SQE2 April 2026 Results: 83% Pass Rate, Record 85% First-Attempt

The SRA has published the statistical report for SQE2 Sitting 15 (the April 2026 sitting). The headline figures: an 83% overall pass rate across 2,966 candidates, and an 85% first-attempt pass rate, the highest recorded for SQE2 since the assessment launched.

Results were issued to candidates on 27 August 2026. This post covers what the data shows, how April 2026 compares to every previous sitting, and what the record first-attempt figure means.

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The Headline Numbers

The 85% first-attempt rate is the highest ever recorded for SQE2. The SRA's own statement on the results noted that this "indicates that this was the strongest cohort taking SQE2 to date."

The 83% overall rate places April 2026 among the higher-performing SQE2 sittings. The April sittings have historically outperformed October and January ones, but the April 2025 sitting previously held the first-attempt record at 84%.

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How April 2026 Compares to Every Previous SQE2 Sitting

Source: SRA SQE2 statistical reports.

Full historical data is available on the SQE pass rates page.

Several patterns stand out from this table.

April consistently outperforms other sittings. Three of the four April sittings for which data is now available (April 2024: 79%, April 2025: 82%, April 2026: 83%) have come in above the sitting average. This is consistent with what has been observed in SQE1: spring/early-year candidates tend to be better prepared than those sitting in summer or autumn.

The cohort was large. 2,966 candidates is the second-largest SQE2 cohort on record, after April 2025 (2,753). Growing candidate numbers reflect the broader expansion of the SQE pipeline as more aspiring solicitors reach the SQE2 stage.

First-attempt rates have jumped. The 85% first-attempt rate compares to 79% in each of July 2025, October 2025, and January 2026. That was a stable run for three consecutive sittings; April 2026 has broken it sharply upward.

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What Drove the Record First-Attempt Rate?

The SRA describes April 2026 as the "strongest cohort taking SQE2 to date." Without the full diversity breakdown (expected to follow the headline figures), it is not possible to pinpoint exactly why.

Several factors are plausible.

Improved preparation resources. The SQE2 prep market has matured substantially since the exam launched in 2021. More providers now offer detailed oral skills coaching and timed mock assessments, which directly target the areas where candidates have historically lost marks (client interviewing and advocacy in particular). A better-prepared cohort produces a higher pass rate.

Growing awareness of what SQE2 actually tests. Early cohorts often underestimated how different SQE2 is from a traditional law exam. It is a practical skills assessment under timed conditions, not a knowledge test. Candidates who have learned from the published experience of earlier cohorts are entering the exam with more realistic expectations and more format-specific preparation.

Cohort composition. April sittings attract candidates who have specifically planned for that window rather than rolling forward after a failed previous attempt. The proportion of motivated, well-prepared first-timers in an April sitting tends to be higher than in July or October.

None of these explanations is definitive, and the SRA's full statistical report will provide more context when the diversity breakdowns are published.

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What Results Day Looked Like for Candidates

Candidates received their results by email from Kaplan on 27 August 2026. Every candidate received a pass or fail determination. Candidates who failed received a competency-level score report showing performance across the SQE2 assessment areas: client interviewing and attendance note, advocacy, case and matter analysis, legal research and written advice, drafting, and legal writing.

The score report gives a directional picture of where marks were lost. It does not provide a granular question-by-question breakdown. For candidates who failed, the report typically identifies one or two underperforming areas rather than broad failure across all competencies. The oral assessments (client interview and advocacy) generate the most variability. Written assessments (drafting, legal research) are more consistent but require structural discipline under time pressure.

Candidates who passed received a pass notification without a score.

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If You Passed

Passing SQE2 means you have met the SRA's competency standard for legal practice. The next step is admission as a solicitor.

Qualifying work experience. You need a minimum of two years of QWE before you can be admitted. QWE can run concurrently with SQE preparation, so many April 2026 candidates will already have this in place. If your QWE is not yet complete, admission cannot proceed until it is.

SRA admission application. The application is made through the SRA's online portal. You will need to confirm your QWE, provide character and suitability declarations, and submit supporting documents. Most straightforward applications are processed within four to six weeks.

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If You Failed

At an 83% overall pass rate, approximately one in six candidates did not pass. If you are in that group, the data from every SQE2 sitting points in the same direction: failure is almost never about a lack of legal knowledge. It is about format preparation.

Read your score report. The competency breakdown tells you which areas cost you marks. If client interviewing or advocacy underperformed, the issue is the oral format under timed conditions, not your underlying understanding of the subject matter. If drafting or legal research underperformed, there is a structural and time management issue to address.

Register for a resit. The next SQE2 sitting after April/July 2026 is October 2026. Registration typically opens several months in advance. Check SQE exam dates for confirmed windows.

Budget for the resit fee. The SQE2 sitting fee is currently £3,086. This covers all assessment days regardless of which areas you failed.

Change your preparation approach. Repeating the same preparation and expecting a different result is the most common and most expensive mistake SQE2 resitters make. The format-specific work that most candidates underinvest in: timed oral role-plays, structured written tasks with strict time limits, and attention to embedded ethics obligations that are not flagged in the task brief.

The SQE revision timetable tool can help you build a structured preparation schedule around the time you have before the next sitting.

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Bottom Line

April 2026 was the strongest SQE2 sitting on record. An 83% overall pass rate and a record 85% first-attempt rate across 2,966 candidates mark it as an outlier on the positive end of the historical range. April sittings have consistently outperformed the field; this one extended that pattern to a new high.

For historical pass rate context across all SQE assessments, see SQE pass rates.

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Source: SRA SQE2 April 2026 statistical report, published August 2026.

Previous: SQE2 January 2026 results analysis