, but the SQE tests English law and practice only.

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 a Pakistani lawyer

Pakistan inherited common law and many codes from the colonial period. English law has since developed separately.

• Contract. Pakistan uses the Contract Act 1872. In English law, check consideration, remedies and terms rules. Revise contract law.
• Procedure. English civil cases follow the Civil Procedure Rules. See dispute resolution.
• Criminal law and practice. English liability, defences and procedure differ from the codes you know. See criminal liability and criminal practice.
• Property. Registered land and the English conveyancing process are separate topics. See land law and property practice.
• Trusts. Give time to English trusts law. See trusts.
• Conduct. Study the SRA Principles and Code. See legal services.

Language and speaking tips

Many Pakistani lawyers work in English already. To score well, shape your English for the task.

• Say the answer first, then the reasons.
• Replace long legal phrases with plain words in client interviews.
• In advocacy, be polite and brief, and answer the judge's question directly. See the advocacy guide.
• Practise out loud for 20 minutes a day and listen to yourself.

A worked mini example: answer first in a client letter

In legal writing tasks the client wants an answer, not a lecture. The client, Mr Khan, asks: "A builder failed to finish work under our contract four years ago. Is it too late to sue?"

A weak first line: "The law of limitation has a long history and many rules apply to claims of different kinds."

A better first line: "No, it is not too late, but you should act soon. A claim for breach of a simple contract must normally be started within six years of the breach, so you have about two years left."

This gives the answer, the reason and the next step in plain words. The rule comes from section 5 of the Limitation Act 1980. Then explain the facts you still need, such as the exact date of the breach. See the legal writing guide.

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.