Resitting SQE1: The Comeback Guide
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Didn鈥檛 pass in July 2026? A resit is not a rerun. This guide shows you how to read the feedback the SRA gives you, the rules that apply to your resit, how to find what actually went wrong, and a dated 14-week plan from Monday 5 October to the January 2027 sitting.
Updated October 2026 · checked against SRA publications on 1 October 2026.
You are in good company
Past pass rates do not predict any one candidate鈥檚 result.
Read your SQE1 result
| On your results page | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Attempt number | Which of your three attempts at that FLK this was. |
| Deadline to pass SQE | Six years from your first attempt at any SQE assessment. |
| Scaled score to pass | Always 300, on a scale of 0 to 500. |
| Your scaled score | Derived from your correct answers. Its distance from 300 shows how far you have to go. |
| Quintile | Where you sat in the cohort for that FLK as a whole: 1 is the top fifth, 5 the bottom fifth. |
You also get a scaled score for each practice area, including Ethics and Professional Conduct. The SRA says these should be considered cautiously, because each area has relatively few questions, and that the assessment is compensatory: you can pass an FLK with a weak area. In July 2026 the median scaled score was 300 for FLK1 and 297 for FLK2.
The Results Decoder
Don鈥檛 rely on a handful of questions per area. Combine your SRA practice-area scores with a fresh baseline mock in the 2027 format, then rank every subject:
- A 路 Rebuild. Below 300 on your result and weak on your baseline. These lead your Rebuild weeks.
- B 路 Repair. Weak on one measure only. Targeted question sets and error-log review.
- C 路 Keep warm. At or above 300 and solid on your baseline. Short weekly sets so they stay strong.
The PDF includes a fill-in priority map for every FLK1 and FLK2 practice area.
The rules of your resit
Three attempts per paper
Three attempts at FLK1 and three at FLK2, within six years of your first attempt at any SQE assessment.
Resit only what you failed
Passed one FLK? Resit only the other. Failed both? Retake both in the same window.
Fees for 2027
One FLK 拢1,003; both 拢2,006. You pay the fee in force when you book.
If something goes wrong on the day
Report it before you leave the test centre, then claim mitigating circumstances by 16:00 UK time on the fifth working day after that FLK. An accepted claim discounts the attempt but never changes marks.
Booking and format for January 2027
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 22-24 Sep 2026 | Seat reservation forms, and the reasonable adjustments deadline. Now closed. |
| 19 Oct-18 Nov | Payment requests by email if you reserved. Pay within 48 hours or the seat is cancelled. |
| 19-23 Nov | Direct online booking if you did not reserve. Limited seats. |
| 23 Nov 2026 | Booking closes, 5pm UK time. |
| 11-15 Jan / 18-22 Jan | FLK1 and FLK2 windows. |
| 9 Mar 2027 | Results. |
The new format applies to re-sitters too: 170 questions per FLK, 85 per session, about 108 seconds a question, and each session covers a fixed group of subjects. January 2027 is also the first SQE1 sitting affected by the SRA鈥檚 2026 annual review of the syllabus, and its law cut-off is 11 September 2026. See our SQE 2027 changes hub for every change.
Find what went wrong
| Cause | Signs | What to change |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge gaps | Low feedback in whole subjects; topics you did not recognise. | Relearn against the SRA鈥檚 FLK lines; short, frequent question sets. |
| Application | You knew the law but picked a plausible distractor. | For every miss, write why each wrong option is wrong. |
| Timing | Rushed or guessed questions near the end. | Train to 108 seconds a question with checkpoints. |
| The day itself | Illness, a disrupted night, a technical problem or acute anxiety. | Rehearse full days at your booked time; know the mitigating circumstances process. |
Why method matters. In 2025, 25% (January) and 20% (July) of candidates on a second attempt at the whole of SQE1 passed, against 60% and 46% of first-time candidates. Looking at each paper separately, between 40% and 49% of second-attempt candidates passed FLK1 or FLK2, against 50% to 66% at the first attempt (SQE Annual Report 2025). Our view: change what you do, not just how long you do it.
The 14-week comeback plan
Reset (weeks 1-2), Rebuild (3-9), Rehearse (10-12), Refine (13-14).
| Week | Dates | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5-11 Oct | Decode your result. Sit a full FLK in the 2027 format under exam conditions. |
| 2 | 12-18 Oct | Sit the other FLK the same way. Fill in your priority map. Confirm your booking route. |
| 3 | 19-25 Oct | Your weakest session block. Payment requests start 19 October: pay within 48 hours. |
| 4 | 26 Oct-1 Nov | Your second-weakest session block. |
| 5 | 2-8 Nov | Third session block. |
| 6 | 9-15 Nov | Fourth session block. |
| 7 | 16-22 Nov | Weakest block again. No seat yet? Direct booking opens 19 November. |
| 8 | 23-29 Nov | Second-weakest block again. Booking closes 23 November, 5pm. |
| 9 | 30 Nov-6 Dec | Sweep ethics and Solicitors Accounts across all sessions. Catch up. |
| 10 | 7-13 Dec | Full timed FLK1 with the break, then review every question. |
| 11 | 14-20 Dec | Full timed FLK2, then targeted fixes. |
| 12 | 21-27 Dec | Christmas week: two timed sessions on priority A subjects. |
| 13 | 28 Dec-3 Jan | Close your ten most frequent error types. |
| 14 | 4-10 Jan | Light review, logistics and sleep. FLK1 opens 11 January. |
Our guide is 15 to 25 hours a week, with one real day off. Resitting one paper? Alternate its two sessions so each gets three full weeks. Resitting only FLK2? You have at least one more week, because its window opens on 18 January; resitting both, FLK1 still comes first, from 11 January.
Technique for the new format
| Question | Elapsed time |
|---|---|
| 17 | 0:31 |
| 34 | 1:01 |
| 51 | 1:32 |
| 68 | 2:02 |
| 85 | 2:33 (time called) |
Read the last line first, name the issue before you look at the options, eliminate, then choose and move. Each session now covers a fixed set of subjects, so a hard first session tells you nothing about the second: reset in the 60-minute break, and be back within 50 minutes to re-register. If low mood or anxiety is affecting your health, talk to your GP; LawCare, the mental health charity for the legal community, supports law students and people training to qualify.
Frequently asked questions
How many times can you resit SQE1?
You have three attempts at FLK1 and three at FLK2, within six years that start on the first day of your first attempt at any SQE assessment. Your results page shows your deadline to pass the SQE.
If I passed one FLK, do I have to resit both?
No. If you passed one FLK and failed the other, you resit only the one you failed, and your pass carries forward within the six years. If you failed both, you must retake both in the same window.
How much does it cost to resit SQE1?
The 2026/27 fee to resit one FLK is 拢1,003, and both FLKs cost 拢2,006. A resit is charged at the fee in force when you book it, and all SQE fees are VAT exempt.
When can I book the January 2027 SQE1 resit?
Seat reservation forms ran from 22 to 24 September 2026. Candidates who reserved receive payment requests between 19 October and 18 November and must pay within 48 hours. Candidates who did not reserve can book directly online from 19 to 23 November, with limited seats. Booking closes on 23 November 2026.
Does the January 2027 SQE1 format change apply to resitters?
Yes. The SRA says the changes apply to all candidates, both first sitters and re-sitters: 170 questions per FLK, sat as two sessions of 85, with each session covering a fixed group of subjects.
Do you get question-level feedback on SQE1?
No. Your results show a scaled score and quintile for each FLK and a scaled score for each practice area, which the SRA says should be read cautiously. There is no re-mark, and a data request returns only a list of question numbers marked 1 or 0, with no insight into topics.
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