SQE1 July 2026 Results Are Out: What to Do Next

SQE1 July 2026 results landed in candidate inboxes today, 8 September 2026. If you are reading this having just opened that email, this guide covers exactly what to do next — whether you passed or failed.

Before anything else: tell us your result. We are building the most comprehensive picture of SQE1 performance ever compiled, and every response makes the data more useful for every candidate who sits after you.

Share your SQE1 result in our survey →

It takes two minutes. Your data helps future candidates understand what preparation approaches actually work, which topics are most commonly failed, and what separates passing from failing cohorts. The more results we collect today, the better the dataset.

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What Your Results Email Contains

Your results come from Kaplan by email to the address you registered with. The email contains:

• A pass or fail outcome for FLK1 and FLK2 separately
• Your numerical score for each paper
• If you failed one or both papers, a breakdown is available through the Kaplan candidate portal

You do not receive topic-level data in the results email itself. Your overall score for each paper is expressed as a percentage of questions answered correctly.

The pass mark is set after each sitting using a standard-setting process. Historically it has sat between 56 and 57 percent correct — roughly 100 to 103 questions out of 180. The SRA does not publish the exact pass mark alongside individual results, so a borderline result can be difficult to contextualise without knowing where the threshold sat for this sitting.

If you passed FLK1 but failed FLK2 (or vice versa), your passing result carries forward with no expiry under current SRA rules. You only need to resit the paper you failed.

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If You Passed

Passing SQE1 is a meaningful milestone. Here is the sequence of what happens next.

1. Register for SQE2

SQE2 registration for the January 2027 sitting opens today, 8 September 2026. The sitting runs 11 to 22 January 2027, with results expected 8 March 2027.

Do not leave registration late. The window closes on 20 November 2026 and there are no extensions. The fee for SQE2 is £3,086, covering all five assessment days.

Check SQE exam dates for confirmed registration deadlines.

2. Understand what SQE2 actually tests

SQE1 and SQE2 are fundamentally different assessments. SQE1 is a multiple-choice knowledge test. SQE2 is a practical skills assessment: 16 stations across client interviewing, advocacy, case analysis, legal research, drafting, and legal writing, taken over several sittings.

The skills tested in SQE2 are not a continuation of SQE1 preparation. Candidates who treat SQE2 as an extension of their SQE1 revision consistently underperform. The assessment rewards format-specific practice under timed conditions, not legal knowledge alone.

The April 2026 SQE2 sitting produced a record 85% first-attempt pass rate, suggesting that candidates who specifically prepare for the format are passing at higher rates than ever. That preparation approach is learnable — but it takes time to build.

3. Assess your qualifying work experience

You need two years of qualifying work experience (QWE) before you can be admitted as a solicitor. QWE can run concurrently with SQE2 preparation. If your QWE is not yet complete, now is the time to map out when it will be and whether the timeline aligns with your intended SQE2 sitting.

4. Start your SQE2 timetable

The gap between today and the January 2027 SQE2 sitting is approximately 18 weeks. That is a workable preparation window if you use it from the start.

Use the SQE revision timetable tool to build a structured SQE2 preparation schedule around your commitments. It takes about three minutes to set up.

Tell us you passed

If you passed, please take two minutes to share your result. We want to know what preparation approach you used, how many practice questions you drilled, which provider (if any) you used, and which topics you found hardest. That data makes our guidance better for every candidate who follows you.

Share your result →

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If You Failed

Failing SQE1 is more common than passing. Across every July sitting since the exam launched, more than half of all candidates have not passed. A fail does not mean you cannot become a solicitor. It means you need a different preparation approach for the resit.

1. Read your result carefully before doing anything else

Your score for each paper tells you where you stand. A score in the high 40s or low 50s is a narrow fail that a targeted resit can close. A score in the 30s suggests a more significant preparation gap that needs a different approach, not just more time doing the same thing.

If you failed one paper only, your resit is a single paper. You do not need to resit the paper you passed. Confirm which paper(s) you need to resit before registering.

2. Register for the January 2027 resit

The January 2027 SQE1 sitting is the next available resit. Registration opens today, 8 September 2026, and closes 20 November 2026. The exam runs 11 to 22 January 2027, with results expected 8 March 2027.

Resit fees for January 2027:

• Both papers (FLK1 and FLK2): £2,006
• Single paper resit: £1,003

Register promptly. Candidates who register early lock in their slot and tend to start preparation with more clarity about the timeline they are working within.

3. Diagnose what actually went wrong

The most common and most expensive mistake SQE1 resitters make is returning to the same preparation approach and expecting a different result. That almost never works. Second-attempt pass rates have historically been around 10%. Repeating what failed the first time is not a strategy.

Before planning your resit, diagnose the specific cause of this result. Work through the following questions:

Did you run short of time? SQE1 is 180 questions in 180 minutes — one question per minute. Time management is a separate skill from legal knowledge and requires specific practice under timed conditions from the start of preparation, not just in final mock sessions.

Were there specific topics where you consistently dropped marks? Without topic-level data in your results, this requires going back through your mock performance and revision notes. Where were you weakest? Solicitors Accounts has been the highest-failure topic in every sitting for which the SRA has published breakdowns. Wills and Intestacy and Trusts catch candidates who covered them lightly during LLB/GDL study.

How many practice MCQs did you complete before the exam? The research on SQE1 preparation is consistent: candidates who complete 2,000 to 4,000 questions across the full syllabus pass at significantly higher rates than those who complete fewer. If you completed fewer than 1,500, volume of practice is likely a factor.

Did you treat SQE1 as a law exam rather than a multiple-choice exam? These are not the same thing. Reading and understanding legal principles does not prepare you for the specific skill of selecting the single best answer under time pressure across 180 questions. That skill is built through practice, not knowledge acquisition.

4. Build a different preparation plan for January 2027

The gap between today and January 11, 2027 is approximately 18 weeks. That is enough time to pass if you use it deliberately. It is not enough time to spend the first six weeks deciding what to do.

Key principles for a resit preparation plan:

Start MCQ practice from day one. Do not save mock questions for the end. Every week of preparation should include timed MCQ practice, not just content review.

Weight your time toward weak areas. Subjects where you scored below 50% in this sitting need more of your time than subjects where you scored above 65%. Track your mock performance by subject every two weeks and redistribute time accordingly.

Use spaced repetition. Returning to material at increasing intervals embeds it more effectively than a single intensive pass. Anki or a similar tool works well for high-volume subjects like Contract, Business Law, and Criminal Law.

Run at least three full-paper mocks under timed conditions. Each paper is 180 questions in three hours. The psychological and physical endurance required for this is a specific capability that needs practice. Do not arrive at the exam having only done topic-specific quizzes.

Use the SQE revision timetable tool to build a structured 18-week plan from today. Input your exam date, available hours, and weak subjects, and it generates a week-by-week schedule.

Tell us what happened

If you failed, your result is just as important to our dataset as a pass. We want to know how many hours you studied, what materials you used, which topics you found hardest, and what you plan to do differently. That data shapes the guidance we give to future candidates who are in exactly the position you are in now.

Share your result and preparation approach →

It takes two minutes. The more candidates who complete it, the more useful the analysis.

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The Data Question: What Was the July 2026 Pass Rate?

The SRA will publish the official statistical report for the July 2026 sitting several months from now. That report includes the overall pass rate, first-attempt rate, FLK1 and FLK2 breakdowns, candidate numbers, and demographic data.

Until that report is published, no one can tell you what the July 2026 pass rate was with accuracy. Based on historical patterns, July sittings have produced pass rates between 41% and 44% in recent years. Whether July 2026 held to that range or diverged is unknown until the SRA reports.

What we can do in the meantime is build our own picture of this cohort from the ground up, using self-reported data from candidates who sat today.

Add your result to the dataset →

Every response — pass or fail, high score or low — adds to a picture that has genuine value for the candidates who sit after you.

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Key Dates from Today

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Help Us Build the Best SQE Dataset Available

We are asking every candidate who received results today to spend two minutes sharing their experience. Pass or fail. High score or low. First attempt or resit.

The data we collect feeds into the most detailed analysis of SQE1 performance available outside the SRA itself. It shapes the preparation guidance we publish, the difficulty ratings we assign to topics, and the benchmark data we share with future candidates who want to know what preparation actually works.

Take the survey →

Two minutes. No sign-up required. Completely anonymous if you prefer.

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Related:

• Full SQE1 pass rate history
• SQE exam dates and registration windows
• SQE revision timetable — build your plan for January 2027
• SQE1 January 2027 preparation guide
• What the SQE2 April 2026 results tell us