Consulting · Non-reserved activities only
SQE1 and SQE2 exemptions.
If you already hold a legal qualification in another jurisdiction, you may not have to sit all of the SQE. Working out which parts you can be exempted from — and evidencing it properly — is where most applications go wrong.
The SRA decides every exemption. The Solicitors Regulation Authority is responsible for deciding whether a candidate is exempt and which part of the SQE, if any, an exemption applies to. We are not the SRA, we are not authorised by it, and we cannot grant, award or influence an exemption. Anyone who tells you otherwise is misleading you.
What we do
- Explain how SQE1 and SQE2 work, and how the qualified-lawyer route differs from the standard route to admission.
- Review your qualifications and practice experience against the SRA's published exemption criteria, and give you a candid, reasoned view of how your case reads.
- Explain the difference between an agreed exemption and an individual SQE assessment exemption, and discuss which route fits your circumstances.
- Help you organise and present the evidence the SRA asks for — work samples, references, corroboration of experience — so the application you make is clear and complete.
- Advise on preparation for whichever assessments you still need to sit.
What we do not do, and cannot do
- We do not grant or decide exemptions. Only the SRA can.
- We do not submit applications on your behalf and we do not correspond with the SRA for you. You apply directly through mySRA.
- We guarantee no outcome. The SRA assesses each application on its own facts and states it will decide within 180 days of receiving a complete application.
- We do not give immigration advice. Visas, right to work and immigration status are outside our scope and are separately regulated.
- We carry on no reserved legal activity. See our regulatory position.
Common questions
Who can apply for an SQE exemption?
Exemptions are open only to qualified lawyers: someone holding a professional legal qualification that confers rights to practise, whether in England and Wales, elsewhere in the UK, or abroad. A law degree on its own is not enough.
Can I be exempted from both SQE1 and SQE2?
You can apply for an exemption from SQE1 and/or SQE2. Whether either is granted depends entirely on how your qualification and experience map onto what the SRA assesses. Many candidates are exempted from one and must sit the other.
What if I have already failed an assessment?
You cannot apply for an exemption from an SQE assessment you have failed or are awaiting results for. The SRA treats a failure as evidence that the required standard has not been met, so that assessment must be resat and passed.
How long does it take?
The SRA says it will decide within 180 days of receiving a fully completed application, provided all mandatory evidence is included. Incomplete applications are the main cause of delay, which is the part we can genuinely help with.
Still sitting SQE1? Our SQE1 preparation course covers all thirteen FLK1 and FLK2 subjects with a citation behind every rule, and has a free tier with no card required — LexVerity Academy.
Enquire
Tell us where you qualified and what you are trying to work out. Consulting is offered on a fixed scope, agreed in writing before any work begins.
Please do not send confidential material or seek urgent advice through this form. Sending an enquiry creates no advisory relationship; that arises only once scope and terms are agreed in writing.