SQE1 pass mark: what 300 out of 500 means

The SQE1 pass mark is a scaled score of 300 on a 0 to 500 scale, and it is always 300. It is not 60%, because the raw mark needed varies by paper. The SRA sets the pass mark for each sitting, so you cannot revise towards one fixed percentage.

Scaled pass score300 out of 500

Raw % neededVaries by paper; published by the SRA after each sitting

Set byThe Assessment Board, for each sitting

PapersFLK1 and FLK2, each with its own result

How the SQE1 pass mark works

The SRA reports SQE1 results as a scaled score. The score you need to pass is always 300 on a scale to 500. The SRA says that 300 does not equal 60%. The raw mark, meaning the number of questions you got right, is converted to the scale using a formula that takes account of how hard that paper was.

The reason is fairness. If one sitting has a harder paper, the number of correct answers needed is lower, so that a candidate of the same standard passes in either sitting. The SRA's Q&A says there is no fixed pass mark and no quotas, and the pass mark is set by the Assessment Board under the SQE marking and standard setting policy. The pass mark is published after each Assessment Board and is included with your results.

The SRA reports a pass mark for FLK1 and for FLK2 separately in its statistical report for each sitting. You can read them on the SRA's site, for example the January 2026 SQE1 statistical report. We do not state raw-score cut-offs here because we could not confirm them from a source we can open.

Do you need to pass FLK1 and FLK2 each

You are tested in two papers, FLK1 and FLK2, and each has its own result. The pass rates the press reports are per paper as well as overall. In July 2026 the pass rate was 50% for FLK1 and 50% for FLK2, and 42% for candidates who sat both parts. In January 2026 the figures reported were 62% for FLK1 and 57% for FLK2, with 53% overall. See SQE pass rates for the table.

Plan to be safely over 300 in both papers, not just on average. A very strong paper does not rescue a weak one.

How to read your scaled score

Your result shows your scaled score, your quintile and pass or fail. Quintiles split candidates into five groups, with the first quintile as the top fifth and the fifth as the bottom fifth. Use these as a guide to how far you were from passing, not as a grade.

Here is an invented example. Candidate A scores 312 in FLK1 and 281 in FLK2. FLK1 is a pass. FLK2 is a fail by 19 points. The lesson is to find which FLK2 subjects cost the most, rather than to revise all of FLK1 again. Candidate B scores 295 and 298. Both are close but both fail. A few extra correct answers per paper might have changed that, so the sensible response is more timed practice and better time management, not a complete restart.

How to aim above the pass mark in practice

Practise at exam pace. From January 2027 each FLK has 170 questions in two sessions of 2 hours 33 minutes. Practise the pace in SQE1 mocks.
Track your score by subject, and fix the lowest first.
Review every wrong answer, and every correct one you guessed.
Do not trust a mock percentage as a pass prediction. Different providers' mocks differ in difficulty, and the real raw cut-off changes with the paper. Use scores as a trend, not a promise.

Our SQE1 practice questions are original and give estimated results only. For when to take the exam see SQE dates.

Try a free SQE1 question

Questions

What is the pass mark for SQE1?

A scaled score of 300 on a scale from 0 to 500. The SRA says it is always 300 and that it is not the same as 60%.

Is the SQE1 pass mark 60%?

No. The SRA says a scaled score of 300 does not equal 60%. The raw mark needed varies from paper to paper.

How many questions do you need to get right to pass SQE1?

It varies by paper because difficulty varies. The SRA publishes the pass mark for each sitting, so check its statistical report.

Is SQE1 marked on a curve?

The SRA says there are no quotas for the allocation of grades. The pass mark is set at the standard needed, not to pass a fixed percentage of candidates.

Do I need to pass FLK1 and FLK2 separately?

Each paper has its own result. Check the SRA's resits page for how a pass in one paper is treated.

Sources: SRA: SQE Q&A; SRA: SQE1 January 2026 statistical report; SRA: SQE results and resits; LawCareers.Net: SQE1 pass rate falls to 42%; LawCareers.Net: SQE1 pass rates rebound. Checked 10 November 2026.