SQE for US attorneys
SQE for US attorneys: qualify as an English solicitor
A US attorney qualifies as a solicitor of England and Wales by passing SQE1 and then either passing SQE2 or being exempted from it. The Solicitors Regulation Authority treats every state the same way, asks for no training contract, and lets you sit SQE1 in New York.
- 2
- years of practice after admission that the SRA asks for before it will consider an SQE2 exemption
- 1
- SQE1 exemption granted by the SRA to any lawyer since 2021, so plan to sit it
- £265
- SRA fee to apply for an exemption, decided within 180 days
- 45%
- of qualified lawyers passed SQE1 in 2024/25, against 54% of other candidates (SRA)
Can a US attorney become an English solicitor?
Facts checked against the regulators’ own pages. Last updated .
- Yes. You need a degree, a pass in SQE1, a pass in or exemption from SQE2, and to meet the SRA’s character and suitability rules. As a qualified lawyer you do not need two years of qualifying work experience.
- The SRA lists one entry for the whole country, "United States of America (All states)". New York, California and every other bar are treated the same.
- There is no agreed exemption for US attorneys. You can apply for an individual SQE2 exemption with a reference showing at least two years of legal work after admission.
- SQE1 has to be sat. The SRA says SQE1 exemptions are "very rare" and that it has granted one since 2021.
- SQE1 can be sat in New York. The SQE2 written papers are not offered anywhere in the United States, and the SQE2 oral assessments are held only in England and Wales.
The four steps for a US attorney
The order matters, because a failed attempt closes the exemption for that assessment.
- Decide on SQE2 first. If you have two years of post-admission practice, apply to the SRA for an individual SQE2 exemption before you book anything. The SRA will not exempt an assessment you have already failed or are waiting on results for. You can sit SQE1 while the decision is pending.
- Open your two accounts. A mySRA account for your degree check, exemption and admission, and an SQE candidate account for booking. The names on the two must match exactly.
- Pass SQE1. Two papers, FLK1 and FLK2, booked together in the same window. SQE1 runs in January and July.
- Pass SQE2 or rely on your exemption, then apply for admission. At admission the SRA asks for a certificate of good standing, less than three months old, from every jurisdiction you are admitted in.
What the SRA asks a US attorney for
From the SRA’s exemption finder, last updated 24 September 2026.
| Assessment | Position | What you send |
|---|---|---|
| SQE1 (FLK1 and FLK2) | No agreed exemption. Individual exemptions are "very rare". | In practice, nothing: you sit both papers. |
| SQE2 | No agreed exemption. You can apply for an individual one. | Proof of admission or a certificate of good standing, a reference showing at least two years of legal work after qualifying as an American attorney, and proof of your referee’s own qualification. |
The fee is £265 whether you apply for one exemption or both, and the SRA allows itself up to 180 days from a complete application. An individual application is judged against the SQE2 skills and the standard of a newly qualified solicitor, so the reference has to describe the work you did, not only how long you did it. Read the checklist on the SRA’s SQE2 exemption page before you ask anyone to write it.
If you were admitted less than two years ago, you sit SQE2 like anyone else. Our guide to SQE exemptions covers the application step by step, and the exemption finder lists every jurisdiction.
Where a US attorney sits each assessment
Locations are confirmed only when booking opens for a sitting, so treat the city list as a guide.
| Assessment | In the United States | Otherwise |
|---|---|---|
| SQE1 (FLK1 and FLK2) | New York is on the SRA’s list of cities it aims to include. | Toronto, or any UK or European centre. |
| SQE2 written | Not offered in the United States or Canada. | A Pearson VUE centre in the UK or another listed country. |
| SQE2 oral | Not offered outside England and Wales. | London, Cardiff, Manchester or Birmingham. |
The SQE2 written and oral parts must be taken in the same assessment window, so an attorney who sits SQE2 should plan one trip to England or Wales for both. An attorney with the exemption never has to travel: SQE1 in New York is the whole exam. Sources: SQE assessment locations and SQE2 assessment days.
England to the US is not the mirror image
Useful if you are weighing which qualification to add first, or advising a colleague going the other way.
- CaliforniaThe State Bar says a lawyer fully admitted in any US or foreign jurisdiction can take the California Bar Examination "without additional legal education". Source: State Bar of California, foreign education.
- New YorkForeign-educated applicants come under Rule 520.6 and must ask the Board of Law Examiners for an advance evaluation first. Graduates of a qualifying common-law law degree can be eligible without a US LL.M. Source: New York Board of Law Examiners, foreign legal education.
- England and WalesA US attorney passes SQE1 and passes SQE2 or shows two years of practice. There is no law-degree test: the SRA accepts a degree in any subject.
Why add the English qualification at all? The Law Society of England and Wales reports that English law governs around 40% of global business and financial transactions, and that 78% of London Court of International Arbitration cases in 2024 were governed by it. Source: Law Society, international data insights report 2025.
What the SQE costs a US attorney, in dollars
The assessment fees are the same in New York as in London. An exempt attorney pays for SQE1 only.
In pounds, with US dollarsUSDPaid to the SRA, the same wherever you sit
- SQE1 assessment feeFLK1 and FLK2, paid to the SRA’s assessment provider when you book£2,006US$2,660
- SQE2 assessment feeWritten and oral, paid when you book SQE2£3,086US$4,090
- Both assessments£5,092US$6,750
Preparing with FQPS
- FQPS SQE1 RevisionA month, no minimum term, cancel anytime£79US$105
- FQPS SQE2 PreparationA month, includes 6 live 1:1 mocks with a solicitor£189US$251
SRA fees are for assessments from September 2026. FQPS prices include VAT. USD figures are a guide at the European Central Bank rate of 12 November 2026: you pay in pounds, and your card provider sets the final rate.
Preparing for SQE1 around a US practice
SQE1 is 360 single best answer questions on English law until the end of 2026, and 340 from January 2027. Bar-exam habits help with the format. The law itself is new.
Start free, from anywhere
One full FLK1 and one full FLK2 mock (2 × 85 questions each, January 2027 format), free on sign-up with no card.
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Revision cards for the whole SQE1 syllabus, 2,500+ practice questions, flashcards and full FLK1 and FLK2 mocks are there whenever you open the platform, on the web and in the mobile app.
The SQE1 courseA mentor who knows your route
Every paid plan includes a designated mentor and a personal study plan from Cleo, the FQPS study planner, built around your exam date.
How the mentor worksEnglish law, from the start
The SRA says the law of every jurisdiction it has reviewed differs significantly from that of England and Wales. Property, wills, criminal procedure and solicitors’ accounts are where US-trained candidates have the most to learn.
What FLK1 coversKnow the 2027 format
From January 2027 each SQE1 paper is 170 questions in two sessions, each session with its own group of subjects.
The SQE 2027 changesSQE1 preparation from £79 a month
5 plans, billed monthly with no minimum term. In your currency, that first plan is £79 a month.
A UK course with students well beyond the UK
FQPS is online from the first revision card to the last mock, so where you live changes your time zone and nothing else.
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- countries our paying students’ cards were issued in, in the 12 months to November 2026
- 44%
- of those students paid with a card issued outside the UK
Lit: the UK and 14 of the other countries, among them France, United States, Singapore, Germany, South Korea, Türkiye.
FQPS has invaluable resources and accommodates to the needs of those who can't spend thousands on study materials.
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When the SQE is not worth it for a US attorney
We would rather you chose the right route than our course.
- You work in London on US or international law, or on English-law matters that are not reserved activities. You can do that under your US title, and the SRA’s Registered Foreign Lawyer status exists for foreign lawyers who become partners in English firms.
- You hoped your bar admission would count for SQE1. It will not: plan for both papers.
- You want to "try" SQE2 before asking for the exemption. A failed attempt removes the exemption for that assessment.
- You have under two years of practice and cannot travel. SQE2 then means one trip to England or Wales for the written and oral parts together.
US attorneys and the SQE: common questions
Your situation not here? A free 30-minute call with our team goes through your route and your dates.
Book a free callIs a New York attorney exempt from the SQE?
No. The SRA has no agreed exemption for any US state. A New York attorney sits SQE1 and can apply for an individual SQE2 exemption with a reference showing at least two years of legal work after admission.
Are California attorneys treated differently from New York attorneys?
No. The SRA’s exemption finder has a single entry, "United States of America (All states)", so every state bar is treated the same way.
Can I sit the SQE in the United States?
SQE1 only. New York is on the SRA’s list of cities it aims to include for SQE1. The SQE2 written assessments are not offered in the United States, and the SQE2 oral assessments are held only in London, Cardiff, Manchester and Birmingham.
Do US attorneys need qualifying work experience?
No. The SRA says qualified lawyers do not need two years of qualifying work experience. That requirement applies to candidates who are not already qualified lawyers.
Does a JD count as a degree for the SQE?
The SRA accepts a degree in any subject that is shown to be equivalent to a UK degree. An international degree is checked through mySRA by the SRA’s provider, Atlantic Data, for £54.84.
How long does the SQE2 exemption take?
The SRA decides within 180 days of a complete application, and the fee is £265. You can sit SQE1 while you wait.
How many attempts do I get at SQE1?
Three at each paper, within six years of your first SQE assessment. If you pass one paper and fail the other, you resit only the one you failed.
Do qualified lawyers find SQE1 easier?
The SRA’s figures say no. In its 2024/25 annual report, 45% of qualified lawyers passed SQE1 against 54% of candidates who were not qualified lawyers. Experience in another legal system does not replace revising English law.
Other routes to the English title
SQE for Canadian lawyersThirteen provinces and territories, no agreed exemption, and a different experience rule depending on where you were admitted.
SQE for Australian and New Zealand lawyersAustralian solicitors with an unrestricted practising certificate have an agreed SQE2 exemption. New Zealand lawyers apply individually.
SQE for EU and Irish lawyersIrish solicitors sit nothing, lawyers from 14 EU countries have an agreed SQE2 exemption, and the rest apply one by one.All 15 international guidesWhere you can sit, what has to be done in the UK, and a guide for each country.Sources for this page (14)
- SRA: SQE exemptions by jurisdiction
- SRA: applying for an SQE1 exemption
- SRA: applying for an SQE2 exemption
- SRA: qualified lawyers
- SRA: English or Welsh language proficiency
- SRA: degree or equivalent
- SQE: assessment locations
- SQE: SQE2 assessment days
- SQE: costs and fees
- SQE: resits
- SQE: annual report 2024/25
- State Bar of California: foreign education
- New York Board of Law Examiners: foreign legal education
- Law Society: international data insights report 2025
Each source was read on or before 12 November 2026. Rules change: check the regulator's own page before you act on anything here. This page is general information, not legal or immigration advice. FQPS Academy is an independent SQE preparation provider, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority or Kaplan. The SQE and SOLICITORS QUALIFYING EXAMINATION trade marks are the property of and are used under licence from the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
