SQE for US Attorneys: Complete Guide 2026

TL;DR: US attorneys can sit the SQE without needing a UK law degree or conversion course. The total cost runs roughly $10,000–$19,000 USD. Some subjects transfer well from US law (criminal, contracts); others will feel entirely foreign (land law, trusts, solicitors' accounts). Plan for 12–18 months of prep if you're working full-time. You can sit the exam at Pearson VUE centres globally - no UK trip required.

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Why US Lawyers Are Pursuing the SQE

The SQE (Solicitors Qualifying Examination) replaced the old QLTS route in 2021, and it changed the calculus for US lawyers considerably. Under the old system, international lawyers had to sit a separate qualifying exam with a hefty fee premium. Now, everyone - UK trainees and foreign-qualified lawyers alike - sits the same exam.

That matters for a few reasons:

Access to Magic Circle and US firm London offices. The major transatlantic deals - M&A, capital markets, international arbitration - run through London. Being dual-qualified opens doors that a US JD alone cannot.

Global demand for English law. English law governs a huge proportion of international commercial contracts. A US attorney with SQE qualification can advise on both US and English law matters, making them significantly more valuable to multinational clients.

The SQE path is now genuinely accessible. No UK law degree required. No LPC. You need to pass SQE1, pass SQE2, and apply to the SRA. As a foreign-qualified lawyer, you're exempt from the 2-year QWE requirement that standard candidates must complete - a significant time saving most US lawyers don't know about.

For more on the US lawyer pathway specifically, see our US Lawyers hub.

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SQE1: What You're Actually Being Tested On

SQE1 consists of two assessments - FLK1 and FLK2 - each comprising 180 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) sat over five hours. Total: 360 MCQs across ten hours of examination time.

FLK1 covers:

• Business Law and Practice
• Dispute Resolution
• Contract Law
• Tort Law
• Legal System of England and Wales
• Constitutional and Administrative Law
• EU Law (transitional content)
• Legal Services

FLK2 covers:

• Property Practice
• Wills and Intestacy, Probate Administration, and Practice
• Trusts
• Criminal Law and Practice
• Solicitors Accounts
• Land Law
• Equity and Trusts

Pass mark: Set by the SRA using a modified Angoff method - typically around 56–60% correct, though this varies per sitting. The overall SQE1 pass rate was 41% in July 2025. See our pass rates page for the latest data.

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Which Subjects Transfer from US Law - and Which Don't

This is the honest part of the guide. Not all of your US legal training is going to help you.

Subjects That Transfer Well

Criminal Law US criminal law and English criminal law share the same common law foundations. Concepts like actus reus, mens rea, and the main offences (murder, manslaughter, theft) will feel familiar. The procedural rules differ - England has Magistrates' Courts and Crown Courts rather than the US federal/state split - but the underlying doctrine is close enough that you'll be building on existing knowledge rather than starting from scratch.

Contract Law Offer, acceptance, consideration, misrepresentation, breach, remedies - the English contract law tested on SQE1 will feel recognisable. The language is sometimes different (English lawyers say "rescission" more liberally than US lawyers), and you'll need to learn specific English case law, but the conceptual framework is shared.

Tort Law Negligence in England is structurally similar to US tort law. Caparo v Dickman (the duty of care test) and Donoghue v Stevenson will be new names, but the logic of duty, breach, causation, and damage is familiar. Occupiers' liability has some English-specific quirks, but nothing that should surprise a US-trained lawyer.

Constitutional and Administrative Law US constitutional law is very different from English constitutional law (no written constitution, parliamentary sovereignty rather than judicial supremacy), but your ability to think about institutional structures and government powers transfers. Expect to do real work here - but not from a standing start.

Subjects That Are Genuinely Hard for US Lawyers

Land Law and Property Practice English land law is a different world. The Land Registration Act 2002, the distinction between legal and equitable interests, overriding interests, the mechanics of conveyancing - none of this maps cleanly to US real property law. Budget significant extra prep time for this subject. It catches US lawyers off guard more than almost any other area.

Trusts and Equity US trust law exists, but the English law of equity is broader and more doctrinally developed. Constructive trusts, resulting trusts, the three certainties, the rule against perpetuities in its English form - these require substantial study from first principles. If you have a Wills and Estates background, some concepts will be recognisable, but equity as a distinct body of law is much more prominent in English practice than in the US.

Solicitors Accounts This is the most uniquely English subject on the exam. The SRA Accounts Rules govern how solicitors handle client money in England and Wales. There is no US equivalent. Most US lawyers find this subject purely mechanical - it's essentially rule-application - but it's entirely foreign, which means it needs dedicated attention. The good news: once you understand the rules, it's one of the more learnable subjects on the exam.

Wills, Probate, and Administration of Estates The underlying succession law has some overlap with US law (intestacy rules, testamentary capacity), but the English procedural framework - probate practice, the role of the Probate Registry - is specific to England and Wales.

Business Law and Practice Company law in England and Wales (Companies Act 2006, directors' duties, share structures) differs meaningfully from US corporate law. You'll find familiar concepts but need to learn the English statutory framework from scratch.

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Cost Breakdown in USD

All exam fees are set by the SRA in GBP. We're using a conversion rate of £1 = $1.27 throughout.

SQE Exam Fees (Fixed)

Resit fees are charged per assessment: £967 (~$1,228) for each FLK, and partial SQE2 resits are priced depending on how many assessments you resit.

Preparation Course Costs

Use our cost calculator to model different scenarios including potential resits.

Total Investment Range

These figures assume you pass first time. Factor in potential resits - at $1,228 per FLK - if you want a realistic budget.

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Provider Recommendations for US Lawyers

BARBRI - Best Starting Point for US Attorneys

BARBRI is the most recognisable name in bar exam preparation in the United States, and it also offers SQE preparation. For US lawyers, the brand familiarity matters less than the product quality - but BARBRI's approach (structured online learning, practice questions, video lectures) will feel familiar if you've used them for the bar exam.

BARBRI charges £5,899 (~$7,492) for its combined SQE1 and SQE2 preparation package. Self-reported pass rates are 58% for SQE1 and 85% for SQE2. Critically, BARBRI is a self-paced online course - there's no live tutor support. That suits self-directed learners; it's less ideal if you want someone to answer questions about the parts of English law that feel most alien.

See our full BARBRI review and our provider comparison for all options.

QLTS School - Best Budget Option

QLTS School was built specifically for international lawyers qualifying through the English route. At around £2,500–£3,500 (~$3,175–$4,445) it's significantly cheaper than BARBRI and the premium providers. The materials are designed for lawyers who already have legal training - so the pace assumes you can move quickly over familiar concepts.

BPP and University of Law - Premium Options

If budget isn't the primary constraint and you want comprehensive structured support, BPP and the University of Law offer the most thorough preparation. Costs run £12,000–£15,000 (~$15,240–$19,050) for combined SQE1 and SQE2. Both have strong reputations with UK domestic students; their content is thorough but not specifically tailored for US lawyers.

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QWE: US Lawyers Are Exempt

This is one of the most important things US lawyers don't know: as a foreign-qualified lawyer (US attorney), you are exempt from the 2-year QWE requirement.

The SRA's qualified lawyers pathway explicitly waives the QWE requirement for candidates who already hold a professional legal qualification conferring a right to practise in another jurisdiction. Your US bar admission satisfies this. You do not need to find a UK-qualified supervisor, accumulate years of English law work experience, or navigate the QWE confirmation process.

What this means in practice:

Standard SQE candidates (UK law graduates, career changers) must:

• Complete 2 years of Qualifying Work Experience
• Have that experience confirmed by an SRA-authorised person
• Only then apply for admission

US-qualified attorneys must:

• Pass SQE1
• Pass SQE2
• Apply to the SRA

That's a material difference in both time and complexity. The typical standard candidate timeline is 3–4+ years. Your realistic timeline is 9–18 months.

If you're already doing English law work, you don't need to formally log or confirm it for QWE purposes. That said, experience with English law subjects (especially the ones tested on SQE1) will naturally help your preparation.

See our full SRA qualified lawyers pathway guidance for the complete eligibility criteria.

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Exam Locations Outside the UK

SQE1 is administered by Pearson VUE at test centres globally. You do not need to travel to the UK to sit the exam.

Key Pearson VUE locations in the US:

• New York
• Los Angeles
• Chicago
• Houston
• Washington DC
• Boston
• Atlanta
• Miami
• Seattle

There are hundreds of Pearson VUE centres across the United States. When you register with the SRA and book your exam slot, you select your preferred test centre. Availability varies by sitting - book early, particularly for popular urban centres.

SQE2 is currently administered in the UK only. This means you will need to travel to England for SQE2, typically sitting it in London, Manchester, or one of the other major UK cities where SQE2 centres operate. Plan for this: flights, accommodation, and time off work need to be factored into your budget and timeline.

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Recommended Timeline for US Lawyers

The right timeline depends heavily on how much time you can dedicate to study while working. Remember: as a US-qualified attorney, you are exempt from the 2-year QWE requirement - your timeline is just SQE1 + SQE2 + SRA admission.

15-Month Plan (Working Full-Time)

Months 1–2: Assessment and planning

• Register with the SRA and create your account - confirm your status as a qualified foreign lawyer
• Buy or access preparation materials
• Take a diagnostic practice exam to identify your strongest and weakest subject areas

Months 3–8: SQE1 preparation

• 10–15 hours per week of focused study
• Work systematically through all FLK1 and FLK2 subjects
• Spend extra time on the unfamiliar subjects: land law, trusts, solicitors accounts
• Do substantial MCQ practice in the final 6–8 weeks

Month 9: Sit SQE1 (can be at a US Pearson VUE centre - no UK trip required)

Months 10–13: SQE2 preparation

• SQE2 requires practical legal skills: client interviewing, advocacy, legal research, writing, drafting
• This is where US legal experience helps - you already know how to run a client meeting and write a memo
• The English-specific content (professional conduct, applying English law) still needs focused prep

Month 14: Sit SQE2 (must travel to UK - plan flights and accommodation)

Month 15: SRA application and admission

10-Month Accelerated Plan

Achievable if you can dedicate 20+ hours per week to study and have strong overlap between your US practice area and the SQE subjects. Realistic for US M&A or finance attorneys who work regularly with English law.

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Common Mistakes US Lawyers Make

Underestimating the MCQ format. US bar exam essays and performance tests require different skills from 360 MCQs. Every question on SQE1 has a right answer - there is no partial credit, no room for "it depends". Train specifically for MCQ reasoning.

Assuming contract and criminal law are enough. US lawyers often feel confident after revising the familiar subjects and then run out of time for land law and trusts. These subjects need the most work, not the least.

Ignoring Solicitors Accounts. It's learnable, but not if you leave it to the last two weeks. Start it early.

Not confirming your QWE exemption upfront. As a US-qualified attorney, confirm with the SRA at registration that you qualify as a foreign lawyer and are exempt from QWE. This avoids any confusion later in the process.

Booking SQE2 before having a plan for the UK trip. SQE2 is in the UK. Plan the logistics - flights, accommodation, time off - well in advance.

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Next Steps

1. Read our US Lawyers overview for the full eligibility and application process
2. Use the cost calculator to model your specific budget
3. Review provider options to compare BARBRI, QLTS School, BPP and University of Law
4. Check the pass rates page for the latest SQE1 and SQE2 statistics

The SQE is genuinely achievable for US lawyers. The foreign legal system is the challenge - not the exam format, not the eligibility requirements, not the logistics. Budget adequate time for the unfamiliar subjects, start your QWE tracking early, and you have a realistic path to dual qualification.