Our main service for qualified lawyers
Apply for an SQE exemption
You already qualified as a lawyer somewhere else, and nobody will give you a straight answer about what you still have to sit here.
For lawyers already qualified in another jurisdiction who want a straight answer on whether an exemption is realistic, and the application done properly.
The SRA can exempt a qualified lawyer from SQE1, SQE2 or both where your qualification and experience already meet the standard the assessment tests. One application fee covers either or both.
Two things decide it: whether your qualification and experience reach the standard, and whether the application shows that clearly. The second is where most applications come apart. We assess both before you pay the SRA anything.
How we work with you
Eligibility
Do your practice rights and experience make an application realistic?
Evidence
Map your experience to the SRA competence standard and gather proof.
Apply
Structure the application and its supporting documents.
The SRA decides
Not us. We cannot grant an exemption, and we have no influence over the decision.
What we do
- A written assessment of whether an application is realistic, based on your practice rights and experience, within three business days.
- Confirmation of which route applies to you: the agreed list for your jurisdiction, or an individual assessment with a full evidence bundle.
- Your existing experience set against the SRA competence standard, point by point, so any gap is visible while there is still time to address it.
- The application drafted and the supporting documents organised in the order the SRA reads them, ready for you to submit.
- A note you can send your referees setting out what the SRA asks them to confirm, so their statements are not returned as insufficient.
What it costs
Priced on your jurisdiction and how much evidence the application needs. The first assessment is free, and you get the fee in writing before anything starts.
Whatever the figure is, you have it in writing before any work starts, and it does not move afterwards. The SRA's own application fee is separate and is paid by you directly to them.
Where our part stops
- The SRA decides, not us. We cannot grant an exemption, we have no influence over the decision, and we do not control how long it takes.
- Exemptions are only open to qualified lawyers, and cannot be granted for an assessment you have already failed or are awaiting a result for.
Common questions
- Who can apply for an SQE2 exemption?
- Exemptions are open to qualified lawyers. If what you hold is an academic degree rather than a professional qualification conferring rights to practise, this route is not open to you.
- Can you get me an exemption?
- No. The SRA decides exemptions. We assess whether an application is realistic, map your experience against what the SRA is looking for, and help you evidence it well. The decision is not ours, and we have no influence over it.
- I failed SQE2. Can I apply for an exemption instead of resitting?
- No. An exemption cannot be granted for an assessment you have failed or are awaiting results for.
- Do I need an individual assessment, or is there an agreed route?
- It depends on your qualification and jurisdiction. Some are covered by an agreed exemption, where the comparison work is already done. Others are assessed individually and need a full evidence bundle. Checking which applies to you is the first thing we do.
Check your eligibility freeFive questions, about three minutes. No cost and no obligation.