SQE vs LPC Routes

In September 2021 the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) replaced the Legal Practice Course (LPC) with the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) as the default route to qualification. The LPC is being phased out and will close to new qualifiers on 31 December 2032, after which every new solicitor in England and Wales will come through the SQE. This guide explains the differences between the two routes, who can still use the LPC, and what the switch means if you’re deciding how to qualify today.

What the SQE Is

A two-part national examination. SQE1 tests your functioning legal knowledge across 17 areas with 360 multiple-choice questions. SQE2 tests practical legal skills (advocacy, client interviewing, drafting, research) in 16 assessments across five days.

What the LPC Is

A one-year (full time) or two-year (part time) vocational course run by universities and private providers. Core subjects are litigation, business law, property law and professional conduct, assessed through coursework and exams.

Who Can Still Take the LPC

Only candidates already in the transitional arrangements: anyone who completed, started or paid a non-refundable deposit for a qualifying law degree, GDL or LPC before 1 September 2021. No new starters are accepted.

The SQE Is Open to Everyone

Any degree in any subject qualifies you to sit the SQE. Non-graduates can sit it if they can demonstrate equivalent learning. This wider access is a deliberate policy choice by the SRA to open the profession.

Cost Differences

LPC course fees run from £12,000 to £20,000 depending on provider. The SQE exam fees are currently around £4,800 for both parts, with preparation courses adding £3,000 to £13,000 on top.

The Qualifying Work Experience (QWE)

Under the LPC route, work experience is a two-year training contract at a single firm. Under the SQE route, it is two years of qualifying work experience that can be split across up to four employers.

What Each Route Looks Like in Practice

The two routes produce the same outcome (admission to the Roll), but the experience of getting there is different. An LPC student will spend a full academic year on a structured vocational course, then apply for a two-year training contract at a single law firm, rotating through four six-month seats before qualification.

An SQE candidate will self-direct their preparation, book SQE1 and SQE2 at times that suit them, and collect their qualifying work experience from up to four different employers. The flexibility is an advantage if you’re changing jobs or moving between firms during qualification. Here’s how each route’s year looks:

  • LPC year: full-time study, classroom-based, coursework deadlines, focused exam periods
  • LPC training contract: two years in one firm, four seats of six months each, supervised throughout
  • SQE preparation: 6 to 12 months of self-study or course-based preparation, remote or in person
  • SQE1 exam: two days of multiple-choice questions in January or July each year
  • SQE2 exam: five days of practical skills assessments, also sat twice a year
  • SQE qualifying work experience: 2 years total, can be at up to 4 different organisations

Who Should Take Which Route?

If you already have a place secured on the LPC under the transitional arrangements, finishing that route is usually sensible because your employer may already be structured around it. If you’re starting from scratch, the SQE is now the only option for qualification unless you fall into one of the narrow transitional categories.

These profiles suggest which route tends to suit whom:

  • Already on an LPC programme and have a training contract lined up: finish the LPC route
  • Paid deposit for a qualifying law degree before September 2021: still eligible for LPC route
  • Graduate in any subject starting now: SQE is your only option, same for non-graduates with equivalent learning
  • Mature career changer with no legal background: SQE route is flexible and does not require a law degree
  • International student from outside England and Wales: SQE route is the only option unless transferring as a qualified lawyer

Pros and Cons of Each Route

The SQE is the future and has clear advantages, but the LPC route had strengths that not everyone agrees were improvements. Knowing what you’re giving up (if you’re in the transitional arrangements) and what you’re getting (on the SQE) helps you make a deliberate choice.

These are the trade-offs most worth weighing:

  • SQE pro: flexible qualifying work experience across up to four employers, not tied to one firm
  • SQE pro: open to any degree, or to non-graduates, making the profession more accessible
  • SQE con: self-funded preparation, less structured than a full-time vocational course
  • SQE con: high-stakes multiple-choice exam format can be hard for some learners
  • LPC pro: structured, classroom-based learning with direct contact with tutors and peers
  • LPC pro: training contract gives a guaranteed two-year salaried role at one firm
  • LPC con: two-year training contracts are highly competitive and often require a law degree first
  • LPC con: closing on 31 December 2032, so long-term career value narrows

How to Decide

If you have a choice (you’re in the transitional arrangements), the decision comes down to fit: do you prefer structured classroom learning and a guaranteed training contract, or flexible self-study and broader work experience? If you don’t have a choice, the SQE is your route, and the question becomes how to prepare for it.

Work through these checks to sharpen your thinking:

  • Check your transitional eligibility with the SRA's online checker before making any assumptions
  • Add up the total cost of both routes including fees, living costs and lost earnings during study
  • Speak to at least one recently qualified solicitor who took each route, and ask what they'd do differently
  • Consider your learning style: structured cohort or flexible self-directed preparation
  • Think about your work experience plans: one firm for two years, or variety across four
  • Factor in the LPC closure deadline of 31 December 2032 if you're early in your planning
  • Model the debt outcome: LPC fees plus living costs, vs SQE fees plus any lost earnings
  • Consider whether a solicitor apprenticeship is a better fit than either self-funded route

Explore the Apprenticeship Alternative

If the cost of either the SQE or LPC route is giving you pause, there’s a third option: the solicitor apprenticeship and the graduate solicitor apprenticeship. Both are government-funded, both pay a salary from day one, and both end with the same SQE that the self-funded route leads to.

Compare Apprenticeship Routes