Should I sit the LPC, or wait for the SQE?

Jan 11, 2025

Written By Becky Kells

The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) was launched in September 2021. It is intended for the SQE to replace the Legal Practice Course (LPC) to widen the access to the profession. As a result, candidates who wish to qualify as solicitors and started their 'law journey' on or after 1 January 2022 are now required to qualify via the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) pathway. However, candidates who started their law journey prior to 2022 still have the choice of qualifying as a solicitor either through the LPC or the SQE pathway.

Do you have a training contract place?

If yes, congratulations. Training contracts are hard to come by—and with good reason. Upon securing one, you can bid farewell to the financial burden of the SQE or LPC and GDL, as well as the minor headache of deciding between the SQE or the LPC, choosing a provider and signing up. The firms will decide for their future trainees which course you will be required to sit for, with the majority of the firms opting for the SQE. For those without a qualifying law degree, most firms still require you to sit for the GDL prior to sitting for the SQE.

Verdict: SQE/GDL

Are you in the final year of your undergraduate degree?

So you are at the end of your degree, without a training contract, and are looking for options. You can still qualify via the LPC route if you have:

1. Already started a qualifying law degree (QLD), exempting law degree (ELD), GDL or MA law or training contract;

2. Have accepted a 2021 offer for a QLD and started the course before December 2021;

3. Have accepted but deferred a 2020/2021 academic year offer for a QLD or ELD, but have started the course before 31 August 2022.

Some providers may have already stopped providing LPC courses. If you are unsure whether you are still able to qualify via the LPC route based on these requirements, do reach out to the LPC providers.

With most firms requiring their candidates to qualify through the SQE route, and the SRA's transitional arrangements, fewer candidates will now be able to qualify through the LPC route. With the LPC, you will also need to complete a period of 2 years of recognised training (PRT). Do check that you will be able to register your PRT if you choose to qualify through the LPC route.

Verdict: LPC/GDL (provided that you can get PRT)

Have you already started the GDL or LPC?

If you’re already midway through one of these courses, or have completed both and are on the hunt for training contracts, you can still qualify through the LPC route. However, some firms may now require you to sit for the SQE depending on your circumstances, so it might be best to speak to the graduate recruitment.

Do you have a role in a law firm, such as paralegal work?

This is where things swing slightly in favour of the SQE. One important nugget of information about the SQE—it goes hand in hand with Qualifying Work Experience. If you’re working as a paralegal, for citizens advice or a legal charity, or indeed are occupied in any other form of legal work, you can start “banking” your legal experience now. You need two years of it in total, from up to four providers, and you can acquire it before, during and after the SQE. If you’re already on this path, you could continue to move down it knowing that the experience will count further down the line.

Do be aware that if you are on the LPC, you will need to complete the PRT instead of complete qualifying work expereince. The qualifying work experience is only for those who take and pass the SQE2 assessment, which means added costs on top of the LPC fees.

Verdict: SQE

SQE