Delivering the SQE: next steps in implementation 18 December 2018

Director of Education and Training, SRA Welcome and SQE update Julie Brannan, Director of Education and Training, SRA

What is the SQE? A single national licensing examination for admission as a solicitor of England and Wales – Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) We will no longer specify routes to admission as a solicitor

The Assessment SQE 1 Functioning Legal Knowledge Assessments Substantive and procedural law Test of application of fundamental legal principles Computer based assessment Practical Legal Skills Assessment Legal Research and Writing Skills SQE 2 Practical Legal Skills Assessments Client interviewing, advocacy, case and matter analysis, legal research and written advice, legal drafting Simulated role plays

Practical arrangements 2 Initially, two exam sittings per year; 3 attempts; 6-year validity; SQE 2 only after passing SQE 1; SQE 1 to be taken in one sitting SQE available in England and Wales; wide geographic network for written tests; limited number of centres for oral skills And (for written tests) internationally Future – sittings/venues will keep pace with demand

Timing and transition To give training providers and employers time to prepare for new system, we will introduce the SQE in Autumn 2021 Start Qualifying Law Degree/Common Professional Examination before 2021: choose to continue under old system to 2032, or qualify under SQE

Progress during 2018 April 2018: Legal Services Board (LSB) approved the regulatory framework for the SQE Second stage application in 2020 August 2018: announcement of Kaplan’s appointment as SQE assessment provider

Progress during 2018 Autumn 2018: Design of SQE 1 assessment model to be taken into pilot Information about introduction date, assessment design and indicative cost published November 2018: SQE 1 pilot recruitment launched November 2018: LSB approval of SQE transitional regulations

Indicative fee range £3,000 - £4,500 for SQE 1 and SQE 2 Indicative only – eventual fee may be inside or outside this fee range. Variables: Size of assessments: numbers of questions, numbers of contexts and length of testing time Offering SQE in both English and Welsh

Indicative fee range Comparable with similar professional assessments leading to being licenced to practice Cost of training Will be wide range of models, from SQE-inclusive law degrees, through bespoke training courses to new US-style JD programmes Example of assessment + training cost, based on QLTS training costs: £4,700 - £10,140 Funding will depend on route; but greater opportunity for earning and learning; no more “LPC gamble”

Assessment development 2019 First half 2019 Publication of revised assessment specification for Stage 1 pilot, and stakeholder input March 2019 pilot for SQE Stage 1 Design pilot for Stage 2

Assessment development 2019 Second half 2019 Publication of revised assessment specification for Stage 2 pilot and stakeholder input Results of the Stage 1 pilot Finalisation of design of Stage 1 and publication of sample questions for Stage 1 Pilot for Stage 2

Assessment development 2020 First half 2020 Results of Stage 2 pilot and publication of sample questions for Stage 2 Completion of programme of piloting and testing Publication of final version of assessment specification

Future plans: other work (2019 – 2020) SQE in Welsh? Looking at logistics, quality assurance and cost Publication of information about logistics Dates of windows for sittings Timetable for registration and publication of results Spring 2020 Second application to LSB

Today Working on the detail of SQE: Writing multiple choice questions for SQE 1 Setting the standard for SQE 2 Blueprinting for SQE 1, Functioning Legal Knowledge Legal content for SQE 1