Updates as of September 22, 2026
SQE fees rose from the start of September 2026. The SRA has confirmed SQE1 at 2,006 pounds, up from 1,934 pounds, and SQE2 at 3,086 pounds, up from 2,974 pounds. The SRA states the increase takes effect from the start of the new academic year and applies to any candidate booking to take SQE2 from October 2026 onwards.
SRA, SQE fees updateBooking for the October 2026 SQE2 has now closed. The SRA lists the booking close as 18 September 2026, four days before this page's as-of date. The assessment itself runs written on 27 to 29 October 2026 with oral sittings on 3 to 4, 5 to 6 and 10 to 11 November 2026, and results on 23 February 2027.
SRA, booking windowsThe next SQE1 is January 2027. FLK1 runs 11 to 15 January 2027 and FLK2 runs 18 to 22 January 2027, with booking closing on 23 November 2026 and results published on 9 March 2027. That is the live deadline for anyone planning to qualify on a January SQE1 route.
SRA, booking windowsThe SRA published the associated booking dates for the January 2027 assessments on 16 July 2026, covering seat reservation form dates and the deadlines for accepting reasonable adjustments proposals for both January 2027 SQE1 and SQE2.
SRA, SQE newsThe combined cost of the two assessments now stands at 5,092 pounds. Legal Cheek reported the change as a total increase of 3.7 per cent and the fourth fee increase since the SQE began in 2021, with the SRA citing inflation and the cost of translating assessments into Welsh.
Legal CheekFurther sittings are scheduled but not fully dated. SQE1 in July 2027 is listed for FLK1 on 12 to 16 July and FLK2 on 19 to 23 July 2027 with booking close and results still to be confirmed, and SQE2 in April 2027 has written and oral dates listed with the results date to be confirmed.
SRA, booking windowsSQE structure and cost at a glance
| Assessment | Runs | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| SQE1 FLK1 | January and July sittings | Part of the 2,006 pound SQE1 fee |
| SQE1 FLK2 | Sat the week after FLK1 in the same sitting | Part of the 2,006 pound SQE1 fee |
| SQE2 written | Three consecutive days per sitting | Part of the 3,086 pound SQE2 fee |
| SQE2 oral | Multiple two-day sittings around the written days | Part of the 3,086 pound SQE2 fee |
| Both stages combined | SQE1 first, then SQE2 | 5,092 pounds at the September 2026 rates |
SQE1 is sat as two separate functioning legal knowledge papers a week apart rather than in a single block, which is why a January sitting occupies two calendar weeks. SQE2 spreads written and oral components across roughly two weeks, with candidates allocated to one of the oral sittings. The fees above are the SRA assessment fees only and exclude preparation courses, travel and any SRA application charges.
Source: SRA booking windows · SRA fees update
Dates and windows
| What | When | Status |
|---|---|---|
| SQE2 October 2026 booking close | 18 September 2026 | Closed |
| SQE2 October 2026 assessment | Written 27 to 29 October 2026; orals 3 to 4, 5 to 6 and 10 to 11 November 2026 | Confirmed |
| SQE2 October 2026 results | 23 February 2027 | Confirmed |
| SQE1 January 2027 booking close | 23 November 2026 | Confirmed |
| SQE1 January 2027 assessment | FLK1 11 to 15 January 2027; FLK2 18 to 22 January 2027 | Confirmed |
| SQE1 January 2027 results | 9 March 2027 | Confirmed |
| SQE2 January 2027 booking close | 4 December 2026 | Confirmed |
| SQE1 July 2027 sitting | FLK1 12 to 16 July 2027; FLK2 19 to 23 July 2027, booking close to be confirmed | Tentative |
SQE2 January 2027 places its oral sittings on 26 to 27 and 28 to 29 January 2027 ahead of the written days on 2 to 4 February 2027, and results are due on 20 May 2027. The SQE2 April 2027 sitting has written days on 20 to 22 April and 4 to 6 May 2027 with four oral sittings across late April and mid-May, and its results date is still to be confirmed.
What this means for your preparation
The most frequent planning error on the SQE is reading a sitting as a single date. SQE1 is two papers a week apart and SQE2 spreads written and oral components across roughly a fortnight, so the block of time a candidate must keep free is far longer than a diary entry suggests. The second is assuming the booking deadline sits close to the exam; it does not.
Book two months ahead, not two weeks
For SQE1 in January 2027 the booking window closes on 23 November 2026, some seven weeks before FLK1 begins on 11 January 2027. For SQE2 in January 2027 the close is 4 December 2026, about seven weeks before the first oral sitting on 26 January. The October 2026 SQE2 booking closed on 18 September 2026, again more than five weeks before the written days. There is no late-booking route advertised on the SRA booking page, so a candidate who finishes a preparation course in December has already missed the January SQE1. Working backwards from the booking close rather than the assessment date is the only reliable way to plan.
Budget for the September 2026 fee position
SQE1 is now 2,006 pounds and SQE2 is 3,086 pounds, a combined 5,092 pounds at SRA rates alone. The SRA states the new rates took effect from the start of the academic year in September 2026 and apply to candidates booking SQE2 from October 2026 onwards. Legal Cheek reported the change as a 3.7 per cent rise and the fourth since the SQE launched in 2021. Two consequences follow for anyone self-funding. A resit is a full repeat fee, not a discounted one, and a candidate spreading SQE1 and SQE2 across academic years should assume the second stage will cost more than today's published figure by the time they book it.
Results dates govern the next booking
The lag between assessment and results is long enough to force a decision before the outcome is known. SQE2 October 2026 results arrive on 23 February 2027, after the 23 November 2026 close for SQE1 January 2027 and after the 4 December 2026 close for SQE2 January 2027. SQE1 January 2027 results arrive on 9 March 2027. A candidate who wants to move straight to the next sitting on a failure therefore has to book, and pay, before knowing whether they passed. That gap should be planned for deliberately rather than discovered at the deadline.
Reserve the whole fortnight for the sitting
SQE1 in January 2027 puts FLK1 across 11 to 15 January and FLK2 across 18 to 22 January, so the commitment spans two working weeks with a gap between the papers rather than a single week. SQE2 October 2026 has written days on 27 to 29 October and then three separate two-day oral sittings running from 3 to 11 November, with candidates allocated to one of them. Because the specific oral allocation is not a candidate choice at the point of planning, annual leave and travel should be held across the full oral period rather than a guessed subset of it.
Get reasonable adjustments in early
The SRA's 16 July 2026 announcement for the January 2027 sittings covered not only seat reservation form dates but also the deadlines for accepting reasonable adjustments proposals, for both SQE1 and SQE2. Those adjustment deadlines are published separately from the booking close and sit on their own timetable, which is a common trip point for candidates who assume that booking in time is sufficient. Anyone who will need an adjustment should locate that deadline at the same moment they note the booking close, since a late adjustments request typically cannot be retrofitted to a booked seat.
Common questions
How much does the SQE cost in 2026?
SQE1 is 2,006 pounds and SQE2 is 3,086 pounds, giving a combined 5,092 pounds. The SRA confirmed these rates in April 2026, taking effect from the start of the academic year in September 2026 and applying to any candidate who books SQE2 from October 2026 onwards. The previous rates were 1,934 pounds and 2,974 pounds. Legal Cheek reported the change as a 3.7 per cent increase and the fourth since the SQE began in 2021. These are assessment fees only.
When is the next SQE1 and when must I book?
The next SQE1 is January 2027. FLK1 runs from 11 to 15 January 2027 and FLK2 from 18 to 22 January 2027, with results on 9 March 2027. Booking closes on 23 November 2026. The sitting after that is July 2027, listed with FLK1 on 12 to 16 July and FLK2 on 19 to 23 July, but its booking close and results date were still shown as to be confirmed on the SRA booking page.
Can I still book the October 2026 SQE2?
No. The SRA lists the booking close for the October 2026 SQE2 as 18 September 2026, which has passed. The assessment still runs, with written days on 27 to 29 October 2026 and oral sittings on 3 to 4, 5 to 6 and 10 to 11 November 2026, and results on 23 February 2027. The next SQE2 is January 2027, with orals on 26 to 27 and 28 to 29 January, written days on 2 to 4 February, and a booking close of 4 December 2026.
Why does SQE1 take two weeks?
SQE1 is made up of two functioning legal knowledge papers, FLK1 and FLK2, and the SRA schedules them in consecutive weeks rather than together. In January 2027 that means FLK1 across 11 to 15 January and FLK2 across 18 to 22 January. Candidates should treat the whole two-week span as committed time, including the intervening week, rather than booking leave only around the individual paper dates.
How long do SQE results take?
Longer than most candidates expect. SQE2 sat in October 2026 produces results on 23 February 2027, roughly four months after the written days. SQE1 sat in January 2027 produces results on 9 March 2027, about seven weeks after FLK2. SQE2 sat in January and early February 2027 produces results on 20 May 2027. Because booking closes for the following sitting typically fall before those results dates, a candidate wanting a fast resit has to commit before the outcome is published.
When are the 2027 SQE2 sittings?
The SRA booking page lists January 2027 with orals on 26 to 27 and 28 to 29 January and written days on 2 to 4 February, results 20 May 2027; and April 2027 with written sittings on 20 to 22 April and 4 to 6 May, and oral sittings on 26 to 27 April, 28 to 29 April, 11 to 12 May and 13 to 14 May, with the results date still to be confirmed. July and October 2027 were shown as to be confirmed at the time of checking.
